Buscar:cut out

Oliver Dollar unveils part two of his ‘Contemporary’ EP on Rekids.The release features collaborations with Brillstein and Harvard Bass.

Part two of Oliver Dollar’s ‘Contemporary’ EP will be released this July via Rekids. It follows part one, released in April of this year, which saw him team up with ADMN, Austin Ato, and APROPOS and featured a remix from Brian Kage. With the first part winning support from the likes of Laurent Garnier, Nightmares On Wax, and Dam Swindle, this next EP continues with an equally promising cast behind the wheel, as Dollar brings in Brillstein and Harvard Bass for more irresistible house funk across three tracks in part two.

First up on the ‘Contemporary Part Two’ EP, Jesse Rose, Diplo and Switch collaborator Brillstein joins Oliver Dollar for ‘Pill Popper’, a real dancefloor-igniting underground cut with an unforgettable hushed vocal over infectious rhythms. It is followed by Oliver Dollar and Harvard Bass’ ‘Funky Brewster’, which sees the Tuskegee, Relief Records, and Turbo artist complement Oliver’s house style with signature jackin’ flair. A repeating vocal and hard-hitting drum beat keep centre in this party anthem before Dollar flies solo for ‘Funked Up’, in which a low-slung groove and dreamy, chopped-up vocal work in harmony before breaking down into a jazz-inflected midsection,
making for the perfect outro to a fantastic two-part series on Radio Slave’s Rekids.

One mere year after their previous pitch-black sounding album Krypt, LA outfit Male Tears is back with a new full-length and – oh boy – everything is changed.

The used-to-be duo is now a four piece with James Edward as the sole founding member remaining and apparently this new line-up helped the original vocalist to shapeshift again.
Remember their very first debut album from 2021 and those dark synthpop sounds?

With their upcoming fourth album (in only three years), this American electronic-pop act from Southern California doubles the stakes once again and where Krypt was all about being goth and gloomy and disturbingly paroxysmal, Paradisco is somehow quite the opposite.

Eight new tracks of pure italo disco, hi-NRG and freestyle bliss that pick up where the band left off three years ago to pursue much darker realms. Now that the quest for darkness is done, it is time to polish our nails and dress up for the night-out cause there’s more in life than feeling sorry for yourself. Yes you will need to cut out the deadwood but there is no change in stillness.

So join Male Tears and their new arsenal of bangers and floor fillers with assertive titles such as Out of my Life, Regret 4 Nothing and Leave it Alone.

Get yourself wrapped up in one warm cover of delicate nostalgia and reborn romanticism, driven by sounds that pay homage equally to Miko Mission and Ken Laszlo, Lisa Lisa and Exposé and, well yeah, even The Smiths because say what you wanna say but you simply cannot not love The Smiths.

Embrace the vintage vibes that organically propagate from this new record’s grooves and get in the mood for this new course in full-on 1980’s Pop.

One mere year after their previous pitch-black sounding album Krypt, LA outfit Male Tears is back with a new full-length and – oh boy – everything is changed.

The used-to-be duo is now a four piece with James Edward as the sole founding member remaining and apparently this new line-up helped the original vocalist to shapeshift again.
Remember their very first debut album from 2021 and those dark synthpop sounds?

With their upcoming fourth album (in only three years), this American electronic-pop act from Southern California doubles the stakes once again and where Krypt was all about being goth and gloomy and disturbingly paroxysmal, Paradisco is somehow quite the opposite.

Eight new tracks of pure italo disco, hi-NRG and freestyle bliss that pick up where the band left off three years ago to pursue much darker realms. Now that the quest for darkness is done, it is time to polish our nails and dress up for the night-out cause there’s more in life than feeling sorry for yourself. Yes you will need to cut out the deadwood but there is no change in stillness.

So join Male Tears and their new arsenal of bangers and floor fillers with assertive titles such as Out of my Life, Regret 4 Nothing and Leave it Alone.

Get yourself wrapped up in one warm cover of delicate nostalgia and reborn romanticism, driven by sounds that pay homage equally to Miko Mission and Ken Laszlo, Lisa Lisa and Exposé and, well yeah, even The Smiths because say what you wanna say but you simply cannot not love The Smiths.

Embrace the vintage vibes that organically propagate from this new record’s grooves and get in the mood for this new course in full-on 1980’s Pop.

Emerging Belgian DJ/producer STEYA shares her debut EP on IMF, becoming just the ninth artist to release a full body of work on Marcel Fengler's influential label.
The Berlin-based artist has stamped herself as one to watch since breaking through in 2022, a regular at RSO Berlin and Grelle Forelle in Vienna, she's also played Tomorrowland, Exhale, Rex Club andBasement in NYC.
Her first forays into production reinforced her quality, with 'Neon Reecho' featuring on RAW's Third Eye compilation in 2021, followed by the release of 'Elysian' on BCCO's second V/A as well as the excellent 'Prototype X' on the '10 Years of IMF' that dropped in 2022, followed by a standout contribution to the label's new HARDPROOF V/A series in 2023 with 'Trigger Me'.
Her debut EP crystalises 20 years of devotion to techno, presenting abroad palette of sonic influences formed since her early days as araver in Antwerp. At the same time, it continues the label's philosophy of pairing a next generation artist with one of the greats of the genre, with STEYA's hero Rolando featuring on her 'Dopamine EP' with a remix of the incandescent 'Things You Never Said'. Growing up in Belgium where the 'Knights of the Jaguar' was a staple childhood anthem, it was "one of her biggest wishes to have him as a remixer".
An EP borne through two years of dedicated studio time, 'Dopamine EP' kicks off with the electric title track, a gritty tribal outing marked by dynamic shifts in tempo throughout. 'Fast Life' is a slick bass-led cut with plenty of bottom-end kick before a punchy synth melody get sadded to the brew. Swedish producer Hertz - a favourite of STEYA's ("I've played one of his tracks in every set since the beginning of my career") joins the project to re-work the title track, upping the energy ofthe original. 'Things You Never Said' begins life centred around energetic rolling grooves, before warm synth rushes give it a distinct Motor City vibe. Rolando fittingly steps up for remix duties to close out the EP, delivering a masterclass in deep simmering techno, extending the original by two minutes.
"It's a big honour to release my debut EP on such an amazing label like IMF, which is very close to my heart. I poured my heart and soul into this project. It showcases the artistic direction I've developed overthe last few years and is an important milestone in my artist journey." - STEYA
"After experiencing many of her stunning DJ sets, it's wonderful to seeher thriving also as a producer. What really excites me is witnessing her continuous growth, always fuelled by her deep passion for music. So, I'm thrilled to release STEYA's debut EP on IMF, featuring three original dancefloor anthems and two stellar remixes by Rolando and Hertz." - Marcel Fengler

Habibi Funk is thrilled to share a second collection of deep grooves and unreleased songs from Algeria's Ahmed Malek, often compared to Italian heavyweight Ennio Morricone. Malek’s music effortlessly switches between thematic jazz, funk, reggae and Algerian folk – creating indelible soundscapes that intersect the musical innovations made in African jazz by Mulatu Astatke, Bembeya Jazz National along with some of Europe’s finest experimental composers like Piero Piccioni and Janko Nilovic. “Musique Originale de Films, Volume Deux” is out June 28th, 2024 via Habibi Funk.

