quête:da others

'The Loop' is the new LP by Los Angeles based polymath Shafiq Husayn, an epic project which saw its inception in 2012 through a series of studio sessions at Shafiq's home, including collaborations with the likes of Thundercat, Erykah Badu, Flying Lotus, Bilal and Anderson Paak. Amongst a close knit circle of friends and family the golden tones of The Loop were created, deeply rooted in ideas of song, story, history, guidance and spirituality. The album bumps, jumps and jangles through progressions in jazz, hip hop, soul and funk, following on from his debut album 'Shafiq En' A-Free-Ka' and adding further to his rich history of timeless, unique music. On The Loop past, present and future are brought together through a psychedelic concoction of time traveling drum machines, celestial string sections and trails of synthesizer vapour. Inflections of Sly Stone, Pharaoh Sanders and Earth Wind And Fire traverse with Marley Marl and Dilla-esqe drums making for an organic yet LA-trifying experience.

Shafiq has brought together an impressive array of LA's musical royalty, enlisting the likes of Thundercat, Miguel Atwood-Ferguson, Kamasi Washington, Chris 'Daddy' Dave, Eric Rico, Coultrain, Computer Jay, Jimetta Rose, Om'Mas Keith, Kelsey Gonzalez, I-Ced and more to provide the backbone to his recording sessions. Drawing in features from an international cast of performers and artists like Erykah Badu, Robert Glasper, Hiatus Kaiyote, Fatima and Karen Be amongst others. Now complete and finally ready for release in 2019 The Loop is truly something to behold. The records is accompanied by a series of paintings by acclaimed Japanese visual artist Tokio Aoyama, who worked in tandem with Shafiq to create a painting for each song on the record.

Margino (real name Kim Kallie) is a South African artist. She recorded her first song
at the age of eight, when she performed ''Montreal'' with her mother Judy Page. She
sang with the reggae group Kariba and jazz rock outfit Turbo in the early 80's, and
later did backing vocals for Future and others. She first shot to fame as a solo star
with a version of ''Holiday'' (written by Lisa Stevens and Curtis Hudson, credited as
Cathy Hudson), which was released at the same time as Madonna's version.
Margino also had a hit in 1983 with a cover of In-Deep's ''Last Night a DJ Saved My
Life'', that went to #16 on the South-African Top 30 and charted for 10 weeks. She
now runs a Performance Academy from her studio, and continues to perform on
stage at events around Cape Town.
Recorded at RPM Recording Studios (Johannesburg, South Africa) in 1985, Happy
People is a flawless album with dancefloor hits such as ''Happy People'', ''I'm
Getting Out'' and ''One Hot Night'' and downtempo tunes such as ''You Turn Me On'',
''You Need A Woman'' and ''You''. All rhythm tracks were played by Attie Van Wyk
(Keyboards, Synthesizer, Drum Machine) and Danny Bridgens (Guitar). The full
album is a cream of boogie funk, disco and pop.
For this reissue, Jamwax took the pleasure to remaster the sound from the original
tape. The artwork was also remake with Andy Warhol ''Marilyn Monroe'' pop art
style, for your eyes pleasure.

After a gap of a few years in between his latest releases (on Terminal M among others) Mar io focuses his attention on his own productions rather than sticking to remixes. He unveils a wonderful EP on Form & Terra Records which kicks off with the title track "Through The Night", a very special acid house smasher which will put every dance floor to a test. Then comes Max Cavalerra who puts the track through some secret alchemical processing and turns it into a dark and more techno-driven tune which is sure to make mind and body move even at 6 am in the morning. In addition, techno legend Patrick Lindsey celebrates his brilliant vinyl comeback with an irresistibly grooving remix which demands your attention with unprecedented drive and gets to the heart of Mar io´s original message "This Is What We're Living For". Last but not least, Mar io himself tops off this extraordinarily versatile EP with a grooving vinyl-only remix.

French producer Erell Ranson's affinity for the deeper shades of Detroit sound is well known, but his ability to absorb those influences and create beautiful music with his own signature is the reason we're so excited to welcome him into our family. Having previously released on labels such as Kalahari Oyster Cult, aDepth audio, Nice & Nasty Records and his own MySelf Recordings, amongst others, Erell's became quite skilled in crafting sophisticated and emotional tracks which still seem to feel perfectly at home in a crowded 3 AM club situation. EP for Barba, titled "Dreams Of Nila", is a 4-tracker consisting of "Dreams Of Nila", "Reminiscence 0f The Past", and "Far Away Of Your Side", with the latter receiving an additional remix treatment by a Rotterdam-based project Duplex. "Dreams Of Nila" is a somewhat more leaning towards Chicago-ish side of things, with its huge bassline enveloped by shuffling 707 drums. Soft-sounding synth pad sequences work as an emotion injection and appear perfectly timed, without removing the edge of this, essentially, club track. "Reminiscence Of The Past" is the most direct of the bunch. Syncopated bass drum, forward-leaning groove and those classic techno snare roll fills make this track hard to ignore as it is, without mentioning complex interaction of synth lines, chords and beautiful detroit-reminiscent string stabs. Wonderfully executed counterpoint of hard edge and soft touch is what makes this cut a truly special one. Techno in its fullest form. "Far Away Of Your Side" is somewhat closer to the energy level of "Dreams Of Nila", and is a well-paced deep cut perfect for later moments in the night when subtle approach is everything. Slow synth pads give your mind some time to relax while the groove keeps your body occupied. Duplex remix of "Far Away Of Your Side" takes the track another notch down but in a more sideways manner. Broken electro groove is what keeps the foundation of the track while Chris Aarse & John Matze (aka Duplex) masterfully work their synths and pads to keep the tension for the whole duration of the track. Melancholy mood is tangible here, and at its best, ready for the dancefloor.

Amazing and unique private soul/jazz-funk fusion LP, 'New York To L.A.: Coasting' is the first release (1980) on Andrew Scott Potter and David Eric Tillman's PO/ET label. Sublime from the beginning to the end, it has become, just like their second and final release '...Space...Rapture...', a sought-after collector's item.

Andrew and Eric both come from Chicago. They met in the early 70's, shortly after Eric's discharge from the U.S. Air Force. They played together on the local jazz scene for several years (among others, with Maulawi). During that period, Andrew also toured with Minnie Riperton and Eric toured with The Dells, Linda Clifford and others. In the late 70's Eric left Chicago for Los Angeles, when he began touring with The Temptations. Since moving to California Eric has played and/or recorded with a variety of artists, including, Willie Bobo, Justo Almario, Alex Acuna, Norman Connors, Billy Paul, GAP Band, Linda Hopkins, Billy Higgins, O.C. Smith, and many others.

What kind of band would choose a double vinyl, gatefold LP for their first release The Hare and Hoofe. Their eponymous first release consists of two discs. Disc One rounds up their 'hits' so far - 2018's smash hit White Blindness, the space gregorian
chant that is Voyager, and the pastoral tale of Appledore Fayre. The second consists of their rock opera, The Terror of Melton. Time-travelling scientists. Giant laser-eyed robots. A rock opera to end all rock operas...

Pitched somewhere between The Who, The Stooges, ELO, Sparks, Pink Floyd, Voivod, Pete Townshend, Brainiac, Bowie and Judas Priest, The Terror of Melton is a headspinning,
ambitious journey. In turns stomping, tear-jerking, full-on rocking and dreamlike, it will transport you. Prog Magazine's Dom Lawson described it as 'absurdly entertaining and deliciously weird... An unmissable trip for fans of the fuzzy and farout'.
2018 saw the band recording a BBC6Music Marc Riley session before even releasing a physical record. In addition, they've had plays on Stuart Maconie's Freak Zone. The band have also gained a monstrously good live reputation, playing an instantly
legendary set at Hastings' Beatwave festival, as well as headlining Tannerfest, Pitch Fest, playing with Focus and The Fierce and The Dead, and the John Snow Society's annual celebration of the eminent epidemiologist.
Some describe them as 'educational psych', others prefer 'polytechnic beat', still more as 'a seventies garage band'. There's certainly primeval drums, fuzz bass, lashings of guitar and synth noises from another planet.
Formed from a gang of friends from Folkestone, Hoofe members have played in groups including The Heliocentrics, The Priscillas, Ye Nuns, Jail Cell Recipes, The Frank Sidebottom Oh Blimey Big Band, Chalet and Hyperglo.

