Cerca:dr res

Available on vinyl for the first time since its original release in 1984, Outernational Sounds proudly presents Build An Ark pianist Nate Morgan’s second outing for the celebrated Nimbus West label – the conscious and spiritualised sounds of Retribution, Reparation.

Pianist Nate Morgan (1964-2013) was a central figure on the Los Angeles jazz undergound. A core member of the circle around the legendary bandleader, pianist and community organiser Horace Tapscott, Morgan had been part of Tapscott’s U.G.M.A.A. (Union Of God’s Musicians and Artists Ascension) since he was just a teenager, and was a key member of the Pan Afrikan People’s Arkestra, known as ‘The Ark’. Through the 1980s and 1990s he kept the PAPA flame alive, organising the Ark’s sprawling songbook, running legendary jam sessions, and keeping LA’s deep jazz roots well watered. By the early 2000s he was bringing hard won knowledge to a new generation as part of the Build The Ark collective. He was a musician’s musician, at the beating heart of the radical, community-minded Los Angeles jazz network that Tapscott and his associates had first put together in the early 1960s.

Retribution, Reparation was the second of the two LPs Morgan recorded for Tom Albach’s storied Nimbus West imprint. His first, Journey Into Nigritia (Outernational Sounds OTR- 008), had been a declaration of arrival laced with energies drawn from Cecil Taylor and Coltrane. One year later, with nods to Herbie Hancock (‘One Finger Snap’) and Ellington (‘Come Sunday’), Retribution, Reparation was a confident statement of purpose. Politically charged with pan-Africanist and Black nationalist sentiments inspired by Marcus Garvey, and titled with uncompromising directness, the album focusses the soundworld of the Ark into a surging, restless masterpiece of spiritualised modal jazz. With Danny Cortez on trumpet and Ark stalwart Jesse Sharps on saxophones the frontline is explosive (this set is also one of the few places the extraordinary Sharps can be heard in a small group setting), while Fritz Wise and Ark regular Joel Ector hold down the rhythm section. Morgan’s forceful, Tyner-like chords and virtuosic solos and bind the music together. From the poised drama of the opening dedication to Tapscott’s U.G.M.A.A. (‘U.G.M.A.A.GER’) to the propulsive militancy of the title track, Retribution, Reparation spreads the word: ‘Advance to Victory, Let Nigritia Be Free!’

We are very proud to presents this official and first ever reissue of The First Coming, by Twylyte ’81, an extremely rare and underrated Soul-Jazz album produced and released in 1981. Twylyte ’81 was a 3 pieces band composed of Frank Jones Jr., Alfred Brown Jr. and John
Belzaguy, who, except for John, have never recorded anything else than this incredible album. The First Coming is primarily standing out by a superb composition, mixing touch of Soul, Jazz, and Disco together. It secondly shines thanks to the amazing deep and spiritual
voice of the band leader, Frank Jones Jr., whose vocals style can sometime remind of John Lucien. Even more impressive is the fact that these 3 fellas were all less or close to 18 years old when composing and recording this beauty. As did others brilliant hidden projects such as Ted Coleman Band, or Minority Band, it was also useful for Twylyte ’81 to receive the support of JSR Records, a kind of non-profit label dedicated to help young bands and artists in recording and producing their own records. Here are a few words from Al Brown Jr. about this release: “After 38 years, I still have the euphoric feeling while listening to this album. I would say that this was one of my greatest achievements. I want to say "Thank you" Pascal Rioux and associates for sharing the group's vision with the rest of the world. I pray the listeners will feel a portion of what we tried to convey through these songs. When I first began this project, I thought it was just killing time. Being 17 years old at the time, I didn't see the music we worked on being recorded. We (Frank and I) were in a basement practicing each song. Who knew that this music would be recorded let alone picked up 38 years later? I still remember every beat, drum roll, every stop/start; everything. Wow, the nostalgia of it all. I wish this album much successful and I hope in the future I can perform this album live.

After a year of preparation on new project, we are back to Boogie your Butt again, this time is on a Samm Culley Band reissue. We are happy to bring back to your ears this giant artist, who across decade of music, with great personality had giving us so many groovy songs. Samm Culley is an R&B, Soul & Funk keyboard player, a dope songwriter. His music career started within the band « Tiny Tim & The Hits » with « Tom Price & Bill Collier ». This trio soon left Tiny to form them own group « The Diplomatics » with « Irving Waters » as lead singer. They later on became the legendary « Skull Snaps » (One Lp on GSF Records)… Over The Time Samm co-produced and (or) played with many unforgettable famous artists such as The Fatback Band, George Kerr, Patrick Adams, Vaughan Mason, Reggie Griffin, De-De, Van Mc Coy, Lloyd Price & even later in Hip Hop music with Marley Marl or Freddie Foxxx. Back in 1982, the original issue of the A Side “Walk”, a great killer dance floor tune, the sunny guitar hook make you feel the summer heat Jazzfunk Boogie, came out on a Silver Cloud Records 12inch, this track bring you light shine to dance as a Walk, close your eyes & easily imagine crazy tricks of Jazz Funk dancers, go fly with his sensual voice & let's tripp on sunshine... The B Side is a remix by our well known Lord Funk & his partner Moar, their wishes was to respect the original song, putting on a slight drums & effect. We hope you gonna like that new Boogie Slice!

The long standing and hugely respected label and events company Astropolis welcome Blutch for a new single that comes ahead of his debut album on this same label later in 2020, and includes a remix from Michael Mayer.

Blutch has had numerous releases on the likes Nowadays, Dance Around 88 and Délicieuse Musique, has collaborated with heavyweights like Terrence Parker and Red Rack’em and has received support from NTS and Radio 1. He is a respected talent in France and deals in classy electronica that blurs the lines between dream states and reality, and the forthcoming album will be presented as a gripping audiovisual tale with the help of video maker Romain Navier.

First up here is expressive techno masterpiece ‘Beau Rivage’ which soars on supple synth lines and elastic drum programming. It’s elegant stuff awash with melodic beauty and emotion. Single, ‘Compétition’ which gets an early release on December 18th is another excellently mature and musical track with symphonic synths reaching to the heavens and colourful arps lighting up the uplifting grooves. ‘2014’ is driven by vast, pounding and cavernous drums, with distant vocal harmonies bring an angelic feel to the celestial synths and chords. The final vinyl-only original is the brilliant ‘La Cité Des Etoiles’, which is layered up with pixelated leads, soft chords and found sound percussion samples that fire your every synapse.

Remixing is Kompakt label boss and one of the most revered names in electronic music, Michael Mayer. He flips ‘La Cité Des Etoiles’ into deeply rooted techno that is riddled with claps and synth lines that bright real light. Buy the digital version and we’ll also get the added bonus of ‘Vorlen’, which again brims with fantastic synths, chords and sorting grooves.

This is a fantastic package that more that whets the appetite for the forthcoming album.

Soul Jazz Records set Sounds of the Universe:
Art + Sound 2012-15 features some of the heaviest Afrofuturistic producers out there, PITCHFORK.

Soul Jazz Records new Sounds of the Universe: Art + Sound 2012-15 is a new double album CD (and two separate volumes of double-vinyl) featuring a line-up of some of the most forward-thinking and progressive artists and producers working with electronic music around the world today.

This lovingly compiled collection features a stunning array of contemporary artists: Chicago’s Afro-futurist genius Hieroglyphic Being; Kaseem Mosse (aka Gunnar Wendell/Siege of Troy), one of the most talked-about, respected artists in underground house and techno; out of Detroit’s Moodyman stable comes Andres; also featured is Los Angeles-based Ras G, associated with the Brainfeeder label established by fellow producer Flying Lotus; and many more!

This new collection features a first CD of tracks recorded exclusively for Soul Jazz Record’s bespoke Sounds of the Universe label. These were originally issued under their Art + Sound series between 2012 and 2015 as unique hand-etched and original commissioned art pieces (reproduced here) collectors’ 12” singles - all pressed in micro-editions of 250 copies for each artist’s release that were only ever available exclusively from Soul Jazz Records’ boutique Sounds of the Universe shop in Soho, London.

The second CD features a fantastic set of all brand new exclusive tracks from the likes of Seven Davis Jr, Drexciya collaborator DJ Stingray, deep house virtuoso Mike Huckaby, Glaswegian noise-punk six-piece Golden Teacher, and lots more – all created and commissioned especially for this release. These songs are not available anywhere else in the world.