Whenever an interview asks about a “memorable moment” in Habibi Funk label history, one we always reference is how we got in touch Ahmed Malek’s (22K Spotify Followers, 285K Spotify Monthly Listeners) music and subsequently his family. It all started with us coming across Ahmed Malek’s music on YouTube in 2012. We were mesmerized by how effortlessly the music would switch between jazz, funk and Algerian folk while counterweighting it with an undertone of melancholia. Musical perception is different for every person, but there is a chance that his music will touch you in one way or another. At the time, we had just started the Habibi Funk label and we felt Ahmed’s music might be a good fit for the sound we were trying to highlight. Fast forward three years: we had become captivated with the idea of reissuing some of Ahmed Malek’s music. We knew some people had tried to locate his family but, but with no success. In the end it was an incredible amount of luck that made it possible for you to read these words and listen to Ahmed’s music. We were on a DJ gig in Beirut playing old Arabic records and we mentioned our passion for Ahmed Malek’s music to a friend. She said she knew one person in Algier, and as much as it would be a shot in the dark, she could ask her if she had an idea of how to find Malek’s family. Two weeks went by before we heard back, and what we got was incredibly good news - her Algerian friend was the neighbor of Ahmed Malek’s daughter! We’re not spiritual people, but it felt like the universe wanted to see the release happen. We started to speak with Henya, Ahmed Malek’s daughter and she was more than happy with our idea. She assured us that her father would have loved the plan as well. She provided us with tons of awesome material, from great photos, to unseen video footage and unreleased tracks. Eventually we visited Henya in Algeria and we licensed some of her father’s music, first for one (Habibi 003), then for another (Habibi 005), then we eventually organized an exhibition in June/July 2019 – Planète Malek – Une Rétrospective – at the Musée Public National D’Art Moderne & Contemporain in Algiers, focusing on Ahmed Malek’s artistic life. We also produced a small movie about him that our friend Paloma Colombe shot and directed. “Musique Originale de Films, Volume Deux” is a deep collection of unreleased songs and stemmed grooves from the Algerian master, from jazz, funk, psych to reggae rhythms and Latin flavors, all under the sonic umbrella of “Planète Malek;” and to quote the maestro, “I didn’t choose music, music chose me.” Lead single is the subtlety funky “Thème Rythme Léger,” out May 3rd along with LP Pre-Order (coincided with Bandcamp Friday for a larger impact) a delicate sonic dance between flute, piano and Spanish guitar with a Bossainfluenced groove. The steady, swingin’ drum groove is cloudlike - definitely toe-tapping friendly so just grab a partner to feel the Rhythme Léger. Second single out May 17th is the reggae-infused “L’Empire Des Rêves” – a sultry sax melody weaves through a prismatic rocksteady thematic groove. 3rd and final single “Thème Djalti feat. Aïda Guéchoud” – is a true Western-inspired ode to his Italian counterpart Ennio Morricone. “Thème Djalti” features the haunting vocals of Aïda Guéchoud, and combines elements of baroque and Bossa-jazz in a timelessly thematic way that seems grandiose yet remains uniquely personal to your ears. Swelling strings, trumpet, fem vox, flute, and plucked guitar expertly arranged, feels like you’re riding a horse into the sunset. Focus track “La La La” is fiery afro-arab-funk of the highest order! Put on your dancing shoes as Ahmed cuts the rug and gets us grooving along. Sonically the cut sounds like if Ahmed ran into The JB’s and Fela Kuti at a Cymande concert. Driving guitar and organ solos vie over pulsating bass riffs and afro-funk drumming that’ll have you out on the dance floor in no time. As always, both vinyl and CD come with an extensive booklet featuring background and interviews with Ahmed compiled through found newspaper clippings and newsreels, also including unseen photos, scans and more. “Ahmed Malek: Musique Originale de Films, Volume Deux” will be out everywhere June 28th.

These days it seems as if at every turn, week in week out, the Reggae fraternity grieves the loss of another journey man singer, unassuming session musician or foundational sound man.

The power of remembrance, of tribute, of deeply honouring the historical legacy of so many singers & players has been, from its very inception, central to the mission of Ital Counselor Records. The arrival of IC008 carries forth this tradition in the form of an epic tribute to two of our most cherished influences who have recently passed on – The ever-spirited drummer Angus “Drummie Zeb” Gaye of Aswad fame and the indomitable UK sound man, the Mighty Zulu Warrior Jah Shaka.

This release brings together some of the usual Ital Counselor collaborators Chris Lane (AKA the Dub Organiser, Fashion Records), Soothsayer Horns, Inyaki BDF, along with new IC collaborator Gil Cang (Riz Records, Tuff Scout Records).

Collectively known as the IC All Stars, their mission was to rebuild a mythic dubplate made legendary by Shaka in the early 1980s. Known on the scene as Rasta Serenade, this horns driven instrumental dubplate was a never released version of Aswad’s vocal cut “Just a Little Herb” only ever played on Shaka’s sound.
To achieve maximum effect, the Dub Organiser dug back into the Fashion records vaults to unearth an unused loop of ‘Drummie’ marching out a militant beat. Inyaki BDF was recruited to lay down the bassline. Soothsayers horns hit harder still. Chris and Gil put the final guitar, keys, and mix touches to make this 4-cut maxi 12” a sound system killer; a set of big people dubs for the young and old. Meditative and marching; Weighted and spritely IC008 must mash up sound system dance north, south, east and west. Take a listen and you will hear.

Drummie Zeb of the Tribe of Zebulon.
Jah Shaka of the Tribe of Simeon.
This is a tribute. This is a remembrance.
This is also a pushing forward of a tradition
In a new Direction
A movement Forward
Ital Counselor Style.

You know it's a guarantee when we welcome back the legendary Breakbeat Junkie to represent the 14th installment of the Toxic Funk series that things will be all about the Party rocking Breaks!

