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The second album from SpaceArk. More brilliant self-released, private-press jazz/soul from 1976 Los Angeles.

'SpaceArk Is' came out on Color World records in 1976, on a limited run of about 5,000 copies. It followed their self-titled debut (also available now on Mr Bongo) on the same original label, the year before.

For a handful of years in the Seventies, SpaceArk was one of the most promising and electrifying bands in Southern California. Although their music was far greater than the sum of its parts, those parts made for a very original style. R&b, soul, rock, pop, jazz, classical ... it all came together in blissful stream of intricate compositions that swept up crowds from US military bases to Northern Soul clubs around the UK.

SpaceArk wrote and performed more than 100 songs during their time together. Most of them were not recorded and are now either lost or forgotten.

Official Mr Bongo reissue with liner notes by Amar Patel. Licensed direct from Peter Silberg.

It's easy to eye collaborative records between two established artists with either a weary sigh or a degree of cynicism. In an age where a track or record seems to perform better directly in relation to how many artist names are on the digital byline, it can often feel like engineered circumstance or a desire to exponentially boost appeal comes before any natural create endeavour. In the case of 'On Reflection' however - the new record by Derwin Dicker AKA Gold Panda and Jas Shaw, one half of Simian Mobile Disco, the venture, under the moniker Selling is rooted in a long-standing friendship and prior creative history.

Part II The title of the project is: "An Intermediary Plane of Existence", an in-between world, a shadow zone, two universes, the place between the entrance and exit of a portal. Most electronic music producers probably know the feeling where they, after producing and recording a track they are extremely content with, are suddenly overcome with a slight fear: "what if my computer crashes, what if the file of the recording gets lost somehow and the music gets lost, it's gone forever...". That feeling and the fact that all music, ever written and even the music that has yet to be written, is "somewhere" when it's not
being played or made. It's either written down in notes, stored in
someone's mind, cut into a piece of vinyl, recorded on tape, converted into 0's and 1's hiding somewhere on a hard drive, a cloud, a CD or a USB stick. It's been taken form the place it was before it was made and stored in another place, in an intermediary plane of existence, waiting to be played, to come back to life and listened to again. We wanted to do this various artists album not with just any talented artist, but with people we've met the past years who became our friends and people we admire for their music and personalities. Friendship is also something that most of the time resides in an intermediary plane of existence. When a friend is not in the same room, city or even country it doesn't mean the friendship is not still there. If you've never even met
someone in person, it doesn't mean you can't be friends. Even if you haven't spoken to your friend for a long period of time, it doesn't mean the friendship doesn't exist anymore. The same goes for love I believe.
Some people you will never stop loving, alive, or dead. Both owners of P-RT-L lost their fathers within a week from each other last year, but I also know people who haven't seen or spoken to their dads or moms in over a year, yet somehow it feels completely different not seeing someone for a long time if you know a person is still alive, even though it's not sure you will ever see him or her again. Their dads went back to the place they were before they were born and they will never come back the way they knew them. Just like all music that went lost before we as humans had the ability to write it down, store it on a medium or pass it on otherwise. That exact music, just like their dads, is lost forever. I know this will probably sound a bit too philosophical for some of you readers, but it's something that keeps me awake at night, sometimes. This albums is a way for us to celebrate the fact that the music on it, will never be lost because we as humans have found a way to store and contain it in a place where we can easily reach it, for ever. We hope you will enjoy the music! P-RT-L Featuring artists: Alex Bau ,AnD,Anouk De Vos, D-Leria, Daniel Kane, Dasha Rush, Frame Six Micol Danieli

Cigarettes After Sex are an ambient pop group based out of Brooklyn NY, led by vocalist/songwriter Greg Gonzalez and are inspired by the likes of Cocteau Twins, Mazzy Star and the sound of early 60s records like the Paris Sisters.

The band became a word-of-mouth phenomenon, generating over 100 million views on YouTube for their exquisitely yearning, graceful pop noir - all without the support of a label. They partnered with
Partisan Records for their debut album, which was released in June 2017.
'Crush' was written and recorded in the same sessions as the album, however was previously unreleased. The B-side is recently released 'Sesame Syrup' (also taken form the album sessions). This 7' will be the first time either of the two tracks have ever been available physically.

'Languid dream pop bleeds into one beautiful, fuzzy headed whole... the intoxicating atmosphere lingers long after the tracks have played out' - Mojo 'A 21st century Don Juan' - Pitchfork

As the darkest month of the year draws upon the northern hemisphere, bbbbbb records introduces another Icelandic artist; the elusive electro producer Kuldaboli. With roots in hardcore-punk, metal-core and heavy-metal, Kuldaboli's electro bangers are as dark and grimy as they come. 'Ancient civilisations, 20th century history, the possibility of the existence of other dimensions along with the unbearable emptiness of human existence' are amongst the most prominent subjects of Kuldaboli's creations.
'Ég elska þig eilífa stríð' consists of five hypnotic tracks, some of which are overlaid with cryptic texts; ominous poetry recited in Icelandic. Icelandic is a dying language in many ways, only spoken by around 350.000 people and constantly giving in from outwards influences. Who knows, perhaps it will be wiped out all together in the near future. But then again, humanity might not persist for much longer either. Only time will tell.

Jan Bertil Svensson: co-founder of the legendary Börft Records, member of arch techno-primitivists Frak, the man responsible for Villa Abo and all-round underground don active in the field of machine music since 1987!

Whilst Jan's output will always conjure comparisons to Techno with a capital T, he has (and continues to) plough a singular and peculiar path in the realm of electronic music. For the Glasgow-based Full Dose, he presents his first ever solo 12' under the name of J.B.S: a four tracker of sluggish, minimal funk that bears the hallmarks of his most classic work as Villa Abo, and adds dashes of the brutal grit that his Studio SS project is infamous for. If there's any sort of recurring theme in Svensson's work, it's playfulness and humour, a particular Scandinavian form of sonic banter that cuts right through the po-faced, black-clad heteronomy of much of today's electronic landscape. The music on this record, with it's odd blend of stripped-back synth pop and brutish dungeon funk evokes exactly that: a body of work that doesn't even seem capable of taking itself too seriously, yet evades anything resembling a recognisable piss take. After all, nobody said that humour and credibility in music had to be mutually exclusive, and J.B.S is a master at weaving the two together at will.

In a world where dance music is often subjected to ludicrous conceptual analysis, sometimes the combined effect of hot circuitry, sincerity, vivaciousness and an anomalous attitude are the only thing for it. But then again, this is not just dance music either...

100 copies only. Comes on yellow transparent vinyl. Mastered by Helmut Erler at Dubplates & Mastering, Berlin.

The next releases on Eotrax will round off a busy 2018 for the label and set out an exciting proposition for a future way of working and releasing music. In what will be an ongoing, curated collaboration series artists will be invited to make work together for the label, without restrictions on genre, style or aesthetics. An open environment of collaboration and experimentation which will then be released by the label.

To launch this series label head Eomac teams up with four different artists over four slabs of vinyl, to be released sequentially over four months. The collaborations are improvised and composed, wild and emotive, unexpected and expected and all of them resulting in music that would never have been made by either artist individually.

The final installment comes from the UK via Berlin sonic renegade Kamikaze Space Programme and Eomac. What started as an attempt to synthesise the heaviest reese bass possible turned into a session of futuristic, noisy soundscapes. 'Environment 1' takes inspiration from grime, dub, noise, jungle and techno to create a track that sounds like all of the above and none of the above. The more experimental 'Environment 2' on the flip utilises the very same sounds and processes but moves into abstract terrain with a dense, noisy take on feedback and drone.

With records already out from Paula Temple, Sean Carpio and Demian Licht this final collaboration is the one that started the whole concept and as such is a fitting close to a diverse and colourful series.