Together these 2CDs comprise an amazing selection of new progressive electronic music.

This album is released as double CD pack with slipcase and booklet. It is also available as two separate limited edition double vinyl editions in heavyweight vinyl and gatefold sleeves with full artwork + free download codes, and as a worldwide digital release.

2x12" 180 grams / white vinyl

"The universe,
purity, simplicity and deceits,
profundity, solitude and hardness.
A brilliant yet dark setting.

A place of fleeting ephemeral encounters, real and intense nonetheless, where the forces sustaining it all are neither dark matter nor dark energy, but rather the outcome of the explosion of infinite ancestral love between the creation and its creator, in an era where one was still everything.

Gravity Darkening is an astronomic phenomenon, in which the light emanating from a star is distorted to the eyes of the beholder. A bridge of playful mirrors between reality and its perception in a binary code world, where man can dream unconditionally when reflecting himself in the absence of light.

This album is an expression of the allegorical essence of my lived experience and its resulting analysis, projected into another timeline, parallel to ours".
- Specialivery

Cai Bojsen-Møller co-founded the original Multiplex imprint and released his debut solo album A Bit of Something on the label in 1996. Cai is an accomplished drummer and his acoustic talents shine through in his electronic work and 909 skills. Out of the circuit for fifteen years, he now returns in stunning form!

Released as a two part EP, this is the second half of "The Spirit of Man and Machine". The idea behind which, evolved around the point where organic elements meet and elevates the programmed part of the music. Much music today is completely quantized, but to make things flawless, risks the loss of feeling to digital perfection. Emerging from the Danish rock scene in the early 80's, correctness was nothing to strive for. With the formula of analog synths through an analog mixer and the drums and sequences recorded live, with a mindset for the right vibe, Cai's new tracks ties in well with his 1990's productions.

Mark Broom returns to Multiplex to deliver his “Skank Mix” of Cai’s “Decomp” track, which Broom has churned into a massive, deep, thumbing, dub-techno tune. This is followed by the original version - a timeless example of chord-driven, minimalistic techno. On the flip side we find the beautiful melodies of the melancholic “FaxImprov”, before rounding things of with Skudge, who has remixed the track, resulting in his great signature sound for the dark floor.

Paella Hair Sex is the beginning of a new chapter in Alexis Raphael’s musical story. The first two EPs will be from the label boss himself, kicking off with ‘Digital Music Almost Killed Me EP’. Then attention turns to new artists joining the PHS family - please email demos to paellahairsex

Alexis came to prominence in 2011 with his seminal track ‘Spaceship’ and followed with a series of lush, sexy and warm house records that gained universal praise and put Alexis’ sound all around the world with fans from Australia to Peru. As the music and scene evolved, so too did Alexis’ sound becoming somewhat harder whilst still retaining some of his signature elements; references to acid house, hardcore and jungle, deep pads and sweet vocals.

However, by 2016, Alexis had become somewhat disconnected with the path of the music and scene he was involved in. It took a long time to put together what was wrong, but what followed was a three year path to this point now of launching PHS.

A return to and playing vinyl at the end of 2016 was the first step to finding his love again and feeling good about the music. This was followed by a halt to gigs where the music expected from him was different from what he wanted to play and a feeling of disconnect from the crowd. Then came the gradual move away from constant social media output.

The final and most important part of this transition was going back to making music simply without any thought of where it can fit or who can play it, or what label it will go into. In essence this is a return to how Alexis started - making music solely from the feeling inside.

And so PHS returns to some of that more sexy, emotive house music that Alexis was originally known for, but with a fresh sound for the new decade.

Paella Hair Sex is set to be a representation of the music Alexis loves, both his own and other artists.

The first EP: PHS001 – Digital Music Nearly Killed Me kicks off with the main room groover ‘Respect & Belief’ . A jazz-infused bass line underpins chunky rolling beats, punctuated with vocal samples calling for unity and love and laden with floating classical pianos and warm pads. A definite party banger !
.
The second A side track “Sex Appeal” references back to Alexis’ original signature House sound. An emotive and sexy track bound to get temperatures rising on the dance floor .

Flip to the B-side and find the after party brother of Respect & Belief - ‘Liberty’. A seminal minute long speech paves the way to the single breakdown moment of the track when lush Jupiter-8 chords make way for an epic moment as the beats drop back in. A unique piece of minimalistic House music for the after hours .

The bonus track, House of Chorge. ends the EP with a bang. An upbeat cheeky groove that stays in your head long after the turntable stops spinning. But who is Chorge.?

The second EP of remixes from Man Jumping's reissue on Emotional Rescue features luminaries Bullion, Reckonwrong, Gengahr and William Doyle with their reversions of songs from the Jumpcut album.

Nathan Jenkins aka Bullion follows his recent rerub of Thomas Leer (ERC072) to provide two remixes. His remake of In The Jungle keeps the originals (leftfield) dance floor roots, but sprinkles the ubiquitous warm glow and off kilter fun(k) that he evokes; while his retake of Walk On, Bye drifts back, highlighting intricate percussion; congas, bass and vocal atmospherics along some breezy swing.

Reckonwrong is next; turning the bossa vibes of Sqeezi into his own new wave meets italo reversion; topped with his unique 'under the cupboard stairs' vocals. Funky, driving, this overlooked star adds to his cannon for Whities, Pinkman and DEEK.

After a string of impressive releases for Trangressive / Beggars, Gengahr make a surprise addition, lifting Down The Locale from deceptive beginnings to anthemic heights, adding echo-laden guitar and vocals to the original's underbelly, before a bass break and return lifts to the heavens.

Finally, William Doyle provides perfect closure. Moving away from his East India Youth moniker (XL Recordings), his output has drifted towards ambient introspection, however, here points to addtional layers; rebuilding Belle Dux On The Beach with added bass, guitar, drums and finally vocals that culminate in a prefect 'to the skies' outrospection.

The first release in Ernesto Chahoud’s ‘Middle Eastern Heavens’ reissue series for BBE Music, we are delighted to present Lebanese maestro Ihsan Al-Munzer’s 1979 album ‘Belly Dance Disco’.

In late 70's and early 80's Beirut, Lebanese organist, composer and arranger Ihsan Al-Munzer made a series of pioneering synth-driven fusion albums that reimagined Middle Eastern music. The records came at a pivotal time in Lebanon’s musical history of avant garde experimentation that was blossoming, just as the country’s 15-year civil war took hold.

Ihsan Al-Munzer’s first release as a solo artist, ‘Belly Dance Disco’ aimed to fuse ‘Western’ modern music and bellydance to make it more accessible to the local audience in the late 1970s. “I wanted to put a mixture of European beat with Arabic percussion, but I made the European rhythm and harmony very easy to listen to for the Arabic ear – soft and understandable” says Al- Munzer.

Today, the composer’s music has made the return journey back to the West; with tracks on the album featured by hip hop artists such as Mos Def, who sampled Al-Munzer’s composition ‘Joy of Lina’ on his 2009 song ‘The Embassy’.

The 10-track album was released in 1979 on the legendary Voix De L’Orient label, which was also home to pioneering Lebanese composers The Rahbani Brothers. One of the earliest artists to introduce the synthesizer to Middle Eastern music, Al-Munzer leads the band, playing the main melody lines on the Kawai Organ and Solina String Synthesizer. Three of his original compositions feature on the album, alongside creative re-imaginings of Turkish and Arabic folklore and modern classics, pushing the boundaries of bellydance music to chime with the international scene.

Al-Munzer’s five titles from the 1970's and 1980's are part of BBE’s ‘Middle Eastern Heavens’ reissue series, a collection of groundbreaking productions from Lebanon, curated by Lebanese DJ, compiler and music researcher Ernesto Chahoud.

Notes by Natalie Shooter, a music journalist and researcher based in Beirut, edited by Will Sumsuch.

First Word Records is incredibly proud to present 'Starts Again', the debut album from Tawiah.

The latest signing to the Worldwide Award-winning indie label, Tawiah is somewhat of a trailblazer in the world of alt-soul. Despite this being her debut album, she's long-established in the UK music scene, having previously self-released two EPs and a mixtape, as well as high-profile collaborations with Cinematic Orchestra, Blood Orange, Mark Ronson, Kindness, Cee-Lo, Wiley, Zed Bias and Eric Lau. Additionally being championed by the likes of Zane Lowe, Gilles Peterson and The Guardian, and supporting Moses Sumney on his recent EU tour, it's finally time to unleash a full solo project into the world.