The Breakbeat Junkie has been around since the early nu funk days as a solo producer and as part of the dynamic duo Second Hand Audio, who has dropped various classic releases on both BBP and the Ghetto Funk label.

Toxic Funk Vol. 14 features 2 golden funky cuts from the beat master, which will be sure to get the party rocking anywhere its dropped.

Lately The Breakbeat Junkie has been stable with his bootleg jams on Craig Charles Funk and Soul show on BBCand we know these cuts will go down perfect with the big jams played on this show.

Another timeless 7- inch donut that will be going quick so get it while you can and look out for more Toxic Funk coming very soon…

2024 Repress

Innercity Griots, the second album from Freestyle Fellowship, is perhaps *the* essential West Coast left-field rap album of the early ’90s. Released in 1993 on 4th & Broadway, it’s a towering, progressive hip-hop masterpiece that expanded rap’s boundaries through lyrical elevation and production innovation. Their talent was ahead of everybody else by light years. This is pure b-boy jazz.

The original single vinyl LP is now hideously scarce, and of course the sound suffers from not being officially released as a double. This Be With re-issue fixes both problems, and for completeness also includes “Pure Thought” from the CD version of the album. This incredible display of imaginative hip-hop sounds better than ever.

Freestyle Fellowship were some of the earliest technically dazzling rappers to come out of California. Mikah 9, P.E.A.C.E., Aceyalone and Self Jupiter - along with DJ Kiilu - forged their famed lyrical dexterity in the ultra-competitive crucible of the Good Life Cafe. Founded in Leimert Park, South Central LA in December 1989, this earthy health-food store and cafe was where the city’s finest microphone fiends would gather to showcase their freestyle skills at the Thursday night open-mic.

Innercity Griots has been described as the Rosetta Stone for rap styles. The group’s dense, vibrant wordplay and enviable interplay quickly earned the attention and respect of the city’s hip-hop underground. Frenetically trading acrobatic rhymes with agility and grace, the Fellowship used their voices as instruments like true virtuosos, spraying improvised raps like a Coltrane sax solo.

With the bulk of the album’s production handled by The Earthquake Brothers, and Bambawar, Daddy-O, and Edman taking over for some of the tracks, Innercity Griots dances between organic and programmed music, largely forgoing sampling and instead built around live jazz jams. The likes of Freddie Hubbard’s “Red Clay” and Miles Davis’s “Black Comedy” were used more as templates for house band The Underground Railroad Band to spiral out from. As Pitchfork noted in their recent 9.0 review of this classic album, “Freestyle Fellowship embodied the style and spirit of jazz on a molecular level. They shared the effortless cool and tough countenance of the great bebop players from the ’50s without verging into jazz-rap parody. Their innate jazziness felt tangible and hard-earned”.

The unusual approach to the music was matched by the Fellowship’s lyrics. Eschewing the tired rap tropes of the time, this multifaceted album instead explores their ruminations on greed and homelessness, weed, sex, survival, insecurity and tribalism.

Remastered by Simon Francis for double vinyl and cut by Pete Norman, we hope this long-overdue re-issue of Innercity Griots satisfies the legions of fans that have since been bewitched by the majesty of this record. It should also introduce some new listeners to yet another overlooked classic.

In 1971, Atlantic Records released a pair of Dusty Springfield singles produced by the legendary songwriter/producer Jeff Barry (one-time songwriting and romantic partner of Ellie Greenwich, and author of too many hits to name): “Haunted”/”Nothing Is Forever” and “I Believe In You”/”Someone Who Cares.” A restless Dusty, freshly relocating to America from her native England, then departed the label and left an additional 9 songs recorded with Barry in the can, where they stayed until Rhino issued one track, “Faithful” (in mono), as a bonus track on the 1990s CD release of Dusty’s 1970 Atlantic album A Brand New Me. The other tracks didn’t surface until a subsequent deluxe reissue of Dusty’s landmark 1969 album Dusty in Memphis included them as bonus cuts.

Then, reissue producer Jim Pierson—who tracked down the missing masters after being lost for over two decades —assembled Dusty’s Barry-produced masters and put them together in a single package for the first time to create the third Dusty Springfield Atlantic Records album as planned in 1971. Real Gone Music’s release of Faithful on LP presents these historic Barry-Springfield collaborations exactly as they were originally intended to be heard, with the 12 tracks meant for the album release out on vinyl over 50 years later. All tracks are in stereo, while the liner notes on the new gatefold spread, penned by The Second Disc’s Joe Marchese, feature a number of rarely-seen photos of the legendary singer. These stunning pop, soul and gospel flavored selections showcase the iconic singer at the height of her vocal magic. A missing/ jumbled part of Dusty’s august recorded legacy, finally set right and available in its intended format. Out on metallic gold and purple “royalty” vinyl as befitting The Queen of Blue-Eyed Soul…limited to 1500 copies!

Finland has long had a uniquely progressive underground, with thriving punk, avant, jazz, and rock scenes with oversized output and impact. Jussi Lehtisalo’s (Circle, Pharaoh Overlord, Mahti, etc) label Ektro has been at the center of this activity for the last three decades, with a stream of excellent and conceptually bonkers releases covering music of all types. Here Lehtisalo joins up with Jan Anderzén (of Kemialliset Ystävät among others) for an album of absolutely fun and unusual miniature duets that sound like alien Library music beamed in from the outerlands. Tracks like “Luukku Yksi” and “Puistossa” use a charmingly retro synth-y sound palate and Cluster-like melodic sensibility to make accessible some deceptively “out” music. Some cuts (like “Kylpy”) have a vague hint of early ’80s post-punk / new wave vibes, bouncing along in a friendly way with odd interjections of sample debris and electronics jumping out of the mix to keep it weird. The surging “Hymy yössä” could be music for the credits of the world’s hippest newscast. Beautiful jacket by renown Helsinki-based artist Dylan Ray Arnold, bringing the die-cut techniques of their gallery pieces like “Growth of the Night Plants” to LP form.

It’s been exactly a year since the 6th Borough boys emerged from their hiatus to bring us the Rhythm & Truth EP. This killer three tracker picked up where they left off and showed us that fans of deep, dusty, dubbed-out disco were as hungry as ever for new 6BP material and went on to garner praise from the likes of Jamie 3:26, Luke Solomun, Dam Swindle, Young Pulse and the Faith crew to name a few. Here on their follow up we’re treated to more of the good stuff and sees Craig Smith and Graeme ‘Revenge’ Clark whipping up four new cuts spanning speaker- wobbling sub-aquatic grooves and stripped back deep house.