Lockertmatik steps up with both his alias' Lockertmatik/Kryptic Universe for Delinquent Deliveries first release. Both sides encapsulates his Detroit tinged acid goodness.
- A side gives you Director's Cut, the title track. It's a squelchy acid number that buzzes and flies through exceptional automation and it's acid is as good as it gets, a true winner. A2 delivers a Kryptic Universe track, Chandler Park. It's heavenly in its soundscape a ture fire hit.
- B side does not let you down either, Stuff #2, a forward moving acid banger that grooves and modulates from beginning to end, something for every discerning record bag. B2 brings the record to a close with a detroit tinged acid banger, Blue Film.

Major Keys is a brand-new audiophile label focusing on fully licensed reissues of jazz classics, pressed on 12' for a fuller, louder version compared to the original album cut. What better way to kick of the series than housing Herbie Hancock's imitable 'Chameleon' and 'Watermelon Man', loud and proud on either side of a 12' - remastered and cut by the engineer of the original Head Hunters LP from 1973.
They don't get much more iconic than 'Chameleon'. Nestled on the incredible 1973 'Head Hunters' album it's a 16-minute exploration of legendary jazz funk - having all the sensibilities and solos of a jazz record, yet grounding its rhythms in funk, soul and R&B. Even, as its title suggests, morphing from a low slung slow jam into a full-on, fast paced spiritual gem. Lock in for one of the most iconic basslines around courtesy of Paul Jackson, alongside some of the sweetest synth and Rhodes playing you're likely to hear from Herbie, all tied together with Harvey Mason's mythical drumming. Sampled the world over by the biggest and the best this is a truly timeless and hugely influential piece of music.

On the B side, the equally intriguing 'Watermelon Man'. This version, again taken from the Head Hunters LP, differs from the Blue Note bop '62 original, with Hancock developing it into a jazz fusion expedition. Bill Summers top and tails the track with a style of beer bottle blowing imitating a type of whistle playing found in Central African Pygmy music, giving a unique flavour to Hancock's jazz funk stylings that focus on the rhythmic interplay between each instrument. From Dilla to Digable Planets, Madonna to Massive Attack it's a classic that's sampled time and time again for good reason.

Bastard Jazz is proud to present the next installment of our long running Tempo Dreams compilation series. As with previous volumes of the compilation, we've tapped an established artist that we're big fans of to shine a light on their personal favorite producers, and compile an album up of all unreleased music from emerging & underrated young talent. And with Volume 5, we're happy to welcome in the Los Angeles based but globetrotting selection of Free The Robots.

Rooted in Santa Ana, CA, Chris Alfaro aka Free the Robots has spent over a decade taking his craft to audiences around the globe. Known as one of the pioneering artists to come out of LA's infamous beat movement, the energy and technical skill behind his live performances have landed him among the greats, sharing stages with Dj Shadow, Prefuse 73, Flying Lotus, to Afrika Bambaataa. Crafting stories to tell with his ever-evolving solo project Free the Robots, he has always had the ability to jump in and out of other worlds inspiring a unique signature sound that hints at jazz, psych, electronic, and hip hop, while remaining un-genre-fiable.

Staying almost permanently on the road, Chris has come across an array of artists and scenes around the world. Different tours and temporary living situations have landed him in the middle of both the DIY underground and more mainstream clubs and stages. Some artists he's connected with have either kept it proudly local or breached international borders. Underrated, unknown, or already on the brink; these are just a few of the people that have crossed paths with Free The Robots. He's chosen these songs as a representation of some of the vibes that inspire his music: Jazz, Psychedelia, Dirtwave, Beats, and a little bit of Future Funk make up Volume 5 of his Tempo Dreams series.

As with all previous volumes, the compiler has produced a track exclusively for the album, which Chris delivers in the bass heavy, South East Asian vibes of "Nasi Goreng" (also available on a limited edition 7" with another unreleased FTR track). Other producers included on the album include Mophono, Never Ending Echo, Kuromoji, RSI-MSK, The Breathing Effect, Cazal Organism, Lefto, Chubby Boss, Caliph8, TITLE, Nois IV, The Heavy Twelves, Mu. and Markey Funk.

With a string of resonating releases and progressively improvised live-shows, ANNANAN have been expanding and refining their stylistic range across gritty Acid psychedelia, explosive, dark-waving Electro and a raw blend of Techno and House that is as fierce as it is fragile. The duo's first album on their own imprint MACHINE JAZZ does take all of this into account - and yet it's crucially different to everything else they've put out so far. - You' is a captivating electronic pop adventure, an experimental amalgam aligning Anne Ghost's polymorphic lead vocals with Tom Aaron's vast and versatile analogue productions in unexpected ways. Dominated by reduced rhythms and a carefully crafted melodic shape, the result of this dialogic fusion are irresistible, forceful songs that draw from diverse contemporary and traditional sources: you'll even hear Trap fragments, an R&B trained voice, reminiscences of the Knife as well as cinematic synth excursions. While exhibiting a broad set of moods, claims and longings, the LP attains emotive poignancy from beginning to end through its bold openness. Annanan's first album is stripped down, immediate and full of surprises - but don't you worry, there's no lack in bang either!










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Available as either a 3CD/1 Blu-ray set or a 6LP/1 Blu-ray set, both packages include:

· The original album, now newly remastered by Bernie Grundman from the original analog tapes. For the LP set, Grundman prepared an all analog direct to disc vinyl transfer of the album, preserving the authenticity.

· Electric Ladyland: The Early Takes, which presents 20 never before heard demos and studio outtakes. Included are incredibly intimate demos for song ideas Hendrix recorded himself on a reel-to-reel tape at the Drake Hotel, as well as early recording session studio takes featuring guest appearances from Buddy Miles, Stephen Stills and Al Kooper. Full tracklist included below.

· Jimi Hendrix Experience: Live At the Hollywood Bowl 9/14/68: Part of Experience Hendrix's Dagger Records official bootleg series, this live album documents their triumphant Los Angeles concert held a few weeks before Electric Ladyland was released. The recently discovered two-track soundboard recording captures the energy that had the audience in such a frenzy that many concert goers jumped into the reflecting pool that separated the bandstand from the seats. Full tracklist below. Experience Hendrix's Dagger Records releases are physical only so this will ONLY be available as part of the physical release with no digital.

· Blu-Ray: includes the acclaimed full-length documentary At Last... The Beginning: The Making of Electric Ladyland, the first ever 5.1 surround sound mix of the original album overseen by Hendrix's original engineer Eddie Kramer plus the original stereo mixes in uncompressed 24 bit/96 kz high resolution audio. NOTE: unfortunately due to unforeseen circumstances the documentary will not have translated subtitles.

· Electric Ladyland 50th Anniversary Deluxe Edition includes a full color, 48-page book containing Jimi's handwritten lyrics, poem and instructions to his record label, as well as never before published photos from the recording sessions that were shot by Eddie Kramer himself. Also included are essays by celebrated journalist David Fricke and Hendrix authority John McDermott

· All contained in a numbered luxe casemade book for CD+Blu-Ray release and casemade lifttop box for the LP+Blu-Ray release with new cover art which is true to Hendrix's original vision of the album's cover: a Linda (McCartney) Eastman photograph of the band and children at the statue of Alice In Wonderland in New York's Central Park.

If you check the credits of The Rolling Stones' Goats Head Soup LP from 1973 you'll find a certain "Pascal" listed on the percussion section. That is none other than Los Angeles based artist Nicolas Pascal Raicevik (1933-1994), aka 107-34-8933, aka Head, aka Nik Pascal, aka Nik Raicevic. Besides his hitting the bongoes on the Stones album, Nik was a great artist on his own, both as a painter and as a musician. As a musician, he was a pioneer in the use of synthesizers, preceeding the Berlin school by some years when his Head LP was released on on Buddah in 1970. Buddah probably saw in Head the opportunity to cash in some money from the remains of the psychedelic scene - the three tracks on the LP are named after drugs used in the late sixties. The sounds, however, are accomplished works that show Raicevic as one of the most interesting pioneers in the use of synths. The album probably didn't do too well, since Buddah didn't renew the contract with Raicevic, who instead took his own way releasing his works on his very own Narco Records and Tapes label. Between 1968 and 1975 Narco would issue 4 LPs credited either to Nik Raicevic (Beyond The End... Eternity) or Nik Pascal (The Sixth Ear, Magnetic Web and Zero Gravity) plus one credited to 107-34-8933 (Numbers, which is in fact the same LP as Buddah's Head, albeit with different cover art). Copies of these LPs came with an ironic sticker over the shrinkwrap that read "Do not listen to this LP if you are stoned".