'Starts Again' is an exploration of her identity as a queer woman of colour, raised in a pentecostal family, and a determination to express her musicianship in all its raw glory, free of the constraints of major label wrangles from before.

Co-produced with Sam Beste (Hejira), the album also features vocals from Sharlene Hector, Vula Malinga, Ladonna Young, Ade Omotayo and Rahel Debebe-Dessalegne, as well as glorious string arrangements composed by Miguel Atwood-Ferguson, with a series of field recordings from Ghana, amongst the varied components.

In Tawiah's words; "the process of creating this record independently has taken years!! From self-produced demos to live recording sessions with my good friends; Blue May, Sam Beste, Alex Reeve, Alex Bonfanti, Nathan Allen and Lewis Wright. Sam and I then had two years of long joyful studio sessions working on the post production. With no external deadlines or briefs we had the freedom to create whatever came. It was a privilege to collaborate in this way".

A triumphant 10-piece opus, the music seamlessly blends avant-garde sensibilities with low-slung beats and layered harmonies. The vestiges of Tawiah's early church vocal training contrast subtly against a distinctive South London accent, which has helped place her firmly at the vanguard of the British alternative soul movement, and establish a rep as one of the country's most exciting live performers. Time Out even saying "she slays so hard, you better hope there's a doctor in the house".

With a series of immersive live shows being planned in collaboration with spatial artist, Studio Myrrh, the latter half of 2019 headed into 2020 is looking to be a busy time for Tawiah. A decade on from her debut EP, 'Starts Again' is a creative reset of-sorts, though she is already highly revered within the music industry. A unique talent, this debut album should rightly cement her status as one of the UK's finest recording artists and songwriters.

Given Jones' rather slack approach to track titles (both being consistent with and sometimes even just supplying them), it's a bit of a relief to realize that two tracks with the same name are indeed related. In the case of "Arab Jerusalem", which makes up nearly half of the newly-released Lalique Gadaffi Handgrenade, that kinship is immediately apparent even though both tracks are clearly their own experiences. Released as the first track on the Minaret-Spearker picture disc 7" in 1996, "Arab Jeruzalem" (spelling also sometimes being fairly slack) is 5:42 of effectively shifting dark ambience, wordless female vocals drifting over the hand percussion, chimes, and static of the track, with eventual conversational loops discussing ... something underneath.

The end of that version is especially striking for the way the woman's wordless singing starts being sampled in such a way that it overlays the whole track (and, slightly, itself). The almost 24-minute "Arab Jerusalem" here might be called the Deer Hunter version of the same story, building with great patience and many more abstract detours towards what now seems like simultaneously an excerpt and, now, a climax.

As with many of Jones' more ambient tracks, the great length just lets it cast its spell more thoroughly and entrancingly. The other three tracks, meanwhile, suggest some of Jones' other work but never evoke them as directly as "Arab Jerusalem". "Jordan River" is nearly as long (a second shy of 20 minutes) but strips out the vocal elements in its predecessor, focusing instead on a more active percussive workout (analogue and digital both) and a river of hiss running down the center of the track. The title track of Lalique Gadaffi Handgrenade might bring to mind the title of "Lalique Gadaffi Jar" from Libya Tour Guide (last reissued by Staalplaat in 2015), but if they're sonically related Jones must have practically melted the other track to get this one.

And the closing "Desert Gulag" (like the title track, a much more manageable length than the first two epic tracks here) bears a slight resemblance to "Negev Gulag" from 1996's Fatah Guerrilla, here what was a piercing, repetitive drone is softened and looped over more of Jones' percussion. The result is a well-rounded release that shows off many aspects of Jones' sound as Muslimgauze, while existing (like many of these DAT tapes do) in conversation with much of his previously released work.

Mhysa, the newest addition to the Hyperdub roster, is ‘a popstar for the cyber resistance’ hailing from Maryland via New York. ‘Nevaeh’ is lo-fi R&B with a bedroom feel and challenging lyricism focussed on identity and black experience for the online generation.

She started ‘Nevaeh’ in late 2017, shortly after the release of debut album ‘Fantasii’, recording at home with some input from Lawd Knows, a frequent collaborator on her Scraaatch project. It is Mhysa’s intimate reflection on the black femme experience from multiple vantage points : sex and sexuality, self-love and self-discovery, black empowerment and lineage, and pleasure or the lack of it.

She describes the album as “a prayer for Black women and femmes to be taken to or find a new and better world away from the apocalypse ... a safe space, a sort of negro heaven.” ‘Nevaeh’ is deeply personal but easily relatable, its intimacy heightened by scattered acapella moments and interludes referencing black pop culture, where Mhysa’s delicate voice is laid bare, while other tracks reprise the melancholic R&B her mother raised her on, updated through a queer lens.

Conversely, several of the album’s tunes have found space in Kode9’s club sets over the last year, like the mischievous ‘Sanaa Lathan’ and skeletal ‘w_me’. Of this record’s progression from the last, Mhysa sought “to be more vulnerable and experiment with vocal range … to write more complicated vocal melodies that would be harder to do”, with her production now experimenting with new techniques, and (often self-taught) live instrumentation, as is her family tradition.

As the world turns the page towards yet another decade the Two Swedes from SpaceTM in MLU embraces new beginnings and paves the way for their very first, and very own musical outlet. MLU Private Press is their new label-not-label and the result of years of joint music making. “We looked ourselves in the mirror and all we saw was us” - it’s a vanity label in the truest sense. An audial outlet candidly and simply releasing streams of future and past sounds flowing through a crack from their Stockholmian mountain and out into the world.

The first release features three tracks of MLU-matic electronics, spanning in making over the last decade. From the energetic rave-sentimentality of “Blue...” eloquently dreaming of approaching future skylines to the sound of breakbeats, to the nostalgic arpeggios of “Astro Travelling Pt. 2”. A track which got lost but recently resurfaced in the MLU lost-and-found bin, recorded almost 10 years ago and sound-wise very reminiscent of their earliest work. The aptly named “Madame of the Magic Mushroom” with it’s mix of acoustic drums and shroomy synthesis ends the 12” in weightless psychedelia recollecting memoria of ecstatic driven 70’s loft-rock.

Tim Digby-Bell, Peter Kriek and Ariaan Olieroock are Cubicolor. In 2016 they released their debut album ‘Brainsugar’ via acclaimed independent label Anjunadeep. Accumulating over 40 million streams, the album won praise from Mixmag, Resident Advisor, Consequence of Sound and DJ Mag, who described it as “a startlingly accomplished debut” in their 9/10 review.

Originally an electronic duo comprised of Dutch producers Ariaan and Peter, Cubicolor became a three-piece band with the arrival of British singer-songwriter Tim in 2015, after collaborating on breakthrough single ‘Falling’.

A published poet and playwright, Tim’s musical upbringing was rooted in playing guitar and listening to Nick Drake. Combined with Ariaan’s encyclopedic knowledge of electronic music and Peter’s love of late romantic classical, created what Clash described as “a beautiful, haunting fusion of ideas.” In 2018 the band delivered, and then shelved, their second album…

“It had twelve tracks, a different name, all the artwork was done and a date was set for it to be released. We got home and listened to it, then called each other and decided to drop the whole thing. The next week we went back into the studio and started again.

We loved the record we made but for some reason, it didn't feel right, so we didn't keep anything, we shut ourselves on the boat in Amsterdam where we work and didn't stop until we'd written a new album.” A year after going back to the drawing board, the trio now presents ‘Hardly A Day, Hardly A Night’.

Inspired by the cycles of time, and the cyclical movements of the planets, the new 12 track record weaves together themes of loss, hope, and acceptance. “There were a lot of moments when we weren't sure we'd ever find what it was we were looking for. On the way, we lost friends, lost loves, battled health issues, lost an album, lost each other and came back together again.

It feels like a lifetime has passed but the world keeps spinning and I guess we knew we would eventually find our strength and make the album we wanted to make.” Showcasing their remarkable production techniques and textured sound design throughout the album, Cubicolor continues their unconventional rise to the upper ranks of the electronic music world.

The band will celebrate the album release with a listening event in London in February 2020, before taking their live show to festivals around the world in the summer.