One Way sets the tone with a subtle yet infectious percussive workout which is one of those mood setting tools which looks set to become a lot of DJ’s secret weapons this summer. Filtering strings and tweaked synths add that classic Chicago energy which won’t fail to get you locked into it’s groove. Spare Change treads a similar path but goes heavier on the echoing synth stabs and deep string pads proving that when the rhythm is rolling this nicely just let it roll.

Flip over for Backlash which takes us deeper still with lush chords and driving square wave bassline taking centre stage supported by an unrelent ing kick drum which helps to keep an intensity throughout the arrangement. Closing out the EP we have The Other, which sees 6BP dropping the BPM’s to create a low-slung slice of deep, underground house perfection.

2024 Repress


Straight out of the depths of East London, Hoxton Square to be precise. A location before gentrification, the area around Old Street in 1995 was full of young artists, musicians and record labels. Law & Auder were one of those bands, with a studio in the next road to the legendary Blue Note club. This is where these two tracks were created, two cuts that encapsulate the raw sound of the London jungle scene at this time.

This particular 12” is a bit of a cult release, with prices on Discogs for an original copy at a VG+ rating going for a £150 a copy, that’s if you can ever find one.
This is the second release from the group that we have repressed ON Vinyl Fanatiks, with Martin from the group also being a part of Utomica, another group that we repressed a few years ago.

Straight from the East London vaults.

''Sulla Rotta Dei Venti'' (On the Route of the Winds) is the brand-new album of Italian ska-jazz maestros North East Ska*Jazz Orchestra (NESJO). A collection of eleven own-penned original tracks, written and composed between 2020 and 2023, that frames a new chapter in the ten-year career of the band. In this record, NESJO bravely explores other worlds through music, which, as we know, is always also an inner quest. It is at the same time an effort to place their own music at the centre of the time and space in which they live, even at the cost of going beyond the stylistic limits linked to the band's chosen musical genre. Although, these new 11 cuts are built around rhythms that are undeniably of Jamaican origin, melodies are tainted with music from other traditions and sometimes also feature pop elements. Somehow, in this new album, NESJO has chosen to let the jazz big-band out of the orchestra pit and to mix with the popular sound of the street. Through the tracks of the record, NESJO creates mixed ensembles with the use of instruments such as strings, accordion, flute, clarinet, horn, tuba… together with the band's regular branding of sax, trumpets and trombones. Another novelty of this work is that the non-instrumental tracks are sung in Italian by the three singers Freddy Frenzy, Michela Grena and Rosa Mussin. And the musical journey takes us to exotic but at the same time very close sounds in 21st century Europe: Balkan (“Piazza Della Liberta”, “CiganSka #1”), Arabic (“Petrolio”), African (“Nimi Muzima”), Italian (“Roma Tokyo Paris”), and ska (“Donna Di Chi”) and a sophisticated ska-jazz suite (“Sulla Rotta Dei Venti”). The opening words of the first track of the album give us a glimpse of the feeling of vindication, brotherhood and hope contained in this set of songs: "Where is the empathy for those in difficulty / in the streets of Trieste that shout with vitality / indifference hearts of stone / dense black Balkan agony".

After five long years, Balance and Composure return with Too Quick To Forgive––newly signed to Grammy-nominated producer Will Yip’s label, Memory Music, the alt-rock dar- lings sound more assured and adventurous than ever across two vulnerable tracks. Too Quick To Forgive is a reflection on personal perseverance in the wake of confrontation, told through two distinctly different scenarios. “Savior Mode” finds frontman Jon Simmons baring his soul in a way that is unparalleled in their discography, while “Last To Know” is an emotionally-resonant highlight that leaves a lasting impact well after its final notes play out.

Simmons’ vulnerability and emotional delivery across both tracks cut through with unflinching precision courtesy of Andy Slaymaker (guitar), Matt Warner (bass), Erik Petersen (guitar), Dennis Wilson (drums), and who the band considers their 6th member––producer Will Yip. In the fall of 2022, the group got together at his Conshohocken, PA studio, Studio 4, with a few ideas that Yip helped turn into these otherworldly tracks. “It was all magic,” Jon says.
With a renewed sense of purpose, Balance and Composure will return to the stage for a series of Too Quick To Forgive release shows in some of the biggest rooms they’ve ever played.

Veiga lands straight on the dancefloor, no ambiguity about it. Spurred by the guys from RS Produções, he's been honing his DJ skills since he was 17 (currently 23), initially with partner Nunocoox, who gave him even more motivation. Production came naturally sometime in 2020. We venture: maybe one of the good things coming out of the lockdown? Summer of '22, his debut at Musicbox (at the Príncipe monthly residency) is recorded as a festive, lively set, punctuated by the kind of crowd shouts only heard when things go really happy and sweaty. Since then, Veiga's name has been spotted regularly in the afro club scene, growing in reputation

This side of kuduro, "Leandro" is as expressive as it gets, with percussive forces pulling in deceitfully different directions, much in the same style as the slower form of tarraxo. But we can call this house, yeah? No niceties, however: little over 3 minutes and the track abruptly cuts into silence, exuding the raw power of something made for the mix, not in the least "for the people". In a similar pragmatic mode, the stabs in "Sem Nome" get the party started unannounced. Full mode, for the duration. Minimal groove, broken beats and emotive highlights. "Boiler Room" may be wishful thinking, an interpretation of what is required to rock the place or, ultimately, just a title to wrap up the project. In any case, here's a feisty vocal-and-whistle driven stormer, building up to perfection over three and a half minutes. All elements exactly where they belong. Relentless pace in "X de Destroi", a dark side operation, unreal ambiance, breakneck beats, a purgation?

The title "Tudo É No Guetto" contains all the necessary theory. Everything happens in the ghetto. This uplifting house slab celebrates life as it is, freezing hardships for a moment, the ghetto seen as welcoming, a natural place to be. Vocals stashed away in his cell phone come from the animação crew Os Twinni (he joined them for a while). Clipped, repeated and manipulated to convey the very simple feeling of good times. Veiga himself talks about growing up with minimum resources but still happy. That is the memory he retains from being a kid in the ghettos of Amadora, just outside of Lisbon, born to a Cape Verdean father and Portuguese mother. Though the music sounds carefree and the message is chilled, let us not be tempted to rebrand Reality.