For the 5th time now, Nemoy managed to convince actual
musicians to release something on his largely unsuccessful
label. And oh boy, are those some actual musicians this time!
Marlow and his partner in crime Rainer Trüby came up with a
lush, deep house stomper featuring a little vocal shred we all
think we know - but we really don't! They are not so much into
the obvious sample digs... Combined with some crazy hi hat
work and all the minor 9th chords you can possibly handle, - U
Know How I Feel' makes you feel like they really do know, how
you feel. Azaxx took all this and turned it into something
completely different. To be honest, he might just have created
an entirely new genre of soulful electronic dance music.
Outstanding drum programming and the exact right amount of
- when is that beat coming back again!' make his remix a very
unique ride. Nemoy made a version too. He challenged himself
to use the cheapest, most unintuitive and terrible synth you can
imagine for this. And he made it sound like a Million Dollar.
The shue on this one is a very weird animal - but also a very
uffy one. Go get it, before the others do! There are only 200
copies around!

The KBCS are:

Lucas Kochbeck - Drums

Nicolas Börger - Keyboards

Lars Coelln - Guitars

Daniel Stritzke - Bass

The KBCS were born in the northern hemisphere under the zodiac sign of snowman. They sound like Föhr and nicely topped pizza, tight as thinly folded pizza boxes and with drums dry as flour that would nearly make you cough. But hotter. Laughing is part of their ritual to get into the zone. Even though some of them prefer Ph without coriander, they still won't order it online because of plastic waste.

The moon shone happily while they recorded their spiced up cinematic, funky & atmospheric lowdown grooves album.And since the polar star was missing, they headed for Venus instead. Luckily, they didn't keep it four-dimensional but had old friend and funk head Mr Flo Mega himself on keys and good vibes - things got really wicked from there. Few people were present and those who were are not entirely sure how it all happened or where it began. Some people say it was Roy, others blame it on the sauna. Fact is that the session took its own course and most people were smiling during the recordings.

Nobody knew then about the flamingo on the cover or why the bird at least looks like one. Hailing from Hamburg, Germany the KBCS not only love to record but also play around Europe. Be sure to welcome them with a Ph in your city and they will surely return the favor by taking you on a ride utilizing a special horse: the (space) funk lama.

The fourth AF Trax release is a three-track EP from our long time ally The Fantastic Twins, who has the following to say about her EP:

This EP is a small collection of works I crafted over the past couple of years in the process of working on my live show. I have been performing versions of these tracks countless times and yet never played them twice the same way. To me, they have been material in constant motion, so shaping them into a 'finished' form was a risky challenge. Something I was also wary of - would it mean they would become set in stone Would it mean I'd have to somehow 'rationalise" the music - via the mind - as opposed to letting it run into the wildness of its physical live experiences

Whilst editing these tracks into a format that could be released, I realised that instead of shaping them into the mould my mind first intended to give them, I could in fact use the power they revealed each time I performed them to an audience and inject some of that energy - as much as it is possible to capture and recreate it in the studio - back into this EP. Then of course, it meant letting go on things I usually like to control more, and better.

But isn't it the power of music to let it take you where you didn't plan to go And how incomplete would the music be if our inspiration didn't feed off the collective experience of dancing to music together I've lost myself (and my twins) many times throughout the process - not only on German soil - I have sometimes landed in the wrong place, but I may have found one answer yet in the form of another question. Why are we here if we can't dance

That reminds me of the words of Pina Bausch 'Dance, dance or we are lost'. Lost in our internal struggles as individuals (or imaginary twins). Lost in a society where our relation to the other is often marked by fear, power or violence. We feel the need to resist. Yet nowadays, taking a political stance as an artist is too often being instrumentalised as another tactics or accessory to gather more popularity, reducing the political message to nothing else but a branding attempt. Isn't it anyway the power of capitalism to assimilate everything, even contradictory or once-upon-a-time subversive voices All to end up on a 'Rave' or 'Feminist' H&M t-shirt. Slogans that have been emptied of their initial force and substance, now replaced by their commercial value. I strongly doubt that more empty words poured in vain on social media will help us much. But, like Pina Bausch, like JD Twitch, I have always firmly believed in dancing as a physical, social and fundamental act that leads us to share a common space with others and embrace otherness. Standing together, dancing together when everything else forces us to divide.

"Incarcerated deejay touts Sikka Rymes as next big thing in dancehall" say the Jamaica Star headlines; referencing Vybz Kartel and Sikka's cousin Shawn Storm, all of Portmore's Gaza Nation dancehall royalty...........

So then we have Love Di People EP: Sikka's first solid gold release after strings of strictly Vevo hits ('Life of the Party', 'Nuh Change') lie between his previous hook up with producer Genesis Hull (on Duppy's 2016 Fresh Clipp'd). Genesis' prods are pure widescreeen sub-tension and speed - now of Mexico City, he carries Sikka's flow into gleaming new future chrome jobs of the dancehall chassie, the madness of 00s dancehall returns for global review. In This Time Of Many Dancehall Think-pieces: Live Long And Grow Strong.

The weight of two year's of Drive demos caused Miro Tape to spontaneously burst into the world on Bokeh last year, we told you it was just a mixtape - Love Di People is the first wax seal on the Bokeh x Duppy Gun relationship, and not the last one of 2019. Founded by Sun Araw and M. Geddes Gengras, Duppy Gun pairs under-cover West Coast producers with Jamaican vocalists like G Sudden, Early One & others from their island HQs in Portmore & Spanish Town.

Next up on First Word Records, we welcome the return of Don Leisure, with an EP of beats that see his two alter-egos go head-to-head, 'Shaboo vs Halal Cool J'.

Probably best known as 50% of Darkhouse Family, along with Melange label boss Earl Jeffers, they released their acclaimed debut album 'The Offering' in 2017 and subsequent remix project last year, featuring DJ Spinna, Kaidi Tatham and more. The duo are coolly establishing themselves as Cardiff's very own Mizell Brothers, recently producing Kamaal William's latest work, featuring on Kutmah's recent Izwid compilation, and collaborating on the Chicago x London project 'Where We Come From', featuring Makaya McCraven, Joe Armon-Jones, Nubiya Garcia, Theon Cross and First Word label-mate Quiet Dawn, amongst others.

'Halal Cool J' appeared originally in early 2017 with 'An Ottoman Excursion' on our sister-label, Excursions. A series of edits born out of a decade-long love of Turkish music, and some record-digging expeditions in Istanbul, something Don Leisure did the very day after 'The Offering' release party, prompting another series of beats. Ahead of an all-new full-length Halal Cool J album, here we have two tracks to give you a taste, 'Kazakh Honey' and 'Kaymak'.

'Shaboo Strikes Back' on the flip-side, with a track of the same name, and 'Mango Season'. 'Shaboo' was the name of a beat album that came out on First Word in 2017, inspired largely by Don's Bollywood actor Uncle, Nasser 'Shaboo' Bharwani, and by memories of journey's with headphones hurling out Hip Hop, fused with the sonics of his Mum's interruptions, and her favourite Asian radio station. 'Shaboo' featured in several end-of-year album lists, with Piccadilly Records calling it "the best album of it's kind since Dilla's 'Donuts'. Unmissable."

Both prior projects got love from DJs and selectors far & wide, including Tom Ravenscroft, Lefto, Huey Morgan, Rob Da Bank, Om Unit, Simbad & Mr Thing. A truly global affair, the beat battle of 'Shaboo vs Halal Cool J' takes us on several short, sweet hikes across a variety of Eastern climes.

Join in the journey once again on 7" vinyl and digital on April 5th.

Laid back and chilled out, Andrew never lets anything or anyone bother him. He has an air of mystique about him which others often envy.

(Andrea Solitario) ANDREW SOUL Andrew from his real name, Soul as the part where his inspiration come from, is a native italian producer born in 1986.

Music has been the first and everlasting love for this guy who soon came into his city's underground scene: he was 15 years old when he walked into a club for the first time. Then everything came by itself: a fusion of house and techno, the passion for the acidized sounds filled his mind and his heart.

But listening wasn't enough: the love for the music was to much for not to create something.

So Andrew started a path made by wicked grooves, dropping acid synths and emotional vibes, huge baseline, soulfoul vocals, roland tr-707 on the drums: these featuring characterize at best Andrew's sound.
The love for the analog sound push him over the years to purchase some vintage drum machine and keyboards, to make his sound as better as he can, and to add to his sound some cool old flavour.

Having DJd for years in his native Italy, Andrew turned his hand to production a few years back and promptly set about making some of the most emotive and engaging analogue house and techno around.

Vinyl collector, record lover, for him there's nothing better than watching a wax riding a turntable and listen the music that come from it.
As an eclectic artist, in his sets, Andrew likes to mix from deep to techno, through the house, but people never know what to expect from his large underground music knowledge; old, classic, brand new tunes and own productions makes his set really sophisticated and different each time.

After working on music collaborations for several years, with some friends , early 2011 was time to start sharing solo productions with his first release on Paulatine Records, wellknowed Uner's label. 4 tracks that take attention of many wellknowed djs, like X-Press2 that played the tracks at MOS and on their radioshow, Adam Port who said "Finally something different..." and many others..
Then two vinyl release: first one on the great Barcelona based Kiara Records "Too Much Love Will Kill You", Julien Chaptal on remix, and second one on the New York based imprint Stranjjur Inc, on remix Kris Wadsworth and Baldo; "Close To You" placed 29th on RA Chart.
A great tune with the close friend Frank Naht alongside a remix for Fabio Monesi on friend's label Blackrose Records, and an EP on Espai Music to follow.
End of 2012 was good: EP come out on the Defected's sub label "Tenth Circle"
November 2012 was also time for releasing on Safari Numerique with David Labeji on remix, and the track "No Way" played by Richie Hawtin.
2013 full of work and innovation, with 2 remixes on italian Moan Rec for Meeph, and U.S. based Undulate Recordings for Frank Nath, a really deep EP on his new family Popcorn Records, and jacking mode on for the new release on Safari Numerique.
2014 starts with a vinyl only release on Popcorn Records Ltd, special collaboration with Peter JD and remixes from Amir Alexander and Franco Cinelli.

The path is long and Andrew's research is still long way to end...

Available on vinyl for the first time in 40 years, Outernational Sounds is proud to present a masterpiece from the Los Angeles jazz underground - Horace Tapscott's burning, spiritualised 1978 set, The Call.

One of the unsung giants of jazz music, the composer, bandleader, arranger, pianist and community activist Horace Tapscott was the undisputed keystone in the grassroots Los Angeles jazz scene. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, his radical community arts and music formations the UGMA (Underground Musicians Association, later changed to UGMAA - Union of God's Musicians and Artists Ascension), and his protean big band, the Pan Afrikan Peoples Arkestra, were at the epicentre of music, culture and politics in the Los Angeles area.

From their 1960s base at the Watt's Happening Coffee House on 103rd St, to their decade-plus- long 1970s residency at the Immanuel United Church of Christ on 85thE St and Holmes Ave, Tapscott's groups were the beating heart of underground music in LA. Hundreds of musicians passed through and played their part. Major figures in LA jazz such as Arthur Blythe, Azar Lawrence, Jimmy Woods, John Carter, Bobby Bradford, Sonny Criss, Ndugu Chancler and dozens of others all paid dues or just got down with Tapscott, not to mention the core Arkestra regulars who have since become celebrated names - Nate Morgan, Jesse Sharps, Adele Sebastian, Dadisi Komolafe, Gary Bias, to mention only a few.

Tapscott and the Arkestra were down on the ground - playing fundraisers in park and street, organising teach-ins and workshops for young and old, mixing it with radical theatre groups, firebrand poets, political radicals, Black separatists, community groups and churches. They lived communally, and built an ark for the Black arts in the heart of the city. But as a result of this grassroots community focus and Tapscott's antipathy to the music industry, the Arkestra didn't record for nearly two decades. That only changed when long-time jazz fan Tom Albach started Nimbus Records. The label was initiated specifically in order to document Tapscott and his circle, and the first three records showcased Horace and the Arkestra.

The Call was put together from two studio sessions in April 1978, one at Hollywood Sage and Sound, one at United Western - the latter session had the addition of a string section, who can be heard on the moody Cal Massey composition 'Nakatini Suite' and Jesse Sharps' swinging modal trip, 'Peyote Song No. III', with its swirling soprano solo. In keeping with the communal nature of the Arkestra, the other two compositions, 'The Call' and 'Quagmire Manor at Five A.M.' are also by Arkestra members. But at the centre of the music is the builder of the Ark, the visionary whose original call to action started a movement whose legacy continues to this day - Horace Tapscott.
Heed The Call!

* Abyss is a new artist for Kniteforce, and he brings a distinctly different flavor to the label. Having had a few tracks featured on anthologies within the label such as the Death To Digital EPs and the Vinyl is Better albums, he now brings forth his first full EP. His sound is jungle and dark for the majority, from that early era of D'n'B, at the birth of the almost hypnotic sound, with strings and dark spoken word samples, and the omnipresent and heavy amens. The result is something that sounds like it was build in 1994, and has only just resurfaced....

Club / DJ Support
Billy Bunter, the Fat Controller, Glowkid, Slipmatt, Dj Jedi, Dj Luna-C, Dj Brisk, Clayfighter, Jimni Cricket, Bustin, Sc@r, Doughboy, Saiyan, Dave Skywalker, Ponder and many others

One of Brazil's most prolific artists, Eumir Deodato has participated in the creation of over 450 albums, racked up 16 platinum records, won a Grammy (and received two more nominations), and sold over 250 million records in the USA alone. Over the course of his career, he has written for, arranged music by and played with artists including Frank Sinatra, Tom Jobim, Kool & The Gang, Earth, Wind & Fire, Marcos Valle, Aretha Franklin and Bjork, among others.

At the height of Deodato's productivity in the early 70s, Os Catedraticos 73 was recorded between Rio de Janeiro and New York, featuring a Brazilian rhythm section comprising Azymuth drummer Ivan 'Mamão' Conti, percussion master Orlandivo, and Sergio Barroso on bass, while the horn section features some of the big apple's top players from the CTI in-house brass.

A firm favourite with rare-groove enthusiasts and fans of Latin jazz alike, Deodato melds the musical sensibility of post-bossa nova Brazilian jazz with North American soul & funk, and the explosive Latin influences of '70s New York. Os Catedraticos 73 certainly swings harder than some of Deodato's earlier releases and opening track 'Arranha Ceu' (Skyscrapers) is a euphoric dance floor classic, which has been lighting up clubs for years.

With the blessing of Deodato himself, this official Far Out reissue has been remastered and pressed to 180g vinyl, with replica original artwork from the OG Equipe release.

On March 15th Erased Tapes presents the invigorating and powerful debut solo album Lines of Sight by Australian-born, Liverpool-based composer, saxophonist and founder of Immix Ensemble, Daniel Thorne. Deeply moving, full of otherworldly beauty and rapture, the album is alive, throbbing like a circulatory system, colourful and glowing. It literally dazzles - effectively capturing what the birth (or death) of a planet might sound like.

In Daniel's own words, 'Thematically, this music was inspired by birds-eye aerial images and the idea of perspective - how something incredibly complex like a river or the surface of the ocean is reduced to a simple line or shape when viewed from the heavens. The line between natural and man-made becomes increasingly blurred.'

Every strand is fresh, vital and purposeful. The description 'seamless' might suggest a smooth, bland fusion, but here elements overlap in intermittent, undulating layers of mesh. Avant-garde, noise, electronics, ecclesiastical, classical, a touch of jazz and traces of Wyatt-style contemporary folk come together, each occupying their own space while acquiescing with the whole.

'Several compositions are derived from ratios and processes, and are highly calculated, while others evolved in a much more organic way. I wanted to create music that blurred lines between acoustic and electronic, organic and synthetic, composition and improvisation.
I've long been a fan of studio-based composition, but have always found the infinite possibilities on offer daunting and, often, a stumbling block. To get around this I set myself a challenge of limiting myself to the physical instruments in my possession - a few different saxophones and a bass synth, with no more than four tracks to record them,' he adds.

Lines of Sight follows Thorne's work as artistic director of the acclaimed, collaboration-focussed group Immix Ensemble. Together with experimental electronic artist Vessel, he co-wrote Transition released on Erased Tapes in 2016, described by BBC Radio 6's Mary Anne Hobbs as 'a remarkable new piece of music'. More recently, he worked with acclaimed modular synth wizard Luke Abbott, to create a four-part suite, which was premiered live in June 2017. Immix Ensemble have also performed special live commissions with Kelly Lee Owens, Dialect, Jane Weaver and Bill Ryder-Jones, among others.

Prior to leaving Australia, Daniel was fortunate to work with some of the country's leading new music ensembles as both a composer and performer, receiving commissions from the TURA New Music Festival and the Australia Council, as well as being appointed as Composer in Residence at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts. In the UK he was the recipient of the prestigious Dankworth Prize for Jazz Composition, and also undertook a residency at Metal Liverpool, which provided him with the time and space to create Immix.

As the first track under Thorne's own name, 'Iroise' was recorded for the Erased Tapes 10th anniversary release 1+1=X, alongside works by Nils Frahm, Penguin Cafe, A Winged Victory For The Sullen and Rival Consoles. He also recently remixed Manu Delago, known as the live percussionist for Björk and Ólafur Arnalds. After a first solo performance at Sea Change Festival 2018, the new year will see Daniel tour across Europe, promoting the forthcoming release of Lines of Sight.

DJ Shadow has shared the artwork for his anticipated live album and film, Live In Manchester: The Mountain Has Fallen Tour.  Recorded at a sold out Albert Hall in Manchester, England, the release (out 13th July on Mass Appeal Records) is now on vinyl, CD, and digitally.  

Live In Manchester: The Mountain Has Fallen Tour, documents DJ Shadow's most ambitious, extensive worldwide tour yet - surrounded by stunning visuals, he blasts through classics and more obscure cuts from his discography.  Watch the trailer here.    

The release will be available on gatefold 12' vinyl, CD / DVD double pack, digital audio and digital video formats.  

The news follows the recent announcement of DJ Shadow's podcast, DJ Shadow Presents Find, Share, Rewind, broadcast on Manchester-based radio station and music platform, MCR Live. Episodes are online here, and the first instalment hit number 1 in Apple's music podcasts chart. 

Bay Area producer DJ Shadow (Josh Davis) was catapulted to prominence thanks to his landmark debut album, Endtroducing, acknowledged by Guinness World Records as the first LP created entirely from samples.  Since then, Shadow has continually moved forward releasing innovative albums and collaborating with the likes of Thom Yorke, Massive Attack, Jason Newsted (Metallica), Mike D (Beastie Boys), Zack de la Rocha and several others.  Live In Manchester: The Mountain Has Fallen Tour continues an exceptional couple of years for the producer: in 2016 he unleashed innovate new album The Mountain Will Fall, which birthed his biggest single yet, Nobody Speak featuring Run The Jewels; a massive worldwide tour followed - The Mountain Has Fallen Tour - plus an EP featuring collaborations with Oscar-winning film composer Steven Price, rap maverick Danny Brown and hip-hop hero Nas. 

- Debut album from the Grammy Award nominated
DJ/Producer Todd Terry who has dominated the
dance floor for three decades
- 1988 reissue of New York dance classic on 180gm
heavyweight black vinyl with printed inner sleeve
- 9 original cuts including samples from Kraftwerk, Art
of Noise and others.
- Hit tracks include 'Weekend' and 'Made By The
Man'

From his HOME studio in Detroit, Javonntte gives another nice emotion. As well as having collaborated with
amazing musicians like Trinidadian Deep, Brawther, Patrick Gibin, Mark De Clive-Love, Nikki O, Andres, Amp Fiddler
and many others ... He was part of dancer for Aretha Franklin live. This new release made by Le Disque Records label from Verona, has the intent to get excited the dancefloor all around the world and the hearts of Soulful House lovers. Don't miss it !!

The second of March's PY LPs is one the label has been eager to unleash for what seems an age. The killer new full length from ace experimental electronic musician Bernard Grancher. Coming to the attention of the label via his last record on ERR.REC; PY is mining much of this current wave of incredible French electronic music (as previous releases by Dialectric, Alexandre Bazin, (Arc en) Ogive and the mighty Cite Lumiere attest to) and is in hindsight, somewhat an extension of label head Dom's own record buying and digging habits just now (70s French synth LPs featuring heavily in his Utrecht fair baggage twice yearly!)

Grancher himself began his 'career' as a somewhat under the radar, host / director of 'mostly forbidden' radio programmes, where in Bernard's own words, he created 'incongruous sound collages, that gradually slip towards noisy or disturbing sounds intended to replace the music of others', within its broadcasts'. Then, armed with a large accumulation of 'machines I found at low prices, with an unknowing of quite how they function' he sought the help of friends Yan Hart-Lemonnier and Eric Lumbleau (from the hugely respected 'Mutant Sounds' blog, and his project Vas Deferens Organazation).

Then, having released what he describes as two 'rather talkative' LPs by taking again 'the concept of it's emissions: Hallucinatory slogans and Electro punk', Grancher, then released with ERR.REC, leading in turn to the PY full length here.

A fabulous LP hugely recommended to all kraut heads, experimental electronic sound collages, motorik grooves and minimal synth all figure strongly. To use one final quote from Grancher; 'Abandon any idea of listening comfort; this record leads you into a dangerous race that will be impossible to jump on'.

300 copies on vinyl only, released 2nd week of March.

Imagine if you could put together a dream line-up of MCs and producers from all four corners of the rap world
That's what artist and illustrator Gangster Doodles set out to do when he put together a stellar collection of tracks by the rappers and talent that inspire his work.

The all-star line-up features everyone from hotly-tipped emerging producers like Eets, Caleb Stone, Maze Mountain and LoVibe next to underground perennials like Onra, Mndsgn and Jon Wayne all the way up to top flight producer Kaytranada and established rap vets like Madlib, Oh No, Blu and Defari.

This second collaboration between All City Records and Gangster Doodles is a jam-packed sonic adventure featuring 27 killer tracks from some of the finest creators out there. Doodles had the idea for a comp two years ago. Hyped after partnering with All City for Knxwledge's "Wraptaypes" project back in 2015, they initially set out to put together an EP but as the tracks kept coming in it exploded into the sprawling double LP of low-slung grooves and bangers from the best in the business.

With everyone on the record being a friend or friend of a friend, the comp just kept growing as GD went to work with the hustle he has learned from penning his post-it sketches day in day out for the last decade.
Word spread fast and soon he was being sent beats from all over, even reaching behind the prison walls of Bergen County Jail, New Jersey and securing a track from former Dipset affiliate Max B.

The last few years have been busy for Marlon "Gangster Doodles" Sassy. He released his acclaimed Gangster Doodles (The Book) alongside an ever-expanding array of prints, original works, apparel and exhibitions across the globe. Topping that off with animation projects, a graphic novel in the works and now, with this LP titled " Gang$ter Music Vol 1", he is about to debut his first ever music compilation.
He says himself: 'Every time a new track came in it was like running down the stairs on Christmas morning to open a present. What started as a slow trickle of work coming in soon turned into a tsunami with some of my heroes like Onra, House Shoes, Blu, Jeremiah Jae joining up with young guns Kojaque, Kean Kavanagh, Dream Panther and others to beef up the record'

'When an email pinged through with a track from brothers Oh No and Madlib it felt like the final gift and Gang$ter Music Vol. 1 was complete.'

Kosmo Sound's new single 'ILAM' comes with heavyweight bass lines, Tuareg inspired guitar riffs and Moroccan percussive elements. On the B-side there is a Special Dub mix by Daniel Boyle (Lee Perry, Max Romeo)

Formed in Ghent in 2016, Kosmo Sound mixes tight dub grooves with jazzy guitar and storytelling saxophone melodies, yielding an organic dance-oriented dub experience. Members have been active in Belgian avant-garde acts such as Madame Blavatsky, Nordmann and Pura Vida among many others; their self-titled debut EP was released last year on Zephyrus Records.

Classic Brazilian album from master drummer, Ronald Mesquita, originally released in 1972. Featuring songs by Jorge Ben, Antonio Carlos-Jobim, Gilberto Gil, Edu Lobo and others.
Mesquita is probably most well-known for playing with Luis Carlos Vinhas and his 'Bossa Tres' outfit, along with his own group, 'Ronie E A Central Do Brasil', that he formed after his return from the US in the early 1970s. He also played on several songs on Tenorio Jr.'s 'Embalo' album that Mr Bongo recently reissued.
The killer track 'Balanca Pema' was very big in the Jazz Dance scene in the 90s and also featured on the Mojo compilation 'Dancefloor Jazz Volume Four'.
Madlib sampled 'Balanca Pema' on his Medicine Show Number 2 'Flight to Brazil'.

Official Mr Bongo reissue. Licensed courtesy of Universal Music Group Limited.

The Conspiracy Hailed From Mount Pleasant, A College Town In The Center Of Michigan. Originally Formed As The Allusions, They Became Nino & The Nomads Before Changing Their Name To The Conspiracy In 1966. For The Next Few Years The Group Stayed Busy On The Live Circuit. "we Were Booked All Over The State," Remembers Singer Aquilino Soriano. "every Weekend We'd Be Somewhere. We Were About Two And A Half Hours From Detroit, So We'd Go Down South, We'd Go Up North, We'd Go Everywhere. There Was This Network Of Teen Clubs Where Kids Didn't Have To Be 21 And Everybody Could Go. It Was Fantastic." In 1967 The Group Had What Aquilino Describes As "probably Our Apex Moment". Kustom Amplifiers Sponsored A Statewide Battle Of The Bands Tournament, And The Conspiracy Battled Through Several Rounds Of Competition To Make It All The Way To The Finals In Saginaw. "it Was A Statewide Thing That Culminated There," Remembers Aquilino. "question Mark & The Mysterians And A Couple Of Others That Were Notables Were Also In It - And We Won It! We Got Our Award From Bob Seger." The Prize Was Thousands Of Dollars Worth Of Gigs And A Tuck And Roll Kustom Pa System, Which The Band Put To Use As They Moved Forward Into 1968, Brimming With Confidence. A Roving Capitol A&r Man Caught Their Show In Cadillac, Michigan, And Encouraged Them To Write Some Original Songs And Go Into The Studio. So In 1968 That's What They Did. `dream World' And `with You' Were Recorded At A Studio In Grand Rapids And The Session Turned Out Exceptionally Well. "it Just Floored Me That We Didn't Sit Down And Write Some More Songs," Says Aquilino, "because I Thought We Did A Pretty Good Job." `dream World' Is Particularly Great With A Soulful Lead Vocal, An Insistent Fuzz Guitar Line, Waves Of Hammond Organ, A Catchy, Harmonized Chorus And An Insistent Dance Groove. Shades Of The Doors, The Young Rascals, The Blues Magoos And Src. A Mixdown Of The Tape Was Forwarded To Their Contact At Capitol Records, But Ultimately No Deal Was Signed. "we Were Just Starting To Separate From High School," Remembers Aquilino. "it Was The Start Of That Transition. I Was Class Of '67, They Were Class Of `68. There Was The War In Vietnam. You Could Go To College To Avoid The Draft. It Was A Lot Of Decisions And I Guess What Happened Is Nothing Really Happened From Us Recording. I Mean They Liked It, They Made Us An Offer, But I Think That The Parents Weren't Really Happy With That. I Think That There Was Some Dissent In The Band Too." The Conspiracy Broke Up In Early 1969 And The Tape Of The Only Original Songs They Ever Played Remained Unreleased And Unheard Until 2018, When Soriano Brought The Original 1" 8-track Session Tape Into Earthling Studios In El Cajon, California, Where It Was Mixed And Mastered By Mike Kamoo For This Release. "getting This Out On Vinyl - It's What We Dreamed Of!" Aquilino Grins. "even If It Took Fifty Years To Happen!" Mike Stax

Johnny Clarke & King Tubby & Dillinger & Prince Jazzbo feat. Tommy McCook & The legendary Aggrovators & The Mighty Diamonds - Soul Jazz Records presents Bunny Lee: Dreads Enter the Gates with Praise - The Mighty Striker Shoots the Hits!

Soul Jazz Records presents this new collection featuring the heavy 70s roots reggae of Bunny
Lee - a living legend, one of the last of the great Jamaican record producers who helped shape
and define reggae music in the 1970s from a small island sound into an internationally
successful musical genre.
From teenage fan to young record plugger for Duke Reid, Sir Coxsone and other early
pioneering Jamaican musical entrepreneurs, Lee has spent his whole professional life inside the
Kingston music industry. In the 1970s he rose up to become one of the major record producers
in Jamaica alongside Lee 'Scratch' Perry and the other 'small axe' producers who broke the
dominance of the 'big tree' producers that had ruled Jamaican music in the 1960s.
Featuring some of the heaviest Jamaican artists, including Johnny Clarke, King Tubby, Dillinger,
Prince Jazzbo, Tommy McCook, The legendary Aggrovators (featuring Sly and Robbie), The
Mighty Diamonds and more, the album is a rollercoaster ride of rare, deep and classic 1970s
roots, dub and DJ sounds.
During this era, 'flying cymbals', crashing reverbs, dark echoing thunderclap gunshots and
other 'implements of sound' filled his record productions as Bunny Lee explored the outer limits
of dub with his friend King Tubby in the mix on wild versions that accompanied any 45. A
Bunny Lee record provides a creative and mysterious hidden guide to reggae music itself, a
double-sided three-minute intangible history lesson etched in wax.
Bunny Lee was one of the first Jamaican producers to travel to England in the late 1960s, at
the beginning of the nascent British reggae music industry as record companies such as
Trojan, Pama and others began licensing Jamaican music in the UK to supply the expanding
West Indian communities living up and down England. Lee encouraged other Jamaican
producers to do the same, including Lee Perry, Harry J and Niney The Observer and also
became a conduit between the British music industry and numerous younger Island-based
producers - a frequent flyer reggae ambassador, a musical courier exchanging tapes for
royalties.
Bunny Lee's first recordings in the late 1960s were mainly rock steady but as the 70s
approached the music soon began to mutate and slow down into 'reggae' as the sound became
heavier, more rootsy and the sound itself began to change with the explosion of dub.
Lee was at the forefront to this dramatic musical shift into roots reggae and by this time had
become a major producer, capable of working with whoever he chose as world-famous singers,
DJs and musicians lined up to work with the charismatic man. Lee also employed a fluid but
stable set of crack session musicians who he named The Aggrovators.
Most of the recordings featured here come from the mid 70s, a time when Bunny Lee was
definitely in the zone, releasing heavyweight singles at an almost unstoppable rate. Bunny
Lee's career stretches over five decades and he has upwards of 2,000 production credits on
vinyl.
This album comes with extensive sleevenotes, an interview with Bunny Lee and exclusive
photography. The album is available as a CD pack with 24-page booklet, massive triple LP vinyl
with digital download code, house inner and full notes, as well as digital album.

Following on from last year's releases by Neue Grafik and Selectors Assemble, CoOp Presents step into 2019 with a new 4-track EP courtesy of Oliver Night; a DJ, producer & singer born and raised in North London.

In addition to joining the Selectors Assemble family recently, Oliver is a member and producer of Roots Manuva's Banana Klan. He established himself as a DJ some 15 years ago, and has since played across the capital, from the Tate Modern to Boiler Room. His music has been supported in the past by the likes of Tony Humphries, Kerri Chandler & Seth Troxler,

This four-tracker illustrates Oliver's diverse range of influences, from the initial inspiration of his Jamaican uncle, musician Hughie Izachaar (who worked with Lee Scratch Perry & others), through to his passion for London's broken beat movement. Oliver's sound epitomises tru-skool UK sound-system ethics; grounded in reggae and dub production sensibilities, whilst built solidly for the bruk and house music dances of today.

The set kicks off with title track, 'Make Believe', featuring the powerhouse vocals of BB.JAMES aka Bethany Barnett Bywater, who's had previous releases with EVM128, Spoek Mathambo and Waze & Odyssey. London-based singer BB is a talent to watch in her own right, as proven on this monster of a track, which has all the ingredients to crossover & damage dancefloors underground and over. Sassy soulful vocals ride a woofer-shattering b-line and synth stabs with devastating effect - a sureshot future anthem.

Next up is 'Swing For Life', an instrumental jazz-house affair, which features the talents of Vancouver-born trumpeter, Jay Phelps - a highly-prolific, highly-acclaimed musician in the jazz world, who found his base in the capital over a decade ago and has since worked with a veritable who's who of international jazz artists, including Courtney Pine, Wynton Marsalis, Amy Winehouse, Hugh Masakela & George Benson, to name a few.

Finally, the flipside brings with it two versions of the cut 'U Got To', remixed by Selectors Assemble family, Cengiz, and label founders IG Culture (fresh from receiving a 'Lifetime Achievement Award' at the 2019 Worldwide Awards) and Alex Phountzi (formerly of Bugz In The Attic) aka NameBrandSound, delivering more of their signature bassweight business. Oliver unleashes his own vocal talents on this track, deftly demonstrating a rich, soulful Omar-esque quality to his voice, and completing a truly heavyweight debut for the label.

This record is huge. Essential business, no BS. A truly firing start to the new year for CoOp Presents.

Limited vinyl & digital available on ********

Pete Cannons first EP on Kniteofrce did stunningly well. His old skool sound, created the originl way using an Amiga and Akai samplers, obviously hit the sweet spot to become one of Kniteforces fastest selling releases to date. His follow up EP will not disappoint. If anything, it takes the feel of his first N4 project and expands it to a whole other level, retaining his unique traditional sound, but upping the ante and bringing even more old skool energy to the mix.

Club / DJ Support
Billy Bunter, the Fat Controller, Glowkid, Slipmatt, Dj Jedi, Dj Luna-C, Dj Brisk, Clayfighter, Jimni Cricket, Bustin, Sc@r, Doughboy, Saiyan, Dave Skywalker, Ponder and many others

Payfone bring a double header of NYC styled heat for the inaugural release on their newly launched Otis Recordings. Marrying modern boogie and classic R&B, with cosmic leanings and Balearic touches, Payfone manage to keep all the essence of the early days whilst bringing a contemporary swagger to the floor.

Each element in 'I Was In New York' gets the space it deserves. Palm muted guitars and sashaying synth echoes flutter over the top of a strutting slap bass courtesy of Giulio Granchelli. A simplicity that sings - simultaneously giving your mind the space it needs to drift off into a daydream of sunsets over cityscapes. Introspective, meditative and innocent, Dayna Talley's spoken word vocals lull listeners into memories of tranquil times. Set to be one of 2019's standout songs, its refreshingly original and sure to cut through the noise.

The B side, 'A Prayer For Maya Angelou' takes a Balearic boat out across calming seas. Gravitating around a metallic, pulsating synth, modulated to bounce at points and brood at others, mystic flurries drift in the distance, as pads wash across the horizon. Len Xiang's melancholic tale reverberates throughout, with those sweet sax sounds from Billy Brooks Paul and a spring reverbed guitar riffing off into the ocean - elevating this into pure paradise.

European music culture has never been closed, on the contrary - it has always integrated influences from all other parts of the world. Two Tribes makes an effort to give insight in how musicians living in Europe today incorporate and transfer musical traditions particularly from the African continent into their own oeuvre.

Featured on Two Tribes are a broad range of constellations, ranging from musicians with roots in African countries who reside in Europe to collaborations between European and African artists. Musically our compilation tries to capture at least a part of the enormous diversity that contemporary music from Europe of this kind has to offer. The spectrum ranges from classical - songs' using traditional instruments from both continents to electronic productions that combine musical heritage with current club culture. Our selection can only be a musical snapshot since there is so much movement in this genre at the moment.

As you can hopefully see and hear, the leitmotif while compiling Two Tribes was to keep an eye on the ease of handling different cultural influences amongst the featured artists. It was important to us that the included music doesn´t just copy African music styles one to one but has an own handwriting and builds a bridge between the musical legacy of both continents. With all the track included, we have found a number of great examples and decided to showcase twelve of them on this first volume. The music included refers to the musical traditions of Senegal, Kenya, Nigeria, Ivory Coast, Ethiopia, Morocco, Zimbabwe and South Africa amongst others. The involved musicians are spread all over Europe, from Finland to Great Britain, Italy, England, France and Portugal to Germany.

Be it organic or electronic music, we think that all of the tracks really deserve your ear! Tobi Kirsch & Ubbo Gronewold, June 2018

Mark Van Hoen (prior jaunts in Seefeel, Scala, Autocreation among others) as Locust emerges with the first of a series of EPs for Transfusions that dive into unadulterated techno spaces that you were clearly not prepared for. Four powerful weapons start this series with sounds and textures that clearly incorporate Locust's indescribable signature that we have all fallen in love with but take the dance floor to an undisclosed locale where deep vibes transfix our minds into pure bliss. Armed with a new razor sharp identity and vision, we are in for an adventure. Completely new Locust logo and extra special sleeve artwork masterminded by Paul Nicholson (OG Aphex Twin artwork visionary). This is serious.

Midday Moon is a survey of ambient and experimental music that emerged from Australia and New Zealand between 1980 and 1995. These recordings are sourced from a rich variety of micro-labels, private pressings, theatre soundtracks and artists' personal archives. Curated by Melbourne based DJ and archivalist, Sanpo Disco (a.k.a Rowan Mason), the collection delves deep into the world of outsider music that emerged in Australia and New Zealand in the latter half of the twentieth century, as synthesisers and early workstations began to enter the consumer marketplace. The record is an odyssey in itself, a journey that takes listeners into the unsung world of Australian new age composers. There are stories abound within this volume, from the mysterious disappearance of Helen-Ripley Marshall after the release of her 1988 album 'Green Chaos', to the journey of American-born, Perth based blues/rock guitarist John Heussenstamm, who unexpectedly turned his finger to 'ambient' music in the late 80's; and again from Melbourne based Ros Bandt, who made a series of recordings exploring the resonance of a hollow concrete cylinder 5 stories beneath busy Collins Street in Melbourne's CBD. Compiled by Sanpo Disco / Mastered by Mikey Young . '(Ambient music is) a surrounding influence that induces calm and a space to think... it can accommodate many levels of listening attention without enforcing one in particular.' - Brian Eno / 'A richer and more diverse ambient genre began to form. Music that crafts a unique cultural geography of landscapes and atmospheres: real and imagined, natural and man-made. Some artists turned their attention to the singular acoustic ecologies of overlooked spaces around the country. Others fostered interests in non-Western music cultures and instruments. The common thread is their use of new technologies to conjure interior and exterior regions, through acoustic and synthesised sounds.' - Sanpo Disco

The Daktaris is a well-disciplined army of two hundred African Bull Elephants marching relentlessly up your business to the beat from Funky Drummer. Or so began the liner notes on the original pressing of this album.

Truth is often stranger than fiction. In 1998 Desco Records—a precursor to Daptone and Soul Fire records—released The Daktaris' Soul Explosion, ostensibly as a reissue of an unearthed Nigerian LP from the seventies. Though it's now common knowledge that the story was a bit of a hoax, the record's significance as a seminal part of the Afrobeat and afro-funk renaissance of the last two decades cannot be denied. The roots of the Budos Band, Antibalas, and uncountable others can be traced back to this enigmatic afro-funk release.

Now, two decades later, Daptone has remastered the album from the original tapes, including a bonus track that had previously only been available on a 45, and featuring extensive all new liner notes by Bosco Mann telling the bizarre true story behind the Daktaris sessions.

KEY MARKETING POINTS:
- FULLY REMASTERED, including new bonus track, 'In the Middle.'
- Extensive new liner notes by BOSCO MANN explaining the real story behind The Daktaris.
- Features members of The DAP-KINGS and ANTIBALAS.
- Features JOJO KUO (drummer for FELA KUTI) on vox and percussion.
- Originally released on DESCO RECORDS in the 1998, has been out of print for years.
- The spirit of the late, great Fela Kuti runs through The Daktaris' Soul Explosion. - Jazz Times

Beautiful debut album from the incredible, Ce´lia. Conducted & arranged by Arthur Verocai and Roge´rio Duprat; featuring songs by Lo Borges, Antonio Adolfo and Joyce amongst others.
Ce´lia recorded four self-titled albums for Continental between 1971 and 1977, 'Amor' in 1982 plus several more before she sadly passed away late in 2017, aged 70. This is her debut album from 1970.
Ce´lia was a Brazilian vocalist who worked frequently with master arranger-composer Arthur Verocai in her early years and many other heavyweights over the course of her extensive career. Joyce was particularly supportive in the making of this album, writing the beautiful 'Abrace Paul McCartney' and her husband at the time, Nelson A^ngelo, recorded some of the songs.
Features an exclusive insert of a translated interview with Celia, completed in 2011 in her hometown of Sa~o Paulo. Focusing, in particular on her recording work with Arthur Verocai, it showcases her wonderful sense of humour and how she was embracing her new legion of fans, particularly in the world of hip hop.
Official Mr Bongo reissue. Licensed from Warner Music.

White Shadows In The South Seas is the title of a book written in 1919 by Frederick O'Brien as part of a trilogy he wrote based on his experiences living in the Pacific islands in the early part of the 20th century. His book was taken as the starting point for a film to be directed, initially, by Robert Flaherty (famous at the time for his groundbreaking documentary / fiction film Nanook Of The North) with W.S.Van Dyke as his support. The film, ultimately, apart from the title, had little to do with O'Brien's book and Flaherty left the film after a few months leaving Van Dyke to finish it.

I purchased O'Brien's book, along with many others, from Basement Books, a secondhand bookstore in Melbourne/Australia. Part of my 'Islomania' and on going fascination with all things Pacific. When I discovered there was a 1929 silent film based on the book I sought it out and started to present it as part of my 'Live Music/Silent films' repertoire. Tabu by Frederick Murnau, which coincidently also had Flaherty as co-director originally, was the first film I ever wrote / improvised a score for and presented as a live film/music performance. My repertoire extends to over 23 films now.

My eclectic and diverse musical and artistic interests extend into 'Hawaiian', 'Exotica', 'Ambient' and 'Electronic' Music. I have produced several volumes of so called 'Electronic, Ambient, Exotica' on CD and Vinyl, including Kiribati, Globe Notes, Rayon Hula ( on Vinyl, CD and digital format ) and most recently, New Globe Note on Vinyl and White Shadows In The South Seas on CD.
White Shadows In The South Seas features some of the music presented in my live screenings of the 1929 silent film.

The film is the story of Dr. Matthew Lloyd, an alcoholic doctor who is disgusted by the exploitation by white people of the natives on a Polynesian island. The natives dive for pearls, however, numerous accidents occur and one diver dies. In anger, Dr. Lloyd punches Sebastian, the employer. As revenge and to prevent further interruption of his activities, he tricks Dr. Lloyd onto a ship with a diseased crew (thinking they are ill) and his men rough him up and send the ship off into a storm. Dr. Lloyd survives and is washed ashore on an island where none of the natives have ever seen a white man before. Lloyd is rescued and ultimately falls in love with the chief's daughter, who is Taboo, hence Lloyd is prevented from pursuing his love for her. An incident occurs and a young boy is thought to have drowned but Lloyd is able to revive him, earning him points and permission with the chief's daughter. Lloyd begins to realise that the local islanders have no sense of the value of the black pearls which grow in abundance around their island and he starts to dive for them and collect them. One morning the white man Sebastian unexpectedly turns up on a scooner and starts to offer the islanders trade for their pearls. Llloyd tries to interrupt the encounter and is shot and dies. His wife and the islanders morn for his dead body and, symbolically, the passing of a way of life.

Mike Cooper plays - Electric and acoustic lap steel guitars / electronics / Zoom Sampletrack / Kaos Pad / Casio SK1 / Korg Drum Machine / Self Made Instruments.

It also features field recordings made on Pulau Ubin by Mike Cooper during a month as Artist In Residence for The Artist Village / Singapore.

I would like to acknowledge and thank Lawrence English (Room40 Records) for his assistance and encouragement with the original recordings and the CD version of White Shadows In The South Seas.

All music written and played by Mike Cooper PRS/MCPS - except Po Mahina (trad. Arr. Cooper) and Hilo Hanakahi (trad. Arr. Cooper)

Recorded and Mixed at the Steelworks in Rome 2012/2013.

A White Shadow In The South Seas
In February 2014 'A White Shadow In The South Seas' was the title of an audio-visual installation I made at the Teatro In Scatola in Rome, Italy, presented as part of a series of sound installations titled 'Visitazioni' produced by Proposte Sonore.

The essay below, as well as our collection of Hawaiian shirts, Exotica and Hawaiian vinyl records, was an inspiration for this installation.

'..the transformation and reconstitution of the souvenir commodity as an indigenous ethnic art form and a scarce relic of Hawai'i's romanticized past...' from - Clothing and Textile Reasearch Journal - From Kitsch to Chic by Marcia A. Morgado.

And....
Michael Thompson's Rubbish Theory (1979)
' ...a critical aspect of Western culture is the pre-disposition to see objects in terms of two overt categories: the transient and the durable. Objects identified as transient have finite life spans and lose value over time, whereas those identified as durable have infinite lives and over time increae in value....category assignments are arbitrary, but once assigned a category membership determines relative value. Fashion apparel-by defenition-is assigned to the transient category; paintings commonly are designated durables....how is it that transient objects.. ( e.g. Hawaiian shirts and vinyl records ) ..sometimes become durables.

Objects assigned to the rubbish category are largely invisible, have no value and, ideally, no life span. Fashion for example, no longer worn and relegated to the back of the wardrobe has fallen into the covert rubbish category. But rubbish can be rescued and transformed. Thompson says ' What I believe happens is a transient object gradually declining in value and in expected life span may slide across into rubbish. Here it exists in a timeless and valueless limbo where it has a chance to be re-discovered and be successfully transformed to a durable. Such transferes are radical: objects gradually slide from transcience to rubbish, but the transformation from rubbish to durable involves an all-or-nothing leap across two boundaries, that separating the worthless from the valuable and that between the covert and the overt. Things drift into obscurity but they leap into prominence.

The delightful consequence of this hypothesis is that in order to study the social control of value we must study rubbish.

The rubbish-to-durable transformation is accompanied by the development of highly specialized knowledge derived from the discovery of subtle variations and complex details that went unnoticed in the objects transient stage. The discoveries initiate renewed interest in the object and its market value begins to climb. As prices soar beyond the reach of ordinary people, the object becomes available only in high priced collectors' markets. Furthermore, as market values rise, the aesthetic value of the object undergoes a reassessment as well, and it becomes increasingly apparent that the objects intrinsic beauty has been overlooked. Ultimately the object is re -assigned as a durable and becomes recognized as a timeless classic.

Exotica, Ambience and Pacificism - A dialogue with Mike Cooper & Professor Philip Hayward Deputy Pro Vice Chancellor of Research Southern Cross University, Lismore, Australia.

Estimated shipping date: 18.01.2019

In 2012 Important Records released a historic 12 CD box set compiling much of Pauline Oliveros' early and unreleased electronic work. Reverberations 1 is the first release in an ongoing series dedicated to releasing the entire 12 CD box set on vinyl.

Organized chronologically by studio (here: Pauline Oliveros Home Electronic Music Studio, 1961 & San Francisco Tape Music Center, 1964-1966), the complete Reverberations not only documents Pauline's earliest electronic music but it also functions as an early history of electronic music itself.

Pauline Oliveros, composer, performer and humanitarian was an important pioneer in American Music. Acclaimed internationally, for four decades she explored found, forging new ground for herself and others. Through improvisation, electronic music, ritual, teaching and meditation she has created a body of work with such breadth of vision that it profoundly effects those who experience it and it eludes many who try to write about it.

In partnership with the Pauline Oliveros Trust, Imprec will be releasing essential titles from Pauline Oliveros' catalog on vinyl including the complete Reverberations box set, Tara's Room, Sounding/Way (with Guy Klucevsek) and many more.

"On some level, music, sound consciousness and religion are all one, and she would seem to be very close to that level." John Rockwell

"Through Pauline Oliveros and Deep Listening, I now know what harmony is. It's about the pleasure of making music." John Cage

In the cracks that sprawl between electronic and analog music, visual art, and craft creation, Yamila dances on the edge of sound and conceptual heights. The Spanish composer, cellist, singer and producer is based between Belgium, Holland and Spain. In recent years Yamila has created music for contemporary dance productions in places such as The Gothenburg Opera, Netherlands Dans Theater, and Dance Forum Taipei, among others. Her projects have been presented at festivals such as Sonic Acts Festival (Amsterdam), Arts Electronica (Linz), Seoul International Computer Music Festival, STRP Festival (Eindhoven), and Today's Art festival (The Hague) to name a few.

With 'Iras Fajro' (Forbidden Colours), her debut album, Yamila, summons in 11 songs with the strength of electronic sounds in front of a fragile voice that at times unfolds in small coral clusters. The brilliant electronic arpeggios and rhythms dissolve in the velvety voices of the cello, which are sometimes intertwined with the creations of two collaborators, the British producer and composer Clark (Warp) and the multifaceted ex- flamenco Nin~o de Elche (Sony).

My love wears forbidden colours My life believes My love wears forbidden colours My life believes in you once again

Rich, Deep, Percussive Soulful Folk Album From Master Togolese Singer, Akofa Akoussah.

The Album Moves Through Uptempo Afro-folk-funk On 'tango' To Deep Ballads Of 'ramer Sans Rame' And 'i Tcho Tchass' And Lighter Moments On 'g Blem Di' And 'mitso Aseye'. Akofas Exceptional Songs And Soaring Vocals Are Decorated With Percussion, Guitar Lines, Subtle Backing Vocals And Horns To Create A Unique, Rich Sonic. The Album Was Recorded For Release By French Label Sonafric In 1976. Produced By Gérard Akueson; Founder & Owner Of African Record Label, 'akue', Based In Paris.

Music Was Truly In The Blood Of Julie Akofa Akoussah. She Began Singing At The Age Of Three, Inspired And Led By Her Mother And Older Sister And Became Principal Soloist In Her School Choir, St. Peter & Paul Choir Of Our Immaculate Conception Parish Of Nyékonakpoé, At The Age Of 8. From There Her Career Blossomed, And Singing Often Took Precedence Over Her Studies. In Order To Master Her Art She Spent Time Studying And Working Closely With Local Groups Including Mélo Togo, Rocka Mambo, Rio Romamcero, Ok Fiesta, Eryco Jazz, Afro Cubano, Los Muchacho, Elégance Jazz And Togo Star Amongst Others. In Her Own Words: 'luck Opened The Door In January 1966 Where I Had The Honour Of Being Selected To Share The Stage With Bella Below - One Of The Best Voices Of

Africa - At The 1st 'negro Arts Festival' In Dakar. On My Return, I Was Approached By Ambroise Ouyi, The Highly Respected Singer & Poet, And We Wrote 'tu Ne M'écris Plus', My Very First Opus.'

The Popularity Of Her Work Led To An Increased Exposure For Togolese Music Outside Of The Country, In Neighbouring Ghana And Benin Most Notably. During Her Career She Collaborated And Performed With Greats Including Manou Djibango, Queen Pelagie, Abeti Massikini, Aycha Koné And Myriam Makeba. Akoussah Was Also Dedicated To, And Widely Recognised For, Her Work For Social Causes, Championing And Nurturing Young Musical Talent, And The Fight Against Aids. She Was President Of The National Union Of Artists Musicians Of Togo (unam) Before Sadly Passing Away In April 2007 After A Long Illness, At The Age Of 57.

Jac Berrocal, David Fenech and Vincent Epplay return with Ice Exposure, their second album for Blackest Ever Black. A sequel and companion piece of sorts to 2015's Antigravity, its title couldn't be more apt: sonically it is both colder, and more exposed - in the sense of rawer, more volatile, more vulnerable - than its predecessor, capturing the combustible energy and barely suppressed violence of the trio's celebrated live performances with aspects of noir jazz, musique concrète, no wave art-rock, sound poetry and spectral electronics all interpenetrating in unpredictable and exhilarating ways. While there are moments of great sensitivity and even a cautious romanticism, the prevailing mood is one of anxiety, paranoia, and mounting psychodrama: close your eyes and Ice Exposure feels like a dissociative Hörspiel broadcasting from the seedy backstreets of your own troubled mind. Before he picks up an instrument or opens his mouth, Berrocal's unique and compelling presence can be felt: a combination of studied, glacial cool and anarchic, in-the-moment intensity that has served him well over a long and storied career. It was honed during his time as a theatre and film actor, and in the 70s Paris improv scene, it powered his influential Catalogue group in the 1970s, numerous seminal, sui generis solo sides, and far-sighted collaborations with the likes of Nurse With Wound, Lol Coxhill, Pascal Comelade and James Chance which have seen him come to be valorised by two generations of avant-garde agitators and eccentrics. Now in his eighth decade, it comes with an added gravitas, perhaps, but no less energy or vitality. On Ice Exposure, his lyrical, instantly recognisable trumpet playing is a key feature - see especially the ghostly, dubwise take on Ornette's 'Lonely Woman', the dissolute exotica of 'Salta Girls', and the sublime echo-chamber soliloquy 'Opportunity'. But more often it's his voice that commands centre-stage, whether casually discharging surreal poetic monologues or moaning in animal despair - a vocal tour de force that transcends language and culminates in the Dionysian frenzy of 'Why', Berrocal's half-spoken, half-howled exclamations jostling with David Fenech's slashes of dissonant guitar, over Badalamenti-ish, panther-stalk drums. Fenech's origins are in the mail-art scene of the early '90s, when he led the Peu Importe collective in Grenoble, and since then, in addition to his own recordings he has worked as a software developer at IRCAM and played with Jad Fair, Rhys Chatham and many others. Together with Vincent Epplay he is responsible for Ice Exposure's inspired arrangements and vivid, vertiginous sound design. Epplay is a visual artist and composer with particular interest in aleatory composition, concrete, and the reappropriation of vintage sound and film material. He and Fenech fashion a remarkable mise-en-scene for Berrocal to inhabit, one that embraces cutting-edge electronics while also paying homage to the best traditions of outlaw jazz and libidinous rock'n'roll ('Soundcheck' invokes the brutish spirit of Berrocal's hero Vince 'Rock N Roll Station' Taylor). On 'Blanche de Blanc', Berrocal's voice is framed by a groaning, ghoulish orchestra of industrial drones, while 'Equivoque' evokes the most humid and hostile Fourth World landscapes and 'Panic In Surabaya' lives up to its name, a hectic, pulse-quickening concrète collage that leaves you gasping for air. This is a searching and singular trio operating at the absolute peak of their powers, with an interplay that transcends studio and stage and occurs at an almost telepathic level. Ice Exposure is a triumph of that group mind, an underworld dérive as life-affirming as it is unnerving and psychologically precarious.













Panic In Surabaya

Jurek Przedziecki's solo Epi Centrum project thunders back with a brand new LP out on Damon Wild's Synewave Records imprint. After a handful of enthusiastically received (supported by, among others, Laurent Garnier, DJ Hell and Joey Beltram) records on numerous renowned Euro labels, Warsaw-based classically trained composer and Buchla System 200e affictionado, delivers a massive dose of muscular-yet obsessively detailed acid funk techno. His 8-tracker - Excrescence" mixes old and new, tapping on seminal Detroit retrofuturism and heavy-duty pounding mania. One can also hear ghostly echoes of his 90s post-industrial faves like Coil or SPK. Record, quite varied in itself, ranging from relentless bangers ('Association') to mental acid cuts ('Blaming Others') and slow bass pulsations ('Limited Useful Life'), should fit nicely in the Synewave repertoire. Simply unmissable.

Italian directors GUALTIERO JACOPETTI and FRANCO PROSPERI gave birth to a whole new subgenre of 'non-fiction' exploitation movies with their 1962 hit MONDO CANE. After repeated accusations of forgery, unethical behaviors and war crimes, they decided to make a movie about the atrocities of American slavery as an apology of sorts. It was 1971 and the movie was FAREWELL UNCLE TOM (ADDIO ZIO TOM) The famous critic Roger Ebert called the result 'the most disgusting, contemptuous insult to decency ever to masquerade as a documentary' Naked flesh, voyeurism and violence is constantly used but gorgeous photography and a memorable score from Academy Award nominee RIZ ORTOLANI add a sickening slickness to it all: rock- beat tunes mixed with classic big band themes, waltz and funny marches and the beautiful OH MY LOVE, with the vocals from Katyna Ranieri, used, among many others by Winding Refn in his cult movie DRIVE (2011).

FIRST VINYL REISSUE EVER
LIMITED EDITION OF 500 COPIES
COMPLETE EDITION WITH EXTRA TRACKS