Their 2016 debut album ‘Brainsugar’ picked up wide spread support including backing from BBC Radio 1's Annie Mac, Pete Tong and Phil Taggart, BBC 6 Music's Nemone and Tom Ravenscroft, Joris Voorn, and Kölsch and accumulated over 40M streams. 'Brainsugar' - Press pickup included Mixmag, RA, Thump, Consequence of Sound and the album was given a 9/10 review in DJ Mag.

Cubicolor are Amsterdam based producers Ariaan Olieroock and Peter Kriek, and British singer-songwriter Tim Digby-Bell. They made the album on Peter’s studio boat in Amsterdam. Ariaan built the custom modular synths, mixing desks and speakers that the band use in their studio - every Cubicolor sound is created from scratch.
They also DJ and release music as 16BL on Anjunadeep. one of the labels most loved and legendary acts, responsible for some of the biggest releases in the label's back catalogue.

17 Steps present ‘New Atlantis’, a 5 track EP from versatile DJ, producer and dance music historian Chrissy.

The EP takes its name from an unexpected source – a 17th century utopian novel of the same name by Sir Francis Bacon, depicting a future society in which science has become the ruling principle. It’s an inspiring idea for Chrissy – an antidote to the assault on truth and intellectualism led by climate change deniers, anti-vaxxers, flat earthers, creationists, unfit-for-office demagogues and the slow suffocation of fact-based journalism.

‘New Atlantis’ explores the utopian worldview implicit in early rave music, drawing on classic Chicago house, UK hardcore and Drexciyan electro. The result is a collection of jacking breaks and bass infused dance music washed with a bittersweet euphoria – celebrating and lamenting an era’s forgotten optimism.

Treating Anger Disorder” is a frantic 4 tracks fast paced techno E.P.
that wraps murderous drums, dangerous acid bass lines and unsettling digital synthesisers. On “The Voice”, discomfited Underworld reminiscences leak out the struggle between the artists and the code, knocking over all the ravers.
“Rage Therapy” is the name of a laboratory research on the wretched conditions of dancing humans conducted with a self developed javascript computer program by two expert researchers of Techno social semiotic.

Jungletrain resident Trainspotter debuts on Vivid’s first black label
series release. Spaced out ambient pads, noisescapes, and sparse
percussion take you far out and bring you to a place entirely new and
yet somehow familiar. This series is dedicated to individual, abstract
conceptualizations of the jungle / drum n bass landscape, exploring
freedom from formulaic beats while taking you to the fringe of
160-170+ bpm music. Fading Train EP is a truly unique take on this and excellent for bringing a sense of space to busy mixes.

For the 10th Shaw Cuts release, Lazarus and Farron join forces on their new collaboration project Pollaar, defying Pai Mei and his alliance with the ruling Manchurian Court who aim to quash the revolutionary rebels. Crane and tiger techniques vs. the seemingly invincible versatile villain and his squad.

The story begins when Pai Mei and his entourage raid the shaolin temple where the rebels have found refuge. Only a few rebels and students escape the attack, among them, Hung Hsi-Kuan. "Haslam" and its blasting drum patterns paired with bright sounding synth fragments help Hung Hsi-Kuan and his copartners to safety. They finally find a safe haven with a traveling opera group. Along the way, Hung encounters the fair Ying Chun, herself a master of the crane technique. They fall in love and have a son, Wen-Ting. Hung could not forget though, and dedicates himself to mastering the art of the tiger style for the next ten years, to finally compete against Pai Mei. The superiority of Pai Mei in the following clash is accentuated by the vigorous drum punches and spacial undertone of "Bonucci Unit". But Pai Mei spares the wounded Hung's life, letting him go. While Ying Chun teaches her son the crane style, Hung devotes himself to relentless tiger style training for seven more years, to challenge Pai Mei once again.

"P-9" and its forceful breakbeat punches, energizing pads and resonant percussion, sets the tone of the duel resulting in Pai Mei's victory and Hung's death. Wen-Ting vows vengeance and continues to tirelessly perfecting his crane style while still dedicated to learning the tiger style. Both combined is the only way to defeat Pai Mei. One year later, Wen-Ting is ready and embarks on the journey to Pai Mei's temple. The menacing and gritty atmosphere of "Compound" and its spellbinding groove filled with abstract machine sounds pushes Wen-Ting to his limit. The white-bearded master has been vanquished, but is he gone forever? Judge for yourself...

After a few other successful projects, Franck Biyong, French-Cameroonian Afrobeat composer, guitar player and singer is back on Hot Casa with a hot futuristic Afro-Brazilian club anthem. The similarities and filiations between traditional West-African drumming and Afro-Brazilian religious musical rites are many: under colonial rule African people and African slaves outwardly practiced
Christianity but secretly prayed to their own God, Gods, or Ancestor spirits. So we aimed at keeping the gritty urban menacing sound and poetry of Afrobeat with the percussive mass rumble of Batucada and poignant beauty of Carioca. We then got in touch with Cristina Violle, the first lady of “Samba de Roda” in Paris who graced us with a startling inspired and heartfelt melody. The first completed version of the song then briefly went on alternative radio, we also made plans to release a vinyl version, but for one way or another we shelved the project, without thinking we would get back to it again…until a few months ago. We went back to the studio last summer and started ironing the song again from scratch. That same initial spirit and energy caught hold of us again from the day we started and we worked relentlessly to create a balanced but experimental track, showcasing rootsy sound, pop instrumentation, tight world beat drumming, song structure, jazzy horns, spacey synthesizers, choral-like vocal harmonies with call and response figurative vocals.
We now proudly present this brand new record; Like our predecessors years ago, we subconsciously did our best to keep alive a longtime tradition of cultural tradition of African Artistic
Renaissance, pushing further musical themes of contemporary African sound. To be continued…

* "The Longest Sleep Through The Darkest Days" is the sophomore album from Plymouth shoegaze post-pop electronic project Winterlight. The project was originally a solo endeavor started by Tim Ingham back in the mid-oughts but now sees his daughter Isabel taking on bass guitar duties.
* This new album is the culmination of nearly seven years of on and off creative spurts, false starts, and second guesses reflecting the turmoil hinted at in the album's title. Yet those that follow Winterlight know Tim's been making music pretty much all along and releasing occasional demos via his Soundcloud.
* This lengthy process has yielded one resounding result: If it ain't broke, don't fix it. "The Longest Sleep Through The Darkest Days" has all the Winterlight earmarks: divine organs, thoughtfully constructed drums, the occasional electronic flourish and, Oh... Those immaculately soaring guitars! While Ingham considers Winterlight to be post-pop, and for the most part the duo still brings those melodies to the table in spades, there are some unique changes happening under the surface in the album's bookends that move way beyond simple ear candy. This shows The Inghams are starting to take risks while still staying true to the original vision for the project.

At home, in the islands of Cabo Verde, there was grog, or grogu, a strong sugarcane moonshine not dissimilar to Colombian aguardiente, copiously consumed at Funaná parties. In the diaspora, in Europe, there was leite quente (hot milk). "I can still remember the taste of the first leite quente I drank in Lisbon," says Antonino Furtado Gomes, Pilon's drummer and current band leader.

Synthesize the Soul, Ostinato Records' second compilation, revealed chapter one of the Cabo Verde cultural story in Europe, zooming in on visionaries like Paulino Vieira who made Lisbon the headquarters spearheading the musical revolution taking place within Cape Verdean emigre communities across Europe in the 1980's. Musicians from across the diaspora would eagerly travel to the Portuguese capital to record.

Grupo Pilon represents the second chapter of the Krioulu diaspora story. In smaller pockets, second generation musicians were independently contributing to one of the most lush periods of cultural innovation by immigrants in Europe. In Luxembourg, in 1986, a group of teenagers formed the largely unknown (outside of Cape Verdean circles) but consistently brilliant band named after the blunt instrument used in the islands to pound corn for Cabo Verde's national dish, cachupa.

With only five members, Pilon combined searing estilo Krioulu drumming and the hybrid ColaZouk style with blissful synth work and rugged guitar licks, creating a stripped-down, addictive sound that masterfully straddled two worlds, a seductive electro-Funaná carnival born from the first few sips of hot milk.
The band drew from the inspiring political changes of the day: the release of Nelson Mandela in South Africa and the fall of the Berlin Wall. The right to democracy became a constant theme in Pilon's songs.