500 only pressed. 80s alt country punk outfit, Lone Justice, with Maria McKee, Ryan Hedgecock, Marvin Etzioni and Don Heffington are in full flight with the release of a brand new 7”. Taken from their forthcoming album, Viva Lone Justice, ‘Teenage Kicks’ is a rambunctious slice of punk angst that sounds like it was recorded in one take. It’s a timeless anthem with a joyous riff that explodes into a hail of feedback. A favour returned as Maria McKee, the songwriter of Feargal Sharkey’s only solo hit ‘A Good Heart’, Lone Justice cover The Undertones’ Peel-approved favourite with the artwork of the single being a nod to the original. “As much as we loved Merle Haggard, George Jones, and many other authentic hard core Country artists, we were also deeply impacted by Punk; from the Velvet Underground (we were playing "Sweet Jane" live as early as 1983) to the MC5 ("Sister Ann" is on the album "Viva Lone Justice").” Backed with ‘Nothing Can Stop My Loving You’ that’s cut with a wild, squeezebox-powered interpretation of the George Jones and Roger Miller country stomp. “Speaking of George Jones, here's one written by George Jones and Roger Miller. Two of our favorites! We played this song at nearly every show starting in 1983. This ragged and right live recording captures the fire from a sold out show at The Palace in Los Angeles and features Jo-El Sonnier on lead accordion documenting the only time Sonnier played with LJ. "Nothing Can Stop My Loving You" is the only live track on Viva Lone Justice." // “A roots rock band that took Los Angeles by storm in the 80s and developed a smaller but deeply enthusiastic following outside the Golden State.

2024 reissue

American jazz pianist and composer Weldon Irvine dropped his fourth and some say best album, In Harmony, in 1974. It came originally on the legendary spiritual jazz outlet Strata-East and now gets reissued by Japan's equally well regarded P-Vine. It has got a fresh mastering job for the occasion so sounds as good as possible with standout cuts like 'What Are Ou Doing For The Rest Of Your Life' and 'Pleasure, Pain & Me' exemplifying Irivine's unique conversational style and ability to lay down spiritual jazz sounds that energies and refresh mind, body and soul.

Repress!

KMD (Kausing Much Damage, or a positive Kause in a Much Damaged society) was a Hip Hop group in the early 90s perhaps best known for launching the career of acclaimed MC/Producer MF Doom (known during his KMD tenure as Zev Love X). After guesting on 3rd Bass' "The Gas Face," the trio (Zev, brother Subroc, and Onyx) released the acclaimed and overlooked "Mr. Hood" full-length. Their political outlook was similar to the group Brand Nubian, who guested on Hood; however, the style was more comical and included a great deal of clips from old children's recordings, mostly notably a sample of the Seaseme Street character Bert on the single "Who Me" This is the official Elektra Records/Traffic Entertainment Group re-release with original artwork and track listing in it's entirety. Cutting edge, ahead of it's time production and skits from KMD and Stimulated Dummies (John Gamble and Mr. Dante Ross). Features the singles "Peachfuzz", "Who Me" and "Nitty Gritty" (feat. Brand Nubian). This is one Rap album that is not to be missed.

"RZA’s third solo effort under his Bobby Digital alias is presented on vinyl for the first time ever. Digi Snacks continues the story line from Digital Bullet (issued on vinyl for RSD 2022) and includes features from Inspectah Deck (among others). Though RZA handles the production on almost all cuts, he does pull in a few outside producers for an assist. Most notably David Banner for “Straight Up The Block.” RZA describes the project as “simply fun hip hop - a perfect blend of reality, fiction, sci-fi and martial arts.” Digi Snacks debuts on vinyl for RSD Black Friday."

Repress!

The 25th of September will see two of house and techno’s most-established talents collaborate on their debut release together, as Hot Creations head Jamie Jones teams up with Mood Records boss Nicole Moudaber on Pepper Shake.

Short, sweet and with no filler involved, Pepper Shake gets us underway swiftly, and the name certainly does the track justice. Up-tempo hats whistle beside a driving bassline, before a female vocal reels in and out. The styles of both artists are present throughout, with Jamie’s signature groove providing the foundation and Nicole’s deeper techno style coming through in the synths. Bubble Ride completes the release. Dark, gritty and harder-edged than its predecessor, this is a stripped-back peak-time club cut, with a penetrating bassline and hard-hitting kick patterns. The occasional pulse of an atmospheric sample further enhances the body of the track, to form something that’s built solely for the dancefloor.

As a world-renowned DJ and producer, head of Hot Creations and founder of the global Paradise event series, Jamie Jones has etched out a legacy in electronic music that few others can attest to. His personally curated Paradise series offers an international showcase of house and techno’s most recognisable artists, whilst his flagship label, Hot Creations, continues to pioneer a contemporary house sound. At the forefront of the MOOD brand, with offshoots including a record label (Mood Records), warehouse parties (MoodRAW), festival stages (MoodZONE) and a renowned global radio show (In the MOOD), Nicole Moudaber has rightfully established herself as a worldwide techno mainstay.

Repress!

RYUICHI SAKAMOTO'S 1985 ELECTRONIC AND AMBIENT CLASSIC RELEASED OUTSIDE OF JAPAN FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE ITS ORIGINAL RELEASE WITH NEW LINER NOTES BY ANDY BETA AND AUDIO REMASTERED BY SEIGEN ONO

Wewantsounds continues their Ryuichi Sakamoto reissue series with the release of the 1985 album "Esperanto", composed for a performance by New York avant garde choreographer Molissa Fenley. Produced and performed by Sakamoto with contribution by Arto Lindsay and Japanese percussionist Yas-Kaz, "Esperanto" is a fascinating instrumental work mixing electronica, ambient and synth pop. Released in Japan in 1985 on Midi Inc.s' School label, the album has never been released outside of Japan until now. This special reissue comes with original artwork including a 2 pages insert with a new introduction by Journalist Andy Beta. The audio has been remastered in Tokyo by Seigen Ono.
"Esperanto" originally came out in 1985 and was Ryuichi Sakamoto's sixth solo album. Coming after his stint with the influential Yellow Magic Orchestra, and also the worldwide success of Sakamoto's 1984 soundtrack for the film "Merry Christmas Mr. Lawrence" (in which he starred alongside David Bowie), "Esperanto" was a return to Sakamoto's leftfield roots.
?Composed as the soundtrack to a performance by New York choreographer Molissa Fenley (a show commissioned by Japanese producer Shozo Tsurumoto), the album was masterminded by Sakamoto with the help of the cutting-edge electronic technology of the time (the only external contributions are by Arto Lindsay on guitar and Japanese composer Yas-Kaz on percussion).
?Indeed, the album is a fascinating soundscape experimenting with the new sampler technology - which, according to Ryuichi Sakamoto from a conversation with journalist Andy Beta mentioned in the liner notes, needed a computer that was huge at the time.
?Esperanto is composed of eight tracks displaying a varied mix of influences. "A Wongga Dance Song" is pulsating with rhythms while "A Rain Song" adopts a minimalist mode with its distinctive
repetitive pattern. "Dolphins" and "A Carved Stone" are captivating ambient pieces showcasing Sakamoto's talent for setting beautiful abstract melodic ornaments over atmospheric tones.
?One of the highlights of the album is "Adelic Penguins", a fascinating proto techno piece with a funky twist stretching over six minutes which echoes the electro funk of 1981's album "Hidari Ude No Yume." "Ulu Watu", a collage-like piece featuring bird motives and a tropical soundscape closes the album with an experimental note. It's interesting to note that, a year later, the tracks from "Esperanto" would be turned into an experimental video project by New York visual artists Kit Fitzgerald and Nam June Paik collaborator Paul Garrin.
?A unique album in Ryuichi Sakamoto's rich discography, "Esperanto" is a groundbreaking work worth rediscovering in its full glory.