1972 saw the release of The Sixth Ear (Narco NR666), this time credited to Nik Pascal. A more complex work than Beyond The End..., it adds consistent rhythmic patterns to the mix with the addition of bongoes and also explores some interesting chord progressions.

Besides his musical explorations, Nik was also an interesting painter. His paintings are auctioned from time to time, and are consciousness expanding works influenced by abstract cubism and surrealism, some kind of Salvador Dalí on drugs exploring the outter and inner space. All the artwork on the sleeves of his LPs is done by himself. Spacey landscapes and psychedelic colours that fit perfectly to the music they contain.

"Nik Raicevic's music is at the intersection of radical psycho-electronic weirdness and kraut kosmische music (in particular the scifi-hypno-minimal modules of Conrad Schnitzler in Grun, Rot and Blau). It presents mega epic & tripped out electronic improvisations.

"This is an absolute must for collectors and fans of visceral, neurotic soundscapes." (progarchives)

"As far as late-60s / early-70s American Bedroom' Electronic Music goes, these LPS have to be among the first transmissions from this sector, made all the more attractive when coupled with Raicevic's alien topographIes - the covers are high-color portrayals of Venusian lanes, knotted growths, & future-past architecture in a style you might equate with Vintage' sci-fi pulp-novel covers - & copious Downer' sentiment. This music is imbued with a sort of lonely, anti-social sensibility that's about as far as you can get from the Academic' Early Electronic vector. I will say that if the Steve Birchall, Cellutron & the Invisible, and/or Pythagoron™ seed your garden, this will likely do the same." (twoheadeddog)

Never reissued before on vinyl format, the Wah Wah reissue features original sleeve artwork made of paintings and drawings by Nik himself and reproduction of the famous ironic "Do not listen if you are stoned" sticker. Limited edition, 500 copies only.

If you check the credits of The Rolling Stones' Goats Head Soup LP from 1973 you'll find a certain "Pascal" listed on the percussion section. That is none other than Los Angeles based artist Nicolas Pascal Raicevik (1933-1994), aka 107-34-8933, aka Head, aka Nik Pascal, aka Nik Raicevic. Besides his hitting the bongoes on the Stones album, Nik was a great artist on his own, both as a painter and as a musician. As a musician, he was a pioneer in the use of synthesizers, preceeding the Berlin school by some years when his Head LP was released on on Buddah in 1970. Buddah probably saw in Head the opportunity to cash in some money from the remains of the psychedelic scene - the three tracks on the LP are named after drugs used in the late sixties. The sounds, however, are accomplished works that show Raicevic as one of the most interesting pioneers in the use of synths. The album probably didn't do too well, since Buddah didn't renew the contract with Raicevic, who instead took his own way releasing his works on his very own Narco Records and Tapes label. Between 1968 and 1975 Narco would issue 4 LPs credited either to Nik Raicevic (Beyond The End... Eternity) or Nik Pascal (The Sixth Ear, Magnetic Web and Zero Gravity) plus one credited to 107-34-8933 (Numbers, which is in fact the same LP as Buddah's Head, albeit with different cover art). Copies of these LPs came with an ironic sticker over the shrinkwrap that read "Do not listen to this LP if you are stoned".

Magnetic Web was released in 1973. It appeared under the Nik Pascal monicker and showed a clear evolution in sound, favoured by the addition of an Arp 2600 and some rhythm boxes. It also included percussions and cymbals. The Two Headed Dog site thinks "this is his masterpiece in all of its acid-laced glory."

Besides his musical explorations, Nik was also an interesting painter. His paintings are auctioned from time to time, and are consciousness expanding works influenced by abstract cubism and surrealism, some kind of Salvador Dalí on drugs exploring the outter and inner space. All the artwork on the sleeves of his LPs is done by himself. Spacey landscapes and psychedelic colours that fit perfectly to the music they contain.

"Nik Raicevic's music is at the intersection of radical psycho-electronic weirdness and kraut kosmische music (in particular the scifi-hypno-minimal modules of Conrad Schnitzler in Grun, Rot and Blau). It presents mega epic & tripped out electronic improvisations.

"This is an absolute must for collectors and fans of visceral, neurotic soundscapes."

"As far as late-60s / early-70s American Bedroom' Electronic Music goes, these LPS have to be among the first transmissions from this sector, made all the more attractive when coupled with Raicevic's alien topographIes - the covers are high-color portrayals of Venusian lanes, knotted growths, & future-past architecture in a style you might equate with Vintage' sci-fi pulp-novel covers - & copious Downer' sentiment. This music is imbued with a sort of lonely, anti-social sensibility that's about as far as you can get from the Academic' Early Electronic vector. I will say that if the Steve Birchall, Cellutron & the Invisible, and/or Pythagoron™ seed your garden, this will likely do the same."

Never reissued before on vinyl format, the Wah Wah reissue features original sleeve artwork made of paintings and drawings by Nik himself, and reproduction of the famous ironic "Do not listen if you are stoned" sticker. Limited edition, 500 copies only.

If you check the credits of The Rolling Stones' Goats Head Soup LP from 1973 you'll find a certain "Pascal" listed on the percussion section. That is none other than Los Angeles based artist Nicolas Pascal Raicevik (1933-1994), aka 107-34-8933, aka Head, aka Nik Pascal, aka Nik Raicevic. Besides his hitting the bongoes on the Stones album, Nik was a great artist on his own, both as a painter and as a musician. As a musician, he was a pioneer in the use of synthesizers, preceeding the Berlin school by some years when his Head LP was released on on Buddah in 1970. Buddah probably saw in Head the opportunity to cash in some money from the remains of the psychedelic scene - the three tracks on the LP are named after drugs used in the late sixties. The sounds, however, are accomplished works that show Raicevic as one of the most interesting pioneers in the use of synths. The album probably didn't do too well, since Buddah didn't renew the contract with Raicevic, who instead took his own way releasing his works on his very own Narco Records and Tapes label. Between 1968 and 1975 Narco would issue 4 LPs credited either to Nik Raicevic (Beyond The End... Eternity) or Nik Pascal (The Sixth Ear, Magnetic Web and Zero Gravity) plus one credited to 107-34-8933 (Numbers, which is in fact the same LP as Buddah's Head, albeit with different cover art). Copies of these LPs came with an ironic sticker over the shrinkwrap that read "Do not listen to this LP if you are stoned".

Nik's last album, Zero Gravity (Narco NR123) came under the Nik Pascal name and had a fantastic side long piece on the title track which reminisces of the works of Cluster. B side features four tracks that also bear some Conrad Schnitzler reminiscences. This was to be Nik's last LP before he would sell all his synths to ex car racer and future electronic/ambient music star Steve Roach.

Besides his musical explorations, Nik was also an interesting painter. His paintings are auctioned from time to time, and are consciousness expanding works influenced by abstract cubism and surrealism, some kind of Salvador Dalí on drugs exploring the outter and inner space. All the artwork on the sleeves of his LPs is done by himself. Spacey landscapes and psychedelic colours that fit perfectly to the music they contain.

"Nik Raicevic's music is at the intersection of radical psycho-electronic weirdness and kraut kosmische music (in particular the scifi-hypno-minimal modules of Conrad Schnitzler in Grun, Rot and Blau). It presents mega epic & tripped out electronic improvisations.