With access to better opportunities than their parents' generation, Pilon's roster were part time musicians. Music was not part of their academic upbringing nor a full-time gig. Their rhythm and style were wonderfully imperfect, made out of rawer skills and inexperience. Pilon did not follow the templates established by revered Cabo Verde bands. Keyboard player Emilio Borges played off beat and the band preferred arranging their songs to start from the beat normally heard in the middle of a composition rather than the beginning.

These two elements made Pilon's music simple, unique, and inimitable. From 1997-2015, a lack of concerts and professional musicians proved near fatal. Today, Antonino and what remain of the original quintet are slowly piecing back together the puzzle of their once mighty outfit from an unlikely pocket of Europe. In it's heyday in the 90's, Pilon serenaded audiences in Paris, Lyon, Marseille, Lisbon, Rotterdam and Frankfurt, securing their reputation as a respected and unifying cultural force.

This LP, drawing from the six most powerful songs from Pilon's three-album catalog, is the serving of still fresh leite quente to spice the summer and maybe even fuel the next generation of musicians in the Krioulu corners of Europe.

Maceo Plex hasn't dropped an original on Drumcode since 2014 when the hugely popular 'Conjure Infinity' EP was released. Despite this, he's been a significant feature at DC events over the last year.
Sharing a tight relationship with Adam Beyer, the pair have laid down memorable B2B sets at Warehouse Project, Ultra Music Festival, and the Resistance opening party in Ibiza this summer, thus cementing their tight musical bond.

Produced in the early part of 2019, 'Destination Mars' marks his terrific return to Beyer's iconic label. The track is trademark Maceo, a master class in tension and release, characterized by a slick low-end bass hum that gathers steam as crunchy drum lines and breathy vocal accents combine effectively with the main vocal lead, a contribution from Josh Wink, no less.

... No surprise, it went down a storm when debuted at Time Warp's mammoth 25th-anniversary party in April and has been highlighting the Ellum boss' sets ever since.

The ever-reliable Raxon is charged with remix duties, stripping back the track's engine to focus on a central melody, chugging bassline, and hypnotizing vocal effects. Shall Ocin's re-rub is made for misty-eyed mornings as celestial pads result in a transcendental finale to bring it home.

Soul Jazz Records new ‘Apala: Apala Groups in Nigeria 1964-69’ is the first ever collection of Apala music ever to be released outside of Nigeria. The album focusses on a wide selection of recordings made in Nigeria in the 1960's, a time when Apala music was at the height of its popularity. Apala is a deeply rhythmical, hypnotic and powerful
musical style that combines the striking nasal-style vocals and traditions of Islamic music, the Agidigbo (thumb piano), and the equally powerful drumming and percussion rhythms and
techniques of the Yoruba of Nigeria.

The most significant figure in Apala music is undoubtedly Haruna Ishola who features throughout this album. Ishola holds an almost mythological status in his role as populariser of Apala music in
Nigeria. Ishola’s singing was believed to be so powerful that, without proper restraint, it could kill the recipient of his music.

Apala is a popular music that also functioned as a form of cultural resistance – Apala music involved no western instrumentation and is sung in the Yoruba language, its aesthetic an implicit cultural
rejection of the British Empire’s colonial rule over Nigeria which lasted from 1901 until independence in 1960. Apala music was popular and widely accepted in Nigeria due to its philosophical and profound
lyrical content alongside the complex rhythmic patterns of this heavily percussive style, which highlighted many of the percussion instruments of south-west Nigeria.

He's one of a number of popular urban styles of music that came out of Nigeria in the 20th century and sits alongside the more well-known (in the West) styles of Fuji, Highlife, Juju and Afrobeat. Of these modern forms Apala remains perhaps the most ‘roots’ style (sometimes described as ‘neo-traditional’) due to the authenticity of its sound. It has similar Islamic roots to other neo-traditional styles of Nigeria – including Waka and Sakara – examples of which are also
included on this collection contextualising the music of Apala.

These recordings were originally made and released locally by Decca and EMI Records as well as a variety of independent labels in Nigeria and have never been released outside of the country before. Soul Jazz Records are releasing this album as a deluxe double gatefold vinyl (download code), CD, slipcase and booklet, both containing full text and photography.

Samuel Rohrer CONTINUAL DECENTERING
With his Arjunamusic label and a growing catalog of categorydefying releases, Samuel Rohrer continues to quietly, yet confidently, make a name for himself as a genuinely unique Gigure within the European electronic music realm. In the current era, talk of blurring boundaries between musical genres and attitudes is more the rule than the exception, but not always something done with any degree of success. Rohrer is one of those rare alchemical explorers to have truly created a hybrid which is all his own, one that does not just exist to melt distinctions for its own sake, but is a natural result of years of experimentation with both the determination of electronic music and the ludic spirit of ‘free improvisation.’ On his newest offering, Continual Decentering, this vision is applied to a set of mostly in real time (live) performed explorations. 
In keeping with his many years’ worth of fruitful collaborations, the tonal palette on this new record is one that is expectedly rich for those familiar with his work, yet still surprising in terms of how exactly the differing tonal colors come together. Representative tracks like Spondee and The Fringe are brimming with dub pulses, noir shivers and blooming timbral variations that are in many places carefully isolated / focused and in other places blended together in vivid fusions. In terms of the emotional atmosphere created here, the pensive and questioning tone hearkens back to the ‘wide open’ state of electronic music in the mid-late 1990s, yet with a greater clarity and maturity of vision that makes this music feel like a possible answer to aesthetic questions being raised at that time. As with Rohrer’s most recent solo work, like the Range of Regularity LP, Continual Decentering showcases the artist’s skill in turning the drum kit into a lead instrument. While the term “lead instrument” denotes a kind of exuberant “Glash,” or a clear separation from the rest of the voices in an ensemble, we can take the term to mean something different throughout this listening program of 13 short vignettes: that is to say, everything else within the audible environment exists to complement the character of the percussive playing rather than to stand apart from it. It helps that Rohrer has, in fact, developed a unique and complex hybrid system in which drum hits trigger modular synthesizer processes, the use of which makes for an incredibly fluid response time between distinct sonic events. In contrast to the previous Range... LP, this new offering is propelled less by interlacing threads of intensity and more by a shared sense of deep listening. As displayed on pieces like All Too Human, there is a profound sense of attention to silences or thoughtful pauses that maybe hints at another crucial aspect of Rohrer’s style: over the course of this program, we tend to hear the player not only playing but listening, an activity which makes perfect sense given the sense of instrumental dialogue already mentioned. All of the above come together to give Continual Decentering a “live”-ness that will easily translate from recorded document to dynamic performance.

Zinc Alloy and the Hidden Riders of Tomorrow is the 1974 album by Marc Bolan and T. Rex. The album was preceded by hit singles “The Groover” and “Truck On (Tyke)” includes the follow-up hit “Teenage Dream”. The results of listening to black radio stations whilst touring the US during 1973 are apparent on this album, something of an oft-overlooked treasure trove.

Remastered by co-producer Tony Visconti and Ted Jensen.

Die Cut Sleeve with download. It’s a strange betweenworld, bookended by sleep and the jolt of being wide awake in a place where you wonder how you got there. You know the feeling… It seems familiar but the colours are, well, unreal. In a high-ceilinged room, a grand piano plays lush melodies as, meanwhile, somewhere, an Alice In Wonderland clock ticks, cellos are bowed, a swarm of something vibrates and the hallucinatory crowd around Rosemary’s Baby babble. An echoey electronic hum builds and falls like a 50s refrigerator passed through and effects board, things run backwards, staccato strings are plucked… and that’s not the half of it. “I’ve never been happy staying in one particular school of musical thought. The fun has been turning things on their heads, to try something you were not supposed to do.” We’re on an immersive and adventurous travelogue with the former member of the legendary Tangerine Dream, Paul Haslinger - this is a man who knows how to build tension, hold moods, illustrate contempt, lies, passion and pleasure; He can create fear, loathing and love - he’s been unlocking the nuances of such emotions in a hugely successful career as a TV and film soundtrack composer (Halt And Catch Fire, Underworld and the Golden Globe-nominated Sleeper Cell). ‘Exit Ghost’ is his long thought out opus, a moment caught in time, flicking through reference points, taking an ethereal excursion that permeates musical genres as it becomes awash with intricate sounds and cross-pollinating rhythms. Built originally from the warmth of his grand piano ‘Exit Ghost’ resonates with purity and power, from an eerie and evocative betweenworld, that’s at once expansive and rolling, then intoxicating and suffocating in equal measures; modern composition at its most uplifting; cerebral, celebratory, intense and beautiful. “The soul searching in connection with this record was extensive. Finding places of resonance, giving a colour to your memories. It was more challenging because it’s not somebody else’s narrative. Finding the core of your own story can be the most difficult task of all.” Created over the span of eight years and filled with literal and personal references, the album itself is a testament to the search - a quest filled with hints, particles and suggestions.