Circling guitar lines; the rise of fall of delicate bass; deep, breathy horns: sonic elements that exist in a state of slow, perpetual motion, like ideas sprouting from some kind of cognitive compost. With wonder and charm, G. S. Schray's new solo album, Whispered Something Good, evokes a realm of new growth while offering a fitting soundtrack for its exploration, as if tailor made for both the daydreamer and silly adventurer.


We start in the darkness of "Unlit Center" with elliptical phrases of jazz guitar. A conversation between double bass, synthesiser, and piano plays out on "In Tears Twice A Page" before we're ushered into the reflective zone of "Another Haunted Mirror." There is synth mist which trumpet cuts through decisively like a shaft of light from the sun: warm and clear. As the album proceeds, firmer rhythms coalesce. On "Prelude for Probably," clattering drums lock into a triumphant groove with horns. And then, to close, the instrumental art-pop of "Gone in Amber," probing not necessarily towards a final destination but another stop-off, one of distant birdsong and the faintest flicker of synth. Intimate and inviting, the act of listening to Whispered Something Good is akin to digging through an imagination. It's a place of subliminal melodies blooming into rhizomatic musical shapes, stray musings coalescing as bolts of inspiration — change fostering yet more change.

London-based Lewi Boome brings his class to this new release on Well Street, strictly limited to just 100 copies so you better act fast! 'Dust Devil' opens with a deft touch - the pinging synth lines and airy drum loops suspending you in a tripped-out world of futurism. That cerebral style continues through the lithe and elegant, dubbed-out rhythms of 'Etched Alive' and the more unsettling moods of jungle-techno cut 'Tumble', complete with distant bird calls and humid pads. 'Deep Sheer' rounds out with a little more low-end grit as the fourth and final cut on a superb EP.

Love's Command have been "riding the rocket of Brit funk" ever since day one says ROCit who now serves up a pair of new cuts from them. This record is designed to spread love and pace and it does that with feel-good vibes from the off. 'Aliens From Above' is an out-there funk sound with tight, quick drumming, plenty of neat guitar riffs and a cosmic feel from the lush synths. Add in vocoder vocals and you have a trip to outer space that you will never want to end. Flip it over and you get a more dubbed-out version that is no less of an adventure.

Mental health charity label Serenity keeps it sophisticated with its sixth outing and once again donates all proceeds to Young Minds. It is underground house mainstay and DiY Discs legend Nail who steps up first with a much more breezy and balmy sound than you would expect but it sure is lush. 'Pad On' slips into his more usual and driving house sound but with swirling pads up top for summery refinement. Trixie, Connor Male & Thoma Bulwer then get deep and late night with their punchy 'Impromptune' while Trixie's solo cut 'Restless Sculptures' is a jacked-up and percussive number that leans into techno.

DJ Deviant drops ‘The Rhythm’ this June, complete with Make Em’ Bounce and Deviant Skratch Tools. Following a several well received releases singles over the course of 2022 and 2023, on the Regulate Recordings imprint, DJ Deviant prepares his latest single ‘The Rhythm’. The A-Side, "The Rhythm," by DJ Deviant, showcases classic hip-hop vocals, funk-fueled guitars, driving bass lines, and heavy horns, all layered over a combination of cut-and-paste B-boy breaks.

Guaranteed to rock the spot and bust out those b boy moves. The B-Side, "Make Em Bounce," is a mid-tempo, funk-heavy jam with classic '90s hip-hop vocals, horn stabs, organs, and boom bap drum breaks—perfect for making you bounce and groove on the dance floor.

Emerging once again from the unending waves crashing upon our fragile time-craft (adrift on the eternal ocean, and taking on water), Dirty Three are (a) back, (b) tangled in seaweed, rank with saltwater and possessed of three rather ominous thousand-mile stares (at least!), and (c) not wasting another minute – as nothing is guaranteed. For their first album in over a decade – yep, it’s been since 2012’s Toward the Low Sun – they flew in, got together and started playing. End of story. What else is there to say or do but that? Music’s their language, their true love; they never stop listening to that. And like the label says, Love Changes Everything.

The Dirty Three – Warren Ellis, Mick Turner and Jim White – formed up in Melbourne in 1992, to play with guitar drums and violin or viola, and within a couple years, they’d broken out – out of Australia, out of anything else they might have been inside of, to boot – and got worldwide. Over the next ten years, they toured over and over the planet, ceaseless like, and cut seven albums out along the way. After this, their unique style of play, fitted together like puzzle pieces, was decoupled, more often than not, and pieced together in many other, fruitful collaborations with many other esteemed talents. Over the past 20 years, they’ve gotten together a few times, renewed the vow, revved the engines and played some shows, or made an album. Like now