"This is an absolute must for collectors and fans of visceral, neurotic soundscapes."

"As far as late-60s / early-70s American Bedroom' Electronic Music goes, these LPS have to be among the first transmissions from this sector, made all the more attractive when coupled with Raicevic's alien topographIes - the covers are high-color portrayals of Venusian lanes, knotted growths, & future-past architecture in a style you might equate with Vintage' sci-fi pulp-novel covers - & copious Downer' sentiment. This music is imbued with a sort of lonely, anti-social sensibility that's about as far as you can get from the Academic' Early Electronic vector. I will say that if the Steve Birchall, Cellutron & the Invisible, and/or Pythagoron™ seed your garden, this will likely do the same."

Never reissued before on vinyl format, the Wah Wah reissue features original sleeve artwork made of paintings and drawings by Nik himself, and reproduction of the famous ironic "Do not listen if you are stoned" sticker. Limited edition, 500 copies only.

'Me Me Me is two... and in keeping with the name it seemed that I had no choice but to put out what is only my second ever release on my own label since launching with the debut release 'Tachyon' back in 2016.
(It's also the labels 13th release too. Spooooooky)

So here it is, a double A Side...
Side A is 'Valhalla' which attempts to be as majestic as the name suggests.
Side AA has 'Fidelity", which is me channelling big room house as much as I can, while trying to keep ahold of whatever heart strings I can tug on.
I'll let you judge if I've achieved what I'd set to do with either.

Past those brief descriptions, I still find talking about music to be mildly redundant when you can most likely listen while you're reading this, so instead I'd like to use this sales blurb to issue a massive heartfelt thanks to everybody who has supported the label in the last 2 years, as well as every artists who has trusted us with their music.

Big love to, Dj Tennis, Last Waltz, Red Axes, James Hadfield & Danny Linton, Axel Boman, Bird of Paradise, Pale Blue, Pional, Frank Butters / Cult of Glamour, Andrew Weatherall, Ess O Ess, Desert Sound Colony, Elliot Adamson, Rex The Dog, Forriner, Shit Robot, Raj Pannu, Cosmin TRG, Edmondson, Dauwd, ASOK, Vyvyvan, Paul Woolford, Christophe, Ian Blevins, Dharma, Jana, Pink Skull, Medlar, Ben Caldwell, Dos Attack, Force Majeure, Club Tularosa, Juan Maclean and AWOL!'

Man Power - Summer 2018

"Dueños de Nada" announces itself as a strong and tough proposal. It comes with the intention to get away from what we are used to hearing from the Chilean producer. As a first album, and by incorporating broad influences into a range of genres, industrial sounds and punk, the debut by Tomás Urquieta feels huge and accurate.


The "Dueños de Nada" sample, which belongs to Martin Sorrondeguy, is used by Urquieta to assemble a classic techno piece mixed with a new sound proposal, and by uniting these elements, a catharsis and collective osmosis movement is generated on the dance floor that does not need further explanation.


The proficiency that Tomás has developed when creating percussion doesn't go unnoticed either. It is the sensation of a new breath in his music, a replacement, a much more mature sound is demonstrated by the high instrumentation mixed in with a full on Techno base. The rhythms are wild, futuristic and with a completely personal vision. There are tracks that lock you up and there's others that leave the need for a club ajar. It is a heavy album, political, metallic but very organized. There are voices in Spanish of direct protest towards the system, voices where he invites us to be part of a march to despair, a liberation march for the dance floor . If we could summarize "Dueños de Nada" we would say it's a cry for freedom, a cry which asks us to enjoy the feeling of complete freedom across 11 tracks that embrace this anarchy in which Tomás Urquieta invites us to join.

This Geneva-based band have finely honed their instrumental "post-internet groove", creating the perfect blend of old-school funk, afro-beat, 70s soundtrack fusion, always adding a pinch of futuristic production and a touch of modernity aimed at bring the groove genre to new generations.

Side A, 'Funky Splash' is an original composition, understated in its groove but with the punch and crunch falling in all the right places, hence can be enjoyed either stewing in the background or as a dancefloor filler. The wah-wah and off-the-wall synths are both used to great rhythmic effect.

Side B, 'O Caminho do Bem', is a cover version of the Brazilian musical heavyweight Tim Maia. Always hard to revisit a classic, but L'Eclair's tight musicianship, perfect pacing and futuristic twist all add an extra layer of groove onto the mellow funk of the original.

Another slice of immaculate sounds for the ears and feet from Switzerland's finest export, Rocafort Records.

In the '70s, Yan Tregger was far to believe he would become one of the most emblematic artists in the "sound illustration" scene. Yet today, his albums are highly coveted by "diggers" all around the world. At the time, nobody paid much attention to all those records that were classified as sound illustrations, or library music.
Yan Tregger started out in this environment in the late '60s. He was remarked after making several recordings for the credits of TV shows, and received a proposal to compose his first album. It was a small label (Marignan), the sleeve design was skimpy and the track titles were bizarre... Yet when you listened, the sound was seriously groovy. The album was called Freezing Point and a mere 300 copies were pressed. Thanks to this first test, other "illustration" professionals were convinced by Tregger's qualities.
During this period, there was no lack of work but there was no glory on the program either. In the '70s, many different labels such as Neuilly, Montparnasse 2000, or the Italian CAM label, called on
his services. Shortly afterwards, Philips released two of his records under the name Major Symphony, and then Polydor issued the two M.B.T. Soul albums, including one international
success, "Chase". Up until now, despite the interest shown in his discography, no reissue had been undertaken - an
omission that has just been fixed thanks to the release of a compilation that we are pleased to present. Let's start with the main information: the tracks included on the album were selected jointly by a number of collectors and Yan Tregger himself. The selection is rich and surprising. The A side is more "seventies", with an instrumental pop style and a psychedelic vibe, while the B side is more rhythmic and melodious, corresponding more with the funky disco moods of the eighties.7

LPost-Heretic Dracula X Chronicles is Nicola Kazimir's debut album. It features 30min full of diverse, rough, evil, melancholic electronic music compositions either partly sampled out of important melodies in his life or fully produced by him. Post-Heretic Dracula X Chronicles LP draws from contemporary and past cultural references evolving around institutional-critique, occultism and dividualism and manifests those via metatags or sonic compositions.

Nicola Kazimir is a part of the collective Les Points based in Zürich, Switzerland.
His art/music draws from 90's rave utopias, decentralized & dividual thought, institutional-critique, occultism, progressive & accessible frameworks as showcased at their offspace Mikro -
a physical room which has no doors and opening times during exhibitions and raves - making an institution available to all social layers.
His recordlabels "Les Points" and the newly founded "Gentrified Underground" appropriate those ideas and transfer them to the distribution channels of electronic music.
Nicola refuses genre-stigmas and explores a vast number of genres in his dj-sets and productions - his newest LP "Post-Heretic Dracula X Chronicles" being an example of that diversity.

Planet Mu Are Very Happy To Be Releasing 'vicious Circles', The Debut Ep By Sinjin Hawke And Zora Jones, Who Aside From Producing Music Also Run The Audio-visual Production Unit 'fractal Fantasy'. Zora Released Several Collaborations On Last Year's 'visceral Minds 2' Including 'dark Matter' With Planet Mu's Jlin, While Sinjin Has Collaborated With Dj Rashad, Just Blaze And Mikeq, And Also Produced Music For Monoliths Like Kanye West And Frank Ocean. Remarkably, Given The Breadth Of Their Work, 'vicious Circles' Is Their First Collaborative Ep, And The First Time Either Have Released A Vinyl Record Too. The Ep Is A Great Showcase For The Duo's Emotional, Maximalist Chimeras Of Abstract Pounding Beats. From The Punchy, Circular, Grandiose Build-ups Of Opener 'vicious Circles', To The Unyielding Melancholy Of 'god' With Its Sinister Bulgarian Choir Sample Against A Peak Timbaland-era Rhythm, The Record's Potent Synths And Manipulated Vocals Are Both Simultaneously Fierce And Friendly. 'source Of Conflict' Is A Poised Dance Between Pulsing Ambient Textures And Drilling Beats, While 'lurk 101' Pits A Volley Of Abstracted Juke Toms Up Against A Hammering Drumline. 'babyboysosa' Feels Like Drum-less Drill, Manipulating Vocals Into Strange Alien Shapes Over A Bassline Before Spiraling Toms And Hi-hats Start To Form A Forceful March. The Ep Concludes On The Love Anthem 'and You Were One' With A Chipmunked Vocal Running Through Its Wonky Chorus Of Bent Notes And Chords.

AE Productions in association with In Effect Recordings are proud to present the next installment from Philadelphia legend Phill Most Chill, this time with beats provided by Nova Scotia based DJ/Producer Jorun Bombay, under the guise of Jorun PMC - with a tip of the hat to Hip Hop legends Run DMC. If you've heard either of Jorun's incredible Rock The Discotek mixes you may have heard one or two tracks from this 12' in their early form as parts of those mixes. Here at AE Productions we thought it was a shame that they weren't available as songs in their own right on vinyl so here they are with an extra track for good measure and with more of Phill Most Chill's trademark artwork making the sleeve look incredible!
The EP opens with Can't Stop Won't Stop and gets straight down to business. Phill Most Chill starts on the first beat of the first bar almost as if he can't wait to rock the spot. This is pure party Hip Hop fueled by uptempo Disco Breaks, but don't be fooled by that statement - this is no crossover rap music, we mean the type of party that could be found in parks in New York in the early days of Hip Hop. Listen for a whirlwind of extended turntable action from Jorun who slices like a food processor throughout.
Magic Disco Machine stays with the classic Disco Break sound with various nods to Block Party Classics which create a great club friendly track. Again with some serious turntable skills from Jorun to complement Phill's hype rhymes, this is the brand new exclusive track for this release and has all the credentials of a summer party classic.
The final track here The Champ stays with the classic block party theme but this time utilising a raw Funk groove that will be a surefire hit with B-Boys and B-Girls worldwide and shouldn't fail to get any Hip Hop party moving. This could be considered the most underground sounding of the three tracks assembled here.

Taking a turn to some of its roots, Emotional Rescue offers a reissue of Ramjac Corporation's UK house/breaks anthem Cameroon Massif!. First released on the increasingly cult-status Irdial Discs in 1990, this was very much the sound of the big bang explosion of Acid House morphing and splintering, as subsequent multi-genres developed, formed, imploded and reformed in new ways that still subsists today.

Within the melting pot of anything goes, chemically-enhanced optimism that spread across the UK during that return to the summers of love from 1987 onwards, the nascent sounds coming from Chicago and Detroit were mixed with a hybrid of 80s British influences, taking in European synth pop, US electro, new beat, hip hop and reggae. Out of this appeared a new sound, mixing that love of techno and house with dub bass and break beats into a proto-jungle swirl.

Like many growing up through the ever-evolving 60, 70s & 80s British music scene, Paul Chivers' early years of learning piano and guitar, moved from Beatles era pop to take in punk, jazz and anything an eager musical mind could explore. Developing a long-term interest and study of Cuban and Afro-drumming, his acquisition of an Atari and sampler soon moved to programming of both drum machines and TB303 and with that, Ramjac Corporation was born.

Playing live at some of the earliest raves in 1988, as often through luck and "right time, right place", including the infamous Back To The Future and Energy parties, Ramjac went from playing from 50 to 10,000 ravers in a matter of months, as the nation was gripped, depending on your cultural standing, by either a mixture of drug apocalypse paranoia or ecstatic celebration.

It was a meeting with Akin Fernandez, founder of Irdial Discs, that led some of the first studio experiments and creation of Cameroon Massif!. Utlising Akin's in-house studio and production skills, alongside Chivers' jazz influenced outlook of improvisation over arrangement, the track took shape, mixing the live programmed percussion, heavy doses of phase, delay and reverb and Sun Ra inspired keys that resulted in a number of mixes of Massif!.

Collected here are the original 12" "Massive" and "Massing" mixes, plus a special live version taken from the "Live At The Brain" reunion gig of 2009. The sought after 1990 versions and original Live mix are taken a step further with this 13 mins + mix, in essence a resampling and remixing reversion with didgeridoo and live on mic MCing, that gives a real glimpse of those early live sets. With more Ramjac Corporation material upcoming and a live reel-to-reel show appearing soon, the return of Cameroon Massif! is now.

At last, the vinyl reissue of this masterwork, adding two hitherto unreleased gems recorded solo for Charles Fox's Radio 3 programme Jazz in Britain, in the same few months of 1980 as the stunning Aida performances.The phrase 'in the moment' is often bandied about with reference to free improvisation, and indeed there's no better way to describe Derek Bailey's playing. The acoustic guitar is notoriously lacking in natural reverberation — notes barely hang in the air for a couple of seconds before they disappear — which explains the almost non-stop flow of new material in these stellar performances. Bailey knew from one split-second to the next exactly where to find the same pitch on different strings, either as a stopped tone or a ringing harmonic, and there's never a note out of place. 'He who kisses the joy as it flies,' in the words of William Blake, 'Lives in eternity's sunrise' — and this music is forever in the moment, constantly active but never gabby, kissing the joy.One of the special pleasures of the BBC set is the guitarist's own laconic commentary, a deliciously deadpan description of what he's doing while he's doing it — 'I like to think of it... as a kind of music' — and the interaction between words and music is a particular delight. 'You may have noticed a certain lack of variety,' he quips, while unleashing a furiously complex volley. Is it a coincidence that the final seconds recall the famous cycling fifths of the coda to Thelonious Monk's Round Midnight Surely not — for Bailey, like Monk, was a note man par excellence. And they're both still alive and well in eternity's sunrise.

Way back in 1967, an animated superhero cartoon was released into the world. It was created by Grantray-Lawrence Animation and was based on a web-spinning, crime fighting blue and red dressed character that had originated in1962, in Marvel Comics by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko. This amazing series (that we're not allowed to mention the name of for legal reasons) ran on ABC TV in the USA, then Canada, then a few years later started to spread its web further, running here in the UK throughout summer holidays, after school and possibly early mornings at weekends in the late 1970s. The series then got released on VHS video (and probably Betamax too) in the mid 1980s and still continues to spin its animated magic around the world through further broadcasts, YouTube and DVDs.

The series was notoriously low budget, with animated errors everywhere and numerous scenes, sequences and backgrounds being re-used all the time, often across the same episode. Even a certain spider logo on a costume would appear with six legs, then eight legs later on, then back to six again in the same show.

Series One opened with a newly written spider theme, a classic, hooky song all about doing whatever spiders can, and had, as Big George (RIP) once pointed out to me, a set of session singers falling slightly out of time with the backing track after the first verse. Series One also featured background music by jobbing composers Bob Harris and Ray Ellis but these cues and master tapes are now believed to be lost.

After Series One the company Grantray-Lawrence went bankrupt, so the amazing spider series (that we're not allowed to mention for legal reasons) was taken on by producer Steve Krantz. He brought in new talent, including animation director Ralph Bakshi who later went on to turn a Robert Crumb strip cartoon into the feature Fritz The Cat. Krantz also slashed the already cripplingly small spider budget, and brought in the idea of using economic library music. Here, thanks possibly to an independent sync agent (it has been suggested that a company called Music Sound Track Services may have been the one) production turned to the KPM catalogue. This was one of the few really established library catalogues around at the time with a modern edge, it was full of fabulous, modern dramatic music tracks - often all on the same LP. But more importantly all the tracks were far longer than the one minute musical cuts that many of the fledgling USA library companies were issuing at the time. Not only would this KPM music be efficient, affordable and very easy to use, it would also mean syndication worldwide would not be held up by any future musical issues. Krantz produced two amazing spider series (that we're not allowed to mention for legal reasons), and both were smothered with KPM music. In fact barely a spider second goes by without music playing in either the background or foreground.