"Mr Bongo" is proud to present three unique reworks of Kit Sebastian.
Each of the producers featured in this package created their own
interpretation of the 'lo-fi-hi-fi’ originals and have taken the duo’s
sound into bold new directions. When it came to choosing who should remix Kit Sebastian, Natureboy Flako (Flako/Dario Rojo Guerra) was a producer at the top of our list.

Keeping true to the original, whilst leaving his own stamp on the
track, his mix adds break-beat drums and middle-Eastern guitar riffs
that transform the track into a more cinematic piece. It sounds to us
like the music from an exotica dive-bar scene in a David Lynch film -
which of course, is a very good thing.

Producer and DJ Baris K, who was behind the awesome 'İstanbul 70'
series (re-edits of classic Turkish gems), takes ‘Durma’ in a very
different direction. Totally reconstructing the track, his remix has
flipped the original and totally run wild.

The results are an epic left-field electronic workout. By bringing the spoken-word vocals to the forefront and giving the track a darker industrial vibe, it wouldn't sound out of place bouncing around the walls of a Berlin basement club at 5am on a Sunday morning.

The paring of Kit Sebastian and Halal Cool J grew after DJing together
at the alternative Great Escape party at the Mr Bongo HQ in May 2019.
They share a love for dusty old psychedelic Turkish records. Halal Cool J (aka Aly Jamal/Don Leisure) has released records on First World and is a co-member of Darkhouse Family with Earl Jeffers.

For his interpretation he has delivered a mix-tape-collage with a hip-hop aesthetic, and rather than focusing on remixing a specific song, he has cut and paste his favourite elements of tracks taken off the band’s 'Mantra Moderne’ album. Available in 2 limited-edition, hand-numbered sleeve designs.

When Elena Colombi launched the Osàre! Editions label in the autumn of 2019, she explained that the label would become home to bold, daring, future-facing music rooted in experimentation and free-spirited musical abandon. These are all descriptions that could apply to the label’s latest release, a retrospective album of little-known works by Greek musician and producer Thanasis Zlatanos.

Many will not have heard of Zlatanos, or Nekropolis, the band he fronted alongside dear friend and regular collaborator Trygve Mathiesen, yet the music he made during the 1980s was otherworldly, intergalactic and undoubtedly alluring. These songs and instrumentals made extensive use of analogue synthesizers and lo-fi drum machines, as well as Zlatanos’s trusted Gibson Les Paul guitar and his own distinctive voice.

Stylistically, the musician and producer refused to settle on a specific sound, preferring instead to create inspired, often mind-altering pieces that join the dots between wave music, skewed leftfield pop, ambient, prototype electronic and Madedonian folk music. Operating for much of the period from a crumbling house earmarked for demolition, Zlatanos kept up a daily music-making vigil that resulted in a vast vault of music, most of which has remained unissued since the 1980s.

The breadth of and width of Zlatanos’s distinctive approach is laid bare on Retrospective, a compilation album prepared by Colombi and the artist himself that draws on tracks from his numerous albums, those by Nekropolis – whose sophomore set “The New Europeans” was banned in Norway – and his epic archive of previously unheard material.

The artist’s singular but wide-ranging musical vision is free for all to see across the 13 tracks stretched across the vinyl version of the album (digital buyers also get a further four superb cuts). It veers attractively from the ghostly, traditional-meets-futuristic new age electronica of “The Crystal Sight (Excerpt)” and the doom-laden coldwave throb of “Master Chameleon”, to the undulating, soft-touch creepiness of “Surreal Moment”, the Vocoder-laden operatic poignancy of “The New Barbarians” and the squally guitar solos and effects-laden electronics of “The Light”.

Words from the artist___:
"I live in the Internet. Visits from outer space make me compose. I breathe here. I am the master chameleon, the psychedelic clown. I am not here anymore, neither in the picture, nor the reflection. Our bed is a boat that takes us tomorrow without us.

Here is an album of dreams and digital emotions. Analogue recordings made with a Prophet, a Moog Rogue, a tape recorder and a Gibson Les Paul guitar.

As far as I can remember I have always been in a recording studio. I listen to, understand and live my life through songs and music. I have worked alone and with friends such as Trygve Mathiesen. Although I am a guitarist, I continue to work with synthesizers on music that blends elements of Macedonian folk music, recordings from the streets and embryonic electronic sounds.

Some of my albums have been critically acclaimed, others banned by radio stations. For years I worked on endless recording sessions in a crumbling house that should have been torn down. The music on this retrospective compilation was recorded at various points between 1982 and the present day. Some of the compositions first appeared on previous albums, while others have never been released before. They were sat on tapes waiting for a saviour. Now that saviour has arrived and they can be free.

For further proof of Zlatanos’s unique sonic approach, check the startling contrast between the bass-laden slacker pop headiness of “No Expectations” and the spacey ambience of “The Dead Don’t Remember”. Considered together, the selected pieces and those elsewhere on Retrospective forms a snapshot of a genuinely unique and visionary musician, composer and producer. It’s a celebration of someone whose work has previously been overlooked."

Singing bowls, bronze bells and gongs resonate through the mindful layers of Japanese percussionist and ambient producer Kazuya Nagaya's music. In Zen Buddhism, bells are believed to wash away the cares of the mortal world, as the listener follows the resonance of the bell into the silence and stillness within all beings. It is a penetration into the depths of one's self.
Nagaya's music is rooted in Buddhist (Zenzhu) philosophy and sensibilities unique to Japan. Concurrently, his work and interests are also contemporary and traverse a broad spectrum of cultures.

AIDAN BAKER (NADJA, B/B/S) and bass clarinetist GARETH DAVIS continue their fruitful collaboration with "Invisible Cities II" - five new tracks of finest ambient/chamber jazz/subtle drones of a highly meditative quality. Two years ago, the Canadian guitar player AIDAN BAKER and clarinetist GARETH DAVIS from Belgium released their duo debut "Invisible Cities" that surprised many by it's quiet, even meditative quality.

DAVIS had made himself a name in a wide range of fields, from the postrock of A-SUN AMISSA or OISEAUX-TEMPÊTE, new music (PETER ABLINGER, BERNHARD LANG), or experimentation with the likes of ELLIOTT SHARP, MERZBOW or SCANNER, while BAKER is mostly known for his drone/postmetal duo NADJA, but that's just one out of several steady projects (e.g.B/B/S with ANDREA BELFI and ERIK SKODVIN aka SVARTE GREINER) and a multitude of solo albums.

On "Invisible Cities" the duo explored the calmer side of things – from chamber jazz to ambient/drone and back, giving much space and air to breathe to their respective instrument. Subtle guitar drones, sonore clarinet sounds, a sonic scenery of peacefullness and meditative introspection – all this you'll also find on the new album "Invisible Cities II" which is an accomplished continuation and refinement of the duo's first collaborative effort from 2018.

Recorded between 2018 and 2019 in Berlin and Amsterdam, mastered and cut at D&M Berlin by KASSIAN TROYER.

Soul Jazz Records continues its journey into the world of Afro-Caribbean roots music with this album of newly recorded music of Gwo Ka music recorded and produced by Soul Jazz Records on the island of Guadeloupe, French West Indies.

Gwo Ka music is a fantastic fusion of African-­derived musical form ( call and response), with vocal styles that draw upon the equally powerful French chanson singers to create a truly unique combination.

Tradition Ka, made up of some of the island’s finest singers and master drummers, is part of a powerful network of politicised Gwo Ka groups on the island – upholding the traditions and cultural importance of Gwo Ka as part of a larger process of defining the identity of Guadeloupe and its culture.

This album is newly studio recorded in Pointe-­A-­Pitre, Guadeloupe by Soul Jazz Records. Like the cult music of Haiti’s Vodou and Cuba’s Santeria or the roots music of Belize’s Garifuna (all of which Soul Jazz have also released), Gwo Ka is the musical and cultural product of the region’s African ancestry, forcibly brought to the Caribbean through slavery.