An exciting new collaboration between New Mastersounds Hammond organist and Madrid based guitarist Lucas De Mulder plus drummer Luke Flowers (Cinematic Orchestra). Recorded at Joe's home studio on his cherished C3 Hammond (where The New Mastersounds' latest album "Old School" was recorded Galáctico will delight vintage jazz-funk fans with nods to Jimmy Mcgriff, Dr Lonnie Smith,George Benson etc etc. Joe and Lucas worked together on Lucas's album "Feel the spirit" in 2019 on Color Red label based in Denver.
The trio will be launching the record at the Saint Paul Soul Jazz festival in the south of France on 7th July and continue to play a series of other fgigs through-out the summer
The album starts with the frenetic James Brown groove of Double Take - a catch jazz guitar head that builds moving up in key to a frenetic hammond solo punctuated by The Haggis Horns.
Track 2 is the Meters-esque "Hey!" The only English language vocal track on the record and at that only one word
Next up is "El Gato" featuring Sam Bell on Congas and Atholl Ransome and Malcolm Strachan from the Haggis Horns a latin four to the floor vibe with solos traded throughout
Guinnee Drop is a swaggering funk jam with Luke Flowers funk drums breaks a feature
The only cover on the album is Sixto Rodriguez' Sugarman - Lucas and Joe were both inspired by his story and loved the song so much it had to go on the album with a mellow instrumental twist
The title track "Galáctico" is has funky soundtrack tune - the horns are back and take the track out with some blistering solos
"Retiro" inspired by the park near Lucas's pad in Madrid is a laid back boogaloo vibe and has Sam Bell on Congas and an upright piano solo from Tatton
"Dame Lo Que Tienes" - The first single from Joe Tatton's second album "Give me what you got!"- led by a funky guitar riff followed by a cutting hammond melody - a little "Meters, Booker T, The Crusaders "!
"Moonbow" a hypnotic slower tune with a nod to Khurangbin
The final track on the album is "Lost on You" A Breezy George Benson nod along
Out on vinyl, CD and digital on 5th July !

"Catch me in the corner not speakin'/Crushed out heavenly/ U.G. rock the sweet daddy long fox minks/Chicken and broccoli, Wally's look stink"

Ghostface Killah released his debut solo album 25 years ago on October 29, 1996. Produced by fellow Wu-Tang Clan member RZA, Ironman found inspiration in sources ranging from blaxploitation films to classic soul and charted a whole new direction for hip-hop in the process. The album features classic bangers like Daytona 500 featuring Raekwon and Cappadonna to soulful emotionally moving cuts like All That I Got Is You with Mary J Blige. To commemorate the 25 year anniversary Get On Down is proud to present Ironman in a 2xLP set available on both ‘Blue & Cream’ and ‘Chicken & Broccoli’ half-n-half colored vinyl, each version housed in a deluxe gatefold jacket, packed inside a ‘shoebox’-style 2nd outer jacket embossed with the year 1996.

This is part of an ongoing 45 series that also features Westside Gunn, Raekwon, Blu, Conway The Machine, DJ Babu, Curren$y, and others. This 7" single will set the table for Rude One's official follow-up, Upper Space, which will release physically and digitally on October 11th. The album contains a new single with Roc Marciano as well as songs with Valee, RXK Nephew, Pink Siifu, Stove God Cooks, The Twilite Tone, and more. DJ Rude One's ONEderful LP was released in 2016 and earned praise from Pitchfork (6.9), HipHopDX, XXL, Noisey, Fakeshoredrive, and others. It featured Conway, Your Old Droog, Westside Gunn, and Roc Marciano, all of whom are at the top of the Underground Hip Hop food chain. "His rasping voice is suited for Rude One’s gritty sound. Almost everything here is sonically consistent, with rapper and producer perfectly in sync." - Pitchfork. Full color jacket 7". Roc Marciano is hailed as a leader in Hip Hop's current underground renaissance. The smooth rapper and producer has his fingerprints all over the scene, and regularly receives praise from critics and his established peers. In 2016, Roc lent his services to DJ Rude One's ahead of its time LP, ONEderful. Together, the two crafted stand out cuts such as "Triple Black Benz" and "Murder Paragraphs", the latter of which is the latest installment of Closed Sessions limited 7" series. "Murder Paragraphs" is Roc Marciano at his finest and showcases DJ Rude One's signature less-is-more, grimy sound. This 7" contains the original and instrumental version, new artwork by Spectacular Diagnostics, and follows previous entries from Raekwon, Blu, WestSide Gunn, Conway, Open Mike Eagle, and more. This pressing is limited to 500 copies, and will also set the table for DJ Rude One's forthcoming LP, Upper Space, which will feature Stove God Cooks, Valee, RXK Nephew, and of course a new collaboration with Roc Marciano.

Going solo while still keeping intact his devotion to RS Produções, Nuno appears as a true heartbreaker. Silky, space soul, why not even risk the patented future r&b? But this music exists and manifests itself apart from the established production centres, the golden arches of hype edifices and synthetic promotion regurgitated by a thousand cloned fingers. "Sai Do Coração" is a very brave, romantic improbability, shying away from DJ bravado and dancefloor top speed. Through these grooves comes a pure distillation of love, an alchemical sublimatio resulting in the much sought-after "higher substance", a bright globe issuing rays of affection all around.

With love we most likely also buy into a degree of suffering, and though this is not at all the ID of the album, Nuno explicitly connects the two sentiments in "N'Dengue", a cathartic cold cut one grows to cherish intensely by the time it is over. It's a key moment, grief pours out, liberation achieved in the dance - "I will love, I will suffer, I will shout, I will dance". Flip to the other side for "Confusão No Ghetto", another gritty expression, a richly percussive, slow tempo observation of things gone wrong. All the rest in the album feels simple, direct and yet sophisticated like photosynthesis. Like the soil, through which geological becomes biological. Nuno whips up a variety of textures and flavours into the invisible form of Music, romantic fiction into action.

Slip this delirious disc out of the lime/slime green sleeve and you're up close and personal with the new chapter in the TD saga.
A dance floor triptych of such seismic scale that the crew spent two years trying to wrangle the tracks on wax, finally finding a plant with the power to press them up.

Sprawling across the A-side is the devastating 'Doner Summer', an instrumental extension of some lost Munich disco masquerading as an Anatolian excursion. Ditching the vocals and cutting the kase, the crew lay down a galloping groove topped with Turkish licks and disco strings, take us into the psychedelic swirl of a tumbling drum breakdown before hitting the big red button marked banger for a searing second half. Firing up the hardware, TD blast this one further into the Phuture, dropping technoid sequences, nagging 303 and Cowley-style FX fuckery for a full on club assault.

In the alternate B-side universe, Hans Zimmer lost his dread note and Denis Villeneuve was forced to turn to Talking Drums for the Dune soundtrack. They obliged with the sci-fi rai of 'Chaba Ranks', reshaping an Algerian OG with a dancehall kick, off beat vamps and star-crossed synths, then letting loose with a heavy bass tone.
|In time honoured fashion, the team also drop a dub version, cutting out the vocals and focussing on those additional elements for the wildly cosmic 'Chaba Skanks'.

Now who's getting the spice in?

Limited Press - Numbered Insert - Drum Fun Guaranteed !