For many years I - and many nostalgic others - have been thinking about putting this vinyl album together. For many enthusiasts this really is formative music - a junior foray into hip swinging crime jazz and esoteric musical grooviness. I've also read on line accounts by DJs from WFMU on the trail of original spider master tapes, and there's even a whole forum dedicated to Spidey-Jazz'. Then recently I was looking at an old spider tracklist and realized that several of my favourite KPM cues were there including Syd Dale's Hell Raisers' and Walk And Talk', both from one of the most elusive and desirable KPM albums of all time (yes, you just try and find yourself a copy of KPM 1002 right now), so I decided to push on and get the album made.

So, what features on this Spider-Jazz Lp Well it's music from the amazing TV series we are not allowed to mention for legal reasons, BUT, not music from Series One. No, but it is all from Series Two and Series Three. From looking at archival cue sheets, over 50 tracks from various early KPM 1000 series albums were used across episodes. I've distilled this down into one exciting and enthralling LP, and if this works a further Spider Jazz album may well swing in to production. If you're interested (and I'm sure you may well be) cues here came from KPM1001, KPM1002, KPM1015, KPM1017, KPM1018 and KPM1043 and were composed by master library composers of the era - Dale, Hawkshaw, Hawksworth, Mansfield etc.

And if you are listening over there in the USA, you may well recognize many of the cues here not just from the amazing TV series (that we're not allowed to mention for legal reasons) but also from classic 1960s and 1970s NFL highlight shows that we are allowed to mention.

Written Largely In New York Between Summer 2016 And Winter 2017, 'god's Favorite Customer' Reflects On The Experience Of Being Caught Between The Vertigo Of Heartbreak And The Manic Throes Of Freedom.

It Reveals A Bitter Sweetness And Directness In Tillman's Songwriting, Without Sacrificing Any Of His Wit Or Taste For The Absurd.

These Are Songs That Demand To Know Either Real Love Or What Comes After And As The Album Progresses, That Entreaty Leads To Discovering The Latter's True Stakes.

LP Format Includes Digital Download Code.

The Works of John B. McLemore, the star of one of last years biggest podcasts, S-Town, which is coming out on Dais. The story behind this release is truly fascinating.. the music itself is ambient remixes of Tor Lundvall's best works, but with John's idiosyncratic slant on them, with some having been woven together using the horde of clocks he use to keep in his basement. This story is really worth a read if you get a chance."In September 2012, I received an e-mail from someone named John B. who said he had assembled a lengthy remix of my music, which also incorporated some of his own material. John asked if I'd mind if he posted this recording on YouTube, to which I agreed. He also mentioned that there was a second part to his mix that was "roughed out", but never completed. I was curious to hear both parts, so shortly afterwards, John mailed me two CDrs which I enjoyed very much. The recordings were hypnotic and haunting, evoking images of vast fields at twilight. I was especially fond of the second disc which had a darker atmosphere and featured more of John's original material, beginning with ghostly clock chimes and ending with a mysterious piece using dried seed pods and other cryptic sounds that slowly built-up into an intense, almost claustrophobic environment.

My correspondence with John lasted about two months. In one of his final e-mails, John said "I have to observe that your paintings seem to have a great deal of loneliness involved in them... even multiple characters seem to be together alone, so to speak... I really appreciate looking at your paintings as well as your music, I think I have connected with the spirit of them both as much as anyone can." He went on to discuss his struggles with depression, caring for his aging mom and his concerns about the future. I tried to encourage his music as a possible outlet, perhaps as a means to help transform his feelings of loneliness into a more content solitude. Always easy to say, but as I well know, not always easy to do.

In his last e-mail in late October 2012, John sent me a beautiful slideshow of his Fall flower beds and his dogs. I was touched and I told him how much watching his video had brightened my day. That was the last time I heard from him.

Last year, I visited John's YouTube channel to see if Part One of his mix was still posted, which it was, and still remains. I was shocked and saddened to read in the comments section that he had passed away. The comments also suggested that John had received some sort of national attention recently. This quickly led me to the S-Town podcast. Although I had mixed reactions after listening, I was thankful that S-Town shed more light on John and his remarkable life... but somehow, I just couldn't place the person in the podcast with the person I had corresponded with. Had I not listened to S-Town, I would have remembered John as a very private, somewhat dark and lonely person. He may have been these things, but there was obviously far more to him than that.

After finishing the final episode, I decided to play the second, unreleased CDr of John's recordings for the first time in years. Listening to his clock chimes ringing in the dark was an eerie and chilling moment. I was reminded of a line from my song "29" which says "I live with dreams and a lonely mind, my clock is set to a different time". I wondered what those lyrics might have meant to him.

John had mentioned that he wasn't satisfied with his final mix, but I felt his work was too special not to be heard. I hope that these recordings offer another glimpse into the creative mind of a unique, complex and gifted individual who tragically left this world all too early."

Tor Lundvall
January 17th, 2018

JOHN B.'s NOTES:

This is what was intended to be the second part of my Tor Lundvall Remix series. Unfortunately I am dissatisfied with it due to a few defects, and it is highly unlikely that I will ever be able to complete it. Still it serves as a testament to my interest in the work of Tor Lundvall that I made it this far. Defects are as follows: The first movement is too 'fussy', and the first section of the fifth movement seems a bit long and may bore the listener, but since it consisted of so many slow moving textures, I don't know how I could redo it and still achieve what I was wanting to accomplish. Additionally, this recording was done just days before my Father died, and there are many feelings of guilt associated with the time spent on it. If you are receiving this recording, either you are one of my better friends, or you are a great admirer of Tor Lundvall, and requested that I send it to you.

1st Part: Basically a track of me fiddling around with old clock bells, and air turbulence mixed with Tor Lundvall and Field Recordings of rain, birds, cicadas, frogs and such.

2nd Part: My interpretation of Lundvall's Dark Spring. This track was inspired by the music of Carl Michael von Hausswolff.

3rd Part: Very ambient Field Recordings inspired by the work of Francisco Lopez.

4th Part: A Very Quiet passage consisting of delicate Field Recordings.

5th Part: Music performed entirely by me inspired by the Darker paintings of Tor Lundvall. Most of the instruments on this piece consisted of dried seed pods from the plant; Showy Rattlebox (Crotolaria Spectabilis), that I had collected and dried the previous Fall. There are other sounds from my own environment as well.

This mix was assembled in the Late Fall of 2003. There are some very Quiet passages in this piece, so it requires a nearly Isolated listening environment... It should be heard After Midnight, in the Late Fall of the year, and, not surprisingly, a Very Long Attention span is a Prerequisite.

John B. McLemore
September 10, 2012

* Dj Ham returns to Kniteforce with a superb 10' vinyl. Now largely known for his releases as Hamilton on D'n'B titan RAM records, Dj Ham has always been one of the most talented producers in either scene, and is respected as a pioneer and producer of some seriously classic tunes. His new Kniteforce 10' showcases his skill while keeping firmly within the old school soundscapes. Most Impressive is both dark and technoish, with twisted mentasms and a dark lords samples, while the inexplicably named Chicken Tune is a breezy, uplifting summer vibe anthem.

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

Aria Rostami and Daniel Blomquist are from San Francisco, CA, though Rostami has recently moved to Brooklyn, NY. Rostami and Blomquist's work occurs in two stages: the gathering/preparation of source material and the live performance. Rostami and Blomquist's source material primarily focuses on the exchange of information, repetition and decay, and surrendering aspects of creative control. The source material is either sampled and altered by Blomquist or composed and recorded by Rostami. Sometimes this material is repeatedly passed back and forth to be altered, others, it's barely touched.
Following prior albums on Glacial Movements and Jacktone, the duo return with their third full length, "Distant Companion" named after the multiple star Polaris. Comprised of Polaris Aa in orbit with Polaris Ab which in turn, are in orbit with a distant companion, Polaris B. Polaris, aka The North Star, was the star that American slaves followed to freedom. It carries with it a history of Civil Rights, a cosmic history of our origins, as all stars do, and a glimpse into the past as it floats light years away. The first two songs of "Distant Companion" were recorded during a protest performance at Grey Area Foundation of the Arts in San Francisco that featured artists representing communities, cultures and countries on the travel ban list (Executive Order 13769.) For this performance they sampled voice recordings of Persian poets Rumi, Hafez and Forough Farakhzad. Every generation seems to find, in their own way, that the pursuit for equality is not linear, but that we must know our pasts, be in tune with the present and have a will for a better future. This record stands on the shoulders of communities, artists and movements that have made art in protest of oppression, and we hope, in some way, to make a contribution to this conversation. All songs have been mastered for vinyl by George Horn at Fantasy Studios. Cover artwork features a collage by London-based artist Anthony Gerace, and each copy includes a postcard featuring a photo of the duo.

Ultra tight & rare Soul / Funk stylings from Mississippi's Natural High outfit. Originally released in 1979 on the Chimneyville label, an obscure soul imprint operating as part of the Miami Malaco label family tree. This one has it all - lush strings and orchestration, tight as rhythm section, amazing songwriting and everything else in-between.
Amazing that this group only cut one LP and a handful of singles. The talent on display here is truly of another level and one wonders how such an album came to be.
Either way, this is an amazing set of rarest of rare grooves and the LP has been a heavily coveted item by the rare record cognoscenti in the past. This is a 100% legit repress, made in conjunction with the rights holders and remastered to the highest possible standard, a truly essential record for fans of quality underground soul & funk. Now's your chance to bag a copy for a decent price! Quality all around

Naïf 008 opens a series of five ep´s that will be released around the release of the DJ-Mix-CD also named - naïf which has it´s release in April 2018
The first strike comes with two blinding Techno tracks: Running man is a contribution by the - Gentleman of Techno Steve Bicknell. The other comes from the young swedish Producer that goes by the name of KUF and who is part of the Arsenik Crew.
Besides that we find two compositions by Phillip Sollmann himself that show his abstract and experimental Approach.
While - Aliasing Bells is a texture of sampled tibetan bells - Tag3 by his side-project - Autolyse is a jam on a light-sensor-controlled custom-made synth. Perfect for layering on top of a mix.

After more then three years of silence as a producer, Efdemin a.k.a Phillip Sollmann returns with a striking hybrid concept that merges the album format with the continuous DJ mix' format, presenting completely new material in a seamless manner. The CD-mix, named Naïf, officially reinstates his label of the same name and is a sprawling tour of inner space featuring 19 distinct tracks from fellow producers along with an additional ten that feature Efdemin himself (either as soloist or collaborator). The release condenses his decade-long DJ-ing journey and evolution as a producer into a single potent elixir of contemporary techno.
Naïf consists of completely unreleased material from both himself and valued collaborators, all of which will eventually manifest as EP releases: five on his own Naïf label and two more on Curle.

Curated by Phillip Sollmann, Berlin 2018
Mastering and Cut: Kassian Troyer
& © Naïf Recordings 2018

Musique Pour La Danse takes a short break from reissuing rare and essential music to bring you a selection of four new and exclusive tracks from the French underground entitled Equipe de Danse. Curated by label co-manager Ed Isar, a DJ and promoter active in the Paris underground since more than a decade, this EP brings together different producers and styles, highlighting the diversity and the creativity currently flowing through the French scene and providing DJs and ravers with quality tunes to work with and dance to.

Automat - Disco Trax
Everyone has a story about how one electronic music experience changed their lives forever, for Ed it was seeing Automat live in Paris in 2006 when he was 18. Automat's Electrospectif LP is still one of the best and most underrated French electro albums of the 21st century. Hearing Disco Trax many years later and realizing this fast-paced banger never got pressed on vinyl was the spark that encouraged Ed to work on this EP. This is irresistible jakbeat with electro and italo influences, timeless and compelling.

Cuften - bgt55ujp0
Cuften is a unique artist from Normandy who prefers being called a musician rather than a producer: he creates and records all his music live on a 100% hardware setup with absolutely no computers involved. With IDM and acid influences as well as a passion for hardcore, his music bridges the gaps between Aphex Twin, Marc Acardipane and Legowelt. This track is a perfect introduction to his world where hard hitting kicks get bodies moving while acid madness gets minds melting and it's actually his first tune ever released on vinyl. Keep an eye out for Purusu, Cuften's own record label which he runs with the help of Ed, a strictly underground affair that is already gathering support from established DJs around the world.

Sina - Faith
This is the very first track by Sina pressed on vinyl and what a belter it is! He is part of the new wave of electronic music activists in Paris with his Subtyl parties that were among the first to encourage today's ravers to side-step the clubs and go party in warehouses half a decade ago. We immediately signed Faith upon hearing it for the first time, spellbound by pounding and dreamy atmosphere, full of dramatic and ecstatic moments. This track exists in a techno universe of its own, as gritty as it is melodic. It never fails to get a reaction from the crowds and has been a staple of Ed's peak time sets lately.

Raymond D Barre - I Don't Know Dave
He's an up and coming producer and live performer from Paris who released a great EP on Nocta Numerica in 2016 and has several projects in the works. Clocking at 108 BPM, this tune is the downtempo cut on the EP. Driven by an 808, structured by FM bass and embellished with some lovely acid touches, this track could be described as 21st century orientalist New Beat or perhaps Egyptian Lover on codeine. Either way, this nod to Belgian vibes and BPM did not go unnoticed by both label managers and this fun and quirky track is often the highlight of downtempo sets.

Points of interest
- Four essential and totally exclusive tracks outside the beaten path and the usual formulas, a great snapshot of the French underground in 2018
- Various Artists, different vibes, something for everyone
- A Musique Pour La Danse release (Frankie Bones, Orlando Voorn, Cron aka Todd Sines, Break The Limits aka Bay B Kane, ..), a label founded and curated by Olivier Ducret of Mental Groove (Miss Kittin, Orbe, Donato Dozzy, Brodinksi...) and Ed Isar (33RPM +8% and Radio Belleville in Paris), releasing forgotten and unforgettable dance music of yesterday and tomorrow.

Cover with laser-cutting and printed inner sleeve, ltd. to 500 copies, incl. mp3A Score for Darling is both the sound track for the Danish film "Darling" (2017) as well as a collection of outakes from it. Raúl Pastor Medall (Rauelsson) and Erik K Skodvin (Svarte Greiner & 1/2 of Deaf Center) were paired together to work on the accompanying music after the director, Birgitte Stærmose wanted to try a new direction. Both together and individually they have created a highly affecting collection of pieces to a film that is not afraid of pushing the emotional content to the max, centered around the story of a dancer on the rollercoster ride of her life. This is also the first time either of them have made a full lenght sound track, making it their debut on the big screen.The music and instrumentation heard on the album is brimming with dynamics and diversity, featuring violin by Christoph Berg, cello by Anne Müller as well as a mass of other sounds like church organs, synths, guitar amp violation, electro-acoustics, piano and more, all layered together into 15 beautiful and devastating fragments of mood. The final piece of the album "Breathe" - featuring Otto A Totland on piano and Katinka Fogh Vindelev (We like We) on voice - can be seen as their own lamenting end title to a longer period of work with this album, finally finished.

Cut from the same cloth as last year's double-cassette, 'Like All Mornings,' Vanessa Amara's new album trails shorthand piano pieces and wilted strings through magnificent, electro-acoustic surrounds, often settling into buzzing, syncopated reveries. 'Manos' takes its name from an abbreviated term of endearment. Spoken in this form, it's an affectionate and inclusive gesture from friend to friend, or indeed from gang member to gang member. Vanessa Amara seemingly take their cues from either usage. Their new album feels hesitant to reveal its parts, and is perhaps a document of the limits of what can be revealed, a memorial to its own process as it winds itself in and around its delicately hued landscape. Though beginning with a morose gait, the album quickly turns over. And revealing its softer self, the clarity of the moving string arrangements hang in the air like fine mist. Everything settles against surfaces as the day breaks, opening up the space, though eventually condensing into the unnerving crescendo of the album's final piece. A recurrent, gentle whirring, much like a gramophone's needle, tracks through much of 'Manos.' It carefully steadies the listener into a mode of measuring duration, a meditative self-awareness that deliver's Vanessa Amara's world. Always intricate, and effortlessly tender, 'Manos' is an album as textural as it is melodic, and it is certainly the most exquisite suite of works to have been presented by Vanessa Amara thus far.

One of the most unique, ambitious and experimental game soundtracks ever made. Now on vinyl for the very first time.

Similar to the task of condensing Yuzo Koshiro and Motohiro Kawashima's abundance of ideas into a Mega Drive cartridge in 1994, it feels impossible to convey the influences, technical achievements and sheer ambition of their masterpiece into a single paragraph today. By combining automatic composition methods, custom programming languages and a complete sense of artistic freedom, Koshiro and Kawashima transcended their medium and created something so incomparable that it's hard to believe it came from any games console, let alone a 16bit one. Streets of Rage 3 is urgent, demanding and a complete rejection of the notion that video game music is either pedestrian or predictable. We are honoured to be releasing it.

Streets of Rage 3 is presented as a double LP in a heavyweight single pocket sleeve, with accompanying lithographic print featuring artwork from the SEGA archives in Japan. The audio was sourced from original hardware and carefully remastered in collaboration with Yuzo Koshiro, who also supplied exclusive liner notes for this release. On 180g translucent orange vinyl.

Few authentic Electro producers from the UK can wear the badge 'legend' with the same level of justification as Phil Klein aka Bass Junkie. Active since the late 80s, Phil has been peddling his own take on Electro almost constantly, either as a solo artist or as part of numerous collabs with the likes of Dynamix II, Keith Tenniswood (Radioactiveman) and Si Brown (Dexorcist). DJ, remixer, live act, and the man behind the killer Battle Trax label, there is nothing this Junkie hasn't done.

With essential releases on labels such DMX Krew's Breakin Records, Andrea Parker's Touchin' Bass, and Billy Nasty's Elektrix; the Bass Junkie sound spans the old school beats and vibes of the Electro genre's origins, to the borderline industrial. From funky to ferocious, Bass Junkie's discography is a must have for anyone claiming passion for the genre - influential, individual, and infectious with every beat.

His 'Low Frequency Fugitive' EP is a welcome return for his Bass Junkie project, after several years working primarily on collabs. The EP brings four new tracks that maintain the Bass Junkie sound that brought him such success and notoriety in the first place, with a healthy dose of evolution too.

This is one Fugitive everyone should try and track down...

Following our first release with Opal, which aimed at the dance and the bodies, we wanted with this second EP to reach to people's mind. As a Geneva-based techno label, it was fundamental to work with our local hero: Opuswerk. He's already been working outside of the country with artists like Fran ois X and labels such as ARTS, Semantica or Dement3d. It was time we involved him in our project. Through this EP, Opuswerk clearly shows what he knows and does best. Much like his DJ Sets, he connects dots and layers in unexpected ways, like a rhizome connecting different multiplicities. Inspiration for the original tracks came from designing systems of independent yet connected sounds, where events are triggered, un-triggered and alter other events, each behaving on their own. As one of those elements, the artist acts as a guide, directing them from one place to the next acting as and with the machines. The "mot d'ordre" is about becoming one of the machines, blending techniques with vibes and catching them like ever escaping dreams. The result is two uniquely sounding spaces, either filled with raw energy like on Extensum or with subtle and serene ever-evolving bleeps on Spatium. Those two extremes are fitting to how we want present the multiple dimensions of our artist's works to the world. The same logic went into choosing the remixers, with whom Opuswerk had a human connection with. Inland and Antigone need no introductions, having both established their sound on labels like Countercharge or Token. Each brought their own re-interpretations of the original tracks bringing them closer to the dancefloors.

Rebolledo's YOU AND YOUR HIPPIE FRIENDS imprint grows its groove footprint on international dance floors with the full-length debut of GÜERO, the latest vinyl outing from the Hippie Dance sister label and also its first fully fledged album project. To attentive hippie friends, the artist name should ring a big, funky bell - one that sounds exactly like the cut 'Convertible Ride' from the notorious 'A Very Nice Combinado Volume Uno' 12' release (YAYHF 01).
Back then, our hero was travelling under the somewhat more convoluted 'El Güero Fresa' monicker, but has since dropped some of those conceptual pounds in an effort to reach maximum sleekness. In the same vein, his debut album is a testament to ultimate funk-a-ficiency, digging deep into fizzy arpeggios and chunky basslines - and the occasional guitar cameo, giving tracks such as bubbling synth opener ELEKTRONIQUE, the neon-lit NIGHT CRUISING, bouncing electro disco roller ALTO FINAL or the programmatic SPACE DRIFTER just that little extra riff.
GUITAR MAYHEM, however, is anything but - you'll discover a pretty dank bouncer and certainly not the squealing meltdown one would expect. TECHNO MINIMAL doesn't do what it says on the tin, either, opting for an energetic bass 'n' organ workout instead. By now, you'll begin to understand why the album's called MY WAY MY RULES: GÜERO takes whatever sonic path he desires, no matter what - which is precisely why he chimes so well with YOU AND YOUR HIPPIE FRIENDS's steadily expanding motley crew of rave misfits and studio drop-outs. The way of the hippie is indeed a mysterious one.

Fernando Pulichino is no stranger to Leng Records. The bass guitar-wielding Argentine made his first appearance on the label five years ago via the cosmic disco/psychedelic rock fusion of Blue Impala, returning two years later with the similarly inclined brilliance of Giant Desert. Pulichino then resurfaced on Leng late last year with a superb, digital-only three-tracker called Natural 77.

Now he's back on wax, buoyed by the success of the acclaimed Shining EP on Is It Balearic
Recordings. This time round he's in Search of Indigo, shaping hazy, sun-baked soundscapes around his distinctive basslines, echo-laden synthesizers, meandering Fender Rhodes solos,
gentle dub vibrations and glistening, early morning jazz guitars. This is music for the heads, hips and feet, soaked in Fernet and left in the afternoon sun to slowly ripen.

Arguably the most arresting of the four cuts is the title track, a head-in-the-clouds vocal number rich in bubbly electronic riffs, laidback electro beats, ricocheting percussion hits, swirling wind
effects and rubbery funk-rock bass.

Pulichino's penchant for intergalactic disco shufflers once again comes to the fore on killer Sundown Visions', a saucer-eyed chugger that simultaneously throbs, pulses and sparkles
thanks to sparring synthesizer motifs and eyes-closed space rock guitars. We suspect Daniele Baldelli and Andrew Weatherall would approve.

Elsewhere, Pulichino indulges his passion for sofa-surfing jazz-funk on solo-laden EP closer Frontera', a relaxed and undulating jam rich in cascading electric guitars, fluid electric piano, delay-laden flourishes and deep space synthesizers. You won't know whether to lie down, dance enthusiastically or wearily shuffle, either way, play at sunrise or sundown for maximum
enjoyment.

The EP also boasts a first vinyl outing for the title track of last year's digital-only EP, Natural '77'. Seemingly partly inspired by legendary West Coast funkateers Steely Dan, it's a lazy, low-
slung affair full of languid guitar solos, freestyle vocal improvisations, bongo-laden drums and one of his most inspired and elastic basslines to date.

Astray is