Gwo Ka exists only in Guadeloupe, a very different island from much of the Caribbean, in that it remains a ‘department’ of its original colonial master, France. Here, the currency is the Euro and the baker sells croissant and café au lait.

This constant ‘European-­ising’ of the island means that Gwo Ka plays a fundamental and important role in the defining of Guadeloupean identity. As an African-­derived music, its position as a counter-­balance to French influence means that the definition of how and what Gwo Ka represents is also in a constant state of flux.

These new recordings show how Gwo Ka is both a modern Caribbean music form and one firmly rooted in ancestral history.

Over the last 20 years Soul Jazz Records have been documenting and presenting the often hidden histories and deep musical worlds of Cuba, Haiti, Jamaica, Belize, Trinidad, the Bahamas and more. This documentation encompasses reissuing lost recordings, such as the mighty Studio One catalogue of reggae, producing films/dvds (such as the 3-­hour documentary Mirror To The Soul in conjunction with British Pathé, and Dub Echoes), books (check the forthcoming photography book on the Caribbean 90 Degrees of Shade, with text by Paul Gilroy, and Kanaval) as well as travelling to the region to produce new recordings.

Soul Jazz Records new release takes us on a serious road trip into the North-West region of the USA, 1986-97, to explore the amazing lost and forgotten sounds of the Grunge era.

This Deluxe massive 28-track Double CD with 44-page outsize booklet features extensive text, band features and interviews, exclusive photos. Also Worldwide digital release + Ltd.Edition Two seperate double-vinyl albums with full notes and free download code.

The underground music scene of the North-west of America arose from the early 1980's, strung out in isolated towns across the vast state of Washington. In its early days bands who showed an allegiance to their roots of punk. Yet, by 1991,Nirvana, the biggest band in the world, had been born from this community of outsiders.

This compilation features some of the many divergent bands who emerged out of the North-west during this era. Intensely researched and documented this album features many bands who have now disappeared from history after releasing maybe just a couple of singles, or an album, or even never making it onto vinyl – alongside some bands that continue to this day.

Perhaps most fascinating is the wide-ranging styles that these grunge bands incorporated - from punk to metal, experimental and more.

All Roads lead to Nirvana: 17 of the bands featured here played alongside Nirvana in the period 1987 to 93. All 23 bands featured feature members who shared a stage with Nirvana. Jack Endino (The Ones) produced 37 Nirvana songs. Dave Foster (Helltrout) was Nirvana's 3rd drummer. Bundle of Hiss became TAD who played more gigs with Nirvana than any other band.

With fantastically in-depth sleevenotes, interviews with most of the bands, exclusive photography and all sonically remastered tracks this is a comprehensive double CD (and 2 volumes of 2x12" vinyl releases) bringing together the hidden, lost and forgotten sounds of the North-west grunge era.

Reviews & Articles: Seattle Times feature here. Irish Times here. Read article by compiler Nick Soulsby in Nirvana Legacy here Read second article by the compiler here. Read article about the artwork here.

When Air’s Nicolas Godin released his debut solo album, Contrepoint (2015), he channelled the influence of Bach into a rich, resonant and hugely rewarding spread of musical explorations. One soundtrack (A Very Secret Service) later, Godin builds on equally fertile conceptual foundations for the follow-up. Released through Because Music on 24th January, Concrete and Glass is an exquisitely crafted set of variations on architectural reference points: mounted with minimalist precision and delivered with an abundance of pop warmth, it finds Godin in his element, working seductive wonders with poise and style to spare.

For Godin, the album circles back to his formative work as half of ground-breaking French electronic group Air. Revered modern architect Le Corbusier was an influence on the young architecture graduate’s music, notably on his 1997 debut “Modular Mix”. Twenty-plus years later, Le Corbusier featured on a list of modernist architects Godin was invited to compose tributes for, tributes intended to be heard as the soundtrack to site-specific installations around the world.

In its soft ambient pulse and melting minimalism, lead track “The Border” is a perfect entry-point to Godin’s hymns to buildings, arranged and co-produced with Pierre Rousseau. Its levitating synths, vocoder vocals and scudding bass hove into view with understated elegance, all the better to accommodate the discreet slow-build of delicate details within. As with Air, Godin makes gorgeously light work of every angle: this is music that seems entirely unperturbed by gravity, occupying an elevated atmosphere of its own.

Elsewhere, the title-track’s clean synth lines, crisply apportioned arrangements and tender timpani offer another inviting entry-point, sculpted with architectural clarity. While Godin’s vocoder vocals also hark back to Air’s early work, the album accommodates a diverse spread of guest vocalists elsewhere. Hot Chip’s Alexis Taylor guests on the falsetto-soul dream-pop of “Catch Yourself Falling”, one of Godin’s sweetest melodies yet. Oxnard singer/activist Cola Boyy brings soul to the righteously engaged “The Foundation”; the squelchy synths and buoyant grooves burn slow, allowing the stealthy arrangements and message room to resonate. Psychedelic soul singer Kadhja Bonet sings with measured serenity over tremulous synths on “We Forgot Love”, while Russian experi-pop artist Kate NV brings a gracefully aching romanticism to the blissful swoon-pop of “Back to Your Heart”.

Additionally, Australian conceptual provocateur Kirin J Callinan contributes a vocal of restrained drama to “Time on My Hands”, a midnight-drift soft-pop ballad with a silky allure. One of the quickest tracks to record for the album, it emerged in collaborations between Los Angeles (”During some lively sessions in Mac DeMarco’s studio,” notes Godin) and Paris. After he missed his flight home, Callinan stayed in France for a day as the guitar solos were recorded, complementing the song's air of sleek luxuriousness.

Between its title-track and the sultry, smoky jazz stylings of closer “Cité Radieuse”, Concrete and Glass is an album that truly travels, in tune with its global pitch. For Godin, it marks another milestone in a musical journey that began when Air’s 1998 debut album, Moon Safari, became the sublimely weightless soundtrack of its time. For Concrete and Glass, Godin builds on his storied past with tremendous finesse, charm and fluency, opening fresh windows of perspective at every lovingly executed turn.

Berlin based Dame Bonnet makes music influenced by post punk and cold wave and with a primitive and reverb-drenched production he creates a tragic dream for the listener to sink in to.

The music has a sentimental feel to it but the pretentions are avoided thanks to the direct sound and the unremitting drums which contributes to give the tracks a forward momentum instead of a stuck in place-feeling.

Dame Bonnet makes sad club music with traces from the early eighties In England, a society ravaged by the cold individualism as a result to neo conservative politics - a time that resembles ours, where people gets categorized out of prejudice and the social welfare systems are uninstalled bit by bit in front of a sparser crowd of woke people.

In Europe, now in the 2010s, a supposed dead ultraconservative monster is coming alive again and Dame Bonnets music makes the soundtrack to that process.

March 2017: Alessandro Alessandroni's 'Afro Discoteca' is released on a blasting 12'' containing 4 cosmic/disco tracks drawing influences from African music – never published before these incredibly powerful and evocative recordings were rescued from an old dusty tape found in the Maestro's vaults.

The EP became an instant classic for diggers and worldwide tastemakers, bringing the name of Alessandroni to new audiences,
far beyond the circle of film scores and library music aficionados.

March 2019: Four Flies asks to a rock band (CALIBRO 35) and three amongst the most brilliant and visionary Italian DJs and producers (Jolly Mare, L.U.C.A., pAd) to rework the original tracks, giving them new life for refined modern dancefloors.

The result is a stunning collection of electronic/cosmic/balearic reworks, which respects the spirit of Alessandroni's compositions, projecting them into our present

Etruria Beat boss Luca Agnelli returns to the label as he unveils four fresh originals in the form of ‘Dangerous’. A leading name within Italy’s techno landscape and beyond, DJ, producer and label owner Luca Agnelli’s musical journey continues to surge with releases and remixes via the likes of Drumcode, Soma and his own Etruria Beat imprint.

Having played a series of stand-out shows to close the year including Universe82 festival (Valencia), Duel (Naples), Die Rakete (Nuremberg) and Steam (Athens), not to mention a breathtaking performance from the top of Torre Del Cassero in his home region of Tuscany, early 2020 sees a welcome return to home turf as the Etruria Beat boss steps out to reveal his latest EP ‘Dangerous’, comprised of four commanding productions.

Title track ‘Dangerous’ unveils a high-octane ride through escalating synths, resounding kicks and menacing low- end tones, whilst ‘High Gravity’ utilises further infectious lead line work and slick, metallic drum licks. Next, ‘End Of Time’ sees the introduction of soaring melodies alongside off-kilter sonics and tripped-out vocal snippets, before closing proceedings with ‘Acidulous’, a driving acid-led effort that snakes through both tough and more melodic territories in impressive fashion.

Die Gruppe Automat - Jochen Arbeit (u.a. Einstürzende Neubauten, Die Haut), Achim Färber (Phillip Boa & The Voodooclub, Skip McDonald) und Georg Zeitblom (wittmann/zeitblom) - funktioniert wie eine gut geölte Maschine: Sie surrt, sie schnurrt, sie geht unbeirrt ihres Weges. Gemeinsam mit dem Modular-Magier Max Loderbauer sowie Paul St. Hilaire alias Tikiman, Lydia Lunch und Mika Bajinski am Mikrofon präsentieren sie nun mit »Modul« auf Compost Records ihr abwechslungsreichstes und konzeptionell stimmigstes Album.

Die Gruppe Automat funktioniert wie eine gut geölte Maschine: Sie surrt, sie schnurrt, sie geht unbeirrt ihres Weges. Auf seinem vierten Album allerdings schaltet das Trio einen Gang herunter, differenziert seinen musikalischen Ansatz weiter aus und geht fruchtbare Kollaborationen mit anderen Figuren aus der Musikwelt ein. Neben Max Loderbauer, dem Bandnachbarn aus den Candy-Bomber-Studios in Berlin-Tempelhof, mit dem Jochen Arbeit, Achim Färber und Georg Zeitblom bereits im Jahr 2015 für eine gemeinsame EP zusammenarbeiteten, sind das am Mikrofon die Dub-Legende Paul St. Hilaire alias Tikiman, die Königin der Gossenpoesie Lydia Lunch und die Newcomerin Mika Bajinski. Sie alle tragen ihren Teil nach dem Leitprinzip bei, welches »Modul« seinen Namen verleiht: Die acht Stücke entstanden gemeinschaftlich nach einem Baukastensystem, das den Kompositionsprozess dynamisch in Bewegung setzte und gleichmäßig auf alle Beteiligten verteilte. Das Resultat ist ein musikalisches Perpetuum Mobile - ein Album mit dem gemäßigten Ruhepuls einer Dub-Produktion, das unablässig in Bewegung bleiben.
»Modul« bildet als Album einen ständigen Veränderungsprozess ab, der erstmals im Jahr 2018 im Rahmen eines Auftragswerks für das Berliner Festival Pop-Kultur live erfahrbar gemacht wurde. Auf Einladung des kuratorischen Teams erarbeiteten Zeitblom, Färber und Arbeit gemeinsam mit ihren musikalischen Gästen St. Hilaire, Lunch und Gemma Ray ein Live-Set, das konsequent aus dem Studio auf Grundlage einzelner Passagen entstand, die nach dem Prinzip eines Resonanzmoduls miteinander (re-)kombiniert wurden: es geht zwischen den einzelnen Mitgliedern hin und her, die Strukturen morphen und der Sound nimmt immer andere Formen an. Eben dieser Ansatz bedingt auch die ständige Weiterentwicklung der Stücke, die gemeinsam mit dem Produzenten Ingo Krauss zu einem Album geschliffen wurden, das seinen nahbaren improvisatorischen Charakter keinesfalls verloren hat. Im Vergleich zu den drei thematisch ausgerichteten Vorgängeralben »Automat«, »Plusminus« und »Ostwest«, die sich jeweils explizit mit Berliner Flughäfen, dem Genre Dub und der europäischen Flüchtlingskrise befassten, setzt »Modul« auf eine inhaltliche Durchlässigkeit, welche die musikalische Offenheit der Platte widerspiegelt.
Nachdem »Modul 15« das Album mit satten Dub-Sounds und einer rollenden Bassline eröffnet, hebt »Easy Riding« passend zu St. Hilaires vor Fernweh triefenden Lyrics das Tempo mit dezenten Riddims an. Schon im nächsten Song, »Ghost«, debütiert Bajinski mit distanziertem Stimmeinsatz über einem melancholischen Stück, dessen Klangbild von den modularen Beigaben Loderbauers geprägt ist. So geht es weiter über die verzahnten Rhythmen von »Ankaten«, die von den verhallten Stimmen Lydia Lunchs und St. Hilaires begleitet werden, hin zum balladesken »Nothing Strange« mit St. Hilaire über das fiebrige Vocoder-Stück »Who For Eyes« schließlich zu den beiden abschließenden Stücken, »Pavo« und »Modul 11«, welche eine tiefenentspannte Coda zu den vorigen Tracks bilden. »Modul« durchläuft so eine Reihe von Stimmungen, ständig wechselnden Klangfarben und musikalischen Ideen, die sich in immer neuen Konstellationen zusammenfinden. Der erweiterte künstlerische Ansatz ebenso wie das vergrößerte Personal machen das Album nicht allein deshalb zur abwechslungsreichsten, sondern auch konzeptionell stimmigsten Platte Automats, die sich darauf in bester Form präsentieren: Als gut geölte Maschine, die surrt, schnurrt und unbeirrt auf dem Weg ist -
immer in Richtung neuer, unerhörter Sounds.

From the cosmic creative musical mind of Swiss/Catalan studio whizz, Zeleste Nightclub engineer, video nasty film composer, occasional Jaume Sisa (Muìsica Dispersa) collaborator and future electronic music therapy pioneer J. M. Pagaìn comes the synth-ridden, vocoder-loaded 1984 sci-funk soundtrack to Barcelona’s daytime TV response to the universal E.T. phenomena. Get ready to meet your new alieniìgena amic and the unidentified flying object of thousands of Catalonian kids’ affections through the 1980's as Finders Keepers present Pagaìn’s lost lunar modular synth score to ‘Kiu I Els Seus Amics’ (Kiu And Friends aka Kiu Is Your Friend).

From the same intergalactic phenomenon that brought such delights as Turkey’s exploito cash-in ‘Badi’ or South Africa’s lo-rent homage ‘Nukie’ to our unregulated small screens and the same craze which filled international airwaves with the likes of Extra T’S electro smash single ‘E.T. Boogie’ or the million selling Columbian ‘Cumbia De E.T. El Extraterrestre’ smash hit... not to mention a wide range of unofficial theme-tune cover versions from Holland, Austria, France and Germany (lest we forget an inspired late period Lee Scratch Perry Album).

In 1982 the diaspora from Steven Spielberg’s small fictional mid-American neighbourhood that played host to everyone’s favourite torch fingered, three toed, Skittle-scoffing space goblin touched virtually every family home in every major city resulting in one of the biggest cinematic merchandise phenomenas of the 21 st Century, resulting in an unexpected high-demand / short-supply play-off in which bootleggers, copyists and counterfeiters rose to the challenge like never before.

When Spielberg regrettably told interviewers that he had no intention of making a sequel to ‘E.T. The Extra Terrestria’ it instantly became open-season for the imitators... but way before somebody squeezed-out ‘Mac & Me’, ‘ALF’ and ‘The Purple People Eater’, a team of kid’s TV executives in Catalunya were ready to fill the widening gap in the market without haste. Created in 1983 by Luna Films and Televisioì de Catalunya (TV3) and screened exclusively in Catalunya, ‘Kiu I Els Seus Amics’ was one of the first E.T. ‘tributes’ to make it out of the gate and with a crew of five individual directors and writers to ensure that the five episode, one-off series hit the wave of phone-home-fever, Kiu has since remained a short but sweet micro- memory in the hearts of an entire generation of Catalonian cosmonauts.

This special Finders Keepers edition comes complete with all of Pagaìn’s cosmic synthesiser soundscapes fully intact (barring striking comparisons with the likes of Tangerine Dream, John Carpenter, Vangelis and the soundtrack music of Suzanne Ciani), as well as some rare, unreleased, incidental TV edits. The bulk of this LP is made up of tracks taken from the rare full-length album, which was released after the TV programme had already been aired and coincided with sales of jigsaws and rubberised play figures in an attempt to catch-up with the unexpected mega-success of the show, needless to say, with a short promotional window, the LP (and cassette edition) did not benefit a re-press and with most copies sold to children, few vinyl pressings have escaped repeat needle scratches and decorated sleeves.