DJ Support: Gilles Peterson (BBC Radio 6 Music), Tom Ravenscroft/Deb Grant – New Music Fix (BBC Radio 6 Music), Huey Morgan (BBC Radio 6 Music)

Cut from material recorded in April 2021 at Fish Factory studios in London, the album’s title Abbreviations nods to the editing and post-production processes that trimmed the original recordings into seven succinct and intricate tracks. Making space for collaborators Ernesto Marichales (percussion), Miryam Solomon (vocals) and Valeria Pozzo (Violin, viola), it builds on the critically-acclaimed success of Sound & Reason (supported by Gilles Peterson and Mary Anne Hobbs) to bring out different shades of the group’s shape-shifting sound.

‘Elevator Company’ condenses twenty-minutes of jamming around Tal Janes’ hypnotic guitar line into a low-lit lounge groove that subverts the tropes of elevator music associated with some forms of easy listening jazz. Featuring Solomon’s wordless vocals, the piece blurs the lines between ambient and improvised music, creating a warm and intimate atmosphere reminiscent of classic RnB recordings.

On a different tip, ‘The Spin’ is a trance-like freak-out drawing on the final reserves of energy at the tail end of two days of solid recording. Reflecting guitarist Janes’ idea that "music really starts happening after a while, once you feel like you have nothing left to offer," the hypnotic rhythm section sets the tone for an fraught and frazzled guitar solo that seems to dissolve the very edges of time and space in the process.

An album that speaks to Qwalia’s endless capacity for self-renewal and uninhibited expression, Abbreviations takes its cue from the group’s name to communicate something ineffable about the nature of music, rhythm and sound that must be experienced to be truly understood.

Mythical Sussex psychedelic protoprog band Five Day Rain cut an album that never was in 1970, since a dispute nixed its official release. This must-have collection of rarities includes outtakes such as the fuzz box-filled 'Dartboard' and the raunchy 'Floating', as well as a tasteful cover of Bobby Hebb's 'Sunny,' plus full version of 'Rough Cut Marmalade.' 'Spare The Children,' released as a 45 by side project Studd Pump is included here too. Required listening for all who wish to understand the Five Day Rain story in full.

Following his tenure fronting British psychedelic rock act The Web, who cut a couple of likeable albums featuring his bluesy, soulful lead, US-born vocalist Mississippi John L. Watson went solo, working with Pete Wingfield on his 1970 debut, White Hot Blue Black. Superior sophomore set Let’s Straighten It Out was released on Bob Kingston’s Spark label in 1975 and credited to John L. Watson and White Mouse, with Watson headed in a funk direction; along with the potent title track, there’s a fine cut of Gwen McCrae’s ‘Rockin’ Chair,’ making the set a sure-fire winner for Watson fans and lovers of British funk and soul.

In the 1971 counterculture comedy You Gotta Walk It Like You Talk It, Zalman King tries to find the meaning of life, with Richard Pryor and Robert Downey Jr among the cameos; who better to cut the soundtrack than Steely Dan? Except that the Dan had not officially formed yet! With typical tongue-in-cheek touches, Donald Fagen and Walter Becker rise to the challenge, with fellow Dan guitarist Denny Diaz and drummer John Discepolo of previous vehicle, Jay & the Americans; if you’re a Steely Dan fan, you really need to check out this one-off soundtrack, cut just before they upset the rock applecart with Can’t Buy A Thrill.

Before joining Dick Cuthell in jazz fusion act Trifle, keyboardist Alan Fealdman and drummer Chico Greenwood formed Jasper with bassist Jon Taylor, guitarist Steve Radford and singer/harmonica player, Nick Payne. On sole LP Liberation, released by Spark in 1969, Jasper skirts psychedelia, proto-prog and blues rock, the unusual hybrid a fluid sound that’s difficult to place. Along with unusual arrangements of ‘Baby Please Don’t Go,’ ‘St Louis Blues’ and Donovan’s ‘Cuttin’ Out,’ there are baroque motifs of the title track, repeated at varying intervals. For fans of multidimensional prog and cutting edge blues-rock.

In 1967, the English poet George Duffell, alias Jorgy Porgy, decided to set his verses to music, birthing J.P. Sunshine with guitarist/vocalist Rod Goodway of pop act the Pack (later with the Crazy World of Arthur Brown), the line-up expanding with a bassist and bongo player, Duffell’s girlfriend on percussion, and former Pack guitarist Andy Rickell on electric lead. These resultant recordings, cut on basic gear in Duffell’s flat, evidence an individual psychedelic sound, marked by the incestuous claustrophobia of the group’s romantic rivalries, the meandering lyrics and disjointed melodies pointing to the pervasive drug use that ultimately squashed the project. This is psych with a difference: rare, rough, and freaky!

The adventurous singer, guitarist and music journalist Mick Farren launched his solo career after being sacked by his fellow Deviants, the protopunk band he fronted from 1967-69. Suffering from depression and other mental health issues, Farren teamed up with an all-star cast, including members of Quartermass and ex-Tyrannosauros Rex honcho Steve Peregrin Took for debut opus Mona The Carnivorous Circus, mixing hard rock, spoken word, spaced-out interludes, radio cut-ups and garage rock, rendering a work as compelling as it is hard to classify. Strange, delightful and a favourite of Julian Cope, this is an aural journey to savour.

"The wash of flangers & shimmery reverb have been the foundation in Cali psych ever since the Byrds went electric. And while that sound might've dropped off occasionally, it never dropped out. The Velvets minimalist stylings were infused into the mix by The Dream Syndicate in the early 80's & thus a game changer was born. Clay Allison, Opal, Green On Red all took their charge from that current. Then the Shoegaze scene of the 90's looked at those bands as vectors, things got a little more drenched, so yet more seeds were sown into the fertile terroir. Cut to current climes & the bay area is teeming with the latest iterations: Children Maybe Later, Now, & Cindy easily come to mind. But curiously the band most steeped in the mohair constitution is April Magazine, who (thus far) have been content in the shadows. Up till now they've seemed like characters plucked out of a Kazuo Ishiguo novel-mysterious & ethereal-but perhaps this pressing of last year's cassette only release will flush them out. 'Wesley's Convertible Tape For The South' shows the band defly balancing all those that have come before them while also incorporating flourishes of Les Rallizes DeNudes, Hallelujahs & Nagisa Ni Te into the pageantry . So in a way, April Magazine is transforming the landscape yet again; denser, fuzzier, lush & wistfully challenging. 'Wesley's Convertible Tape For The South' is the band's 1st vinyl release stateside (an LP of older tracks was released last year via a UK only label) so no import tariffs! What were once whispers are now proclamations. Just because you don't know them doesn't mean you can't love them. So grab a copy & hug it out amongst yourselves." -- Tom Lax (Siltbreeze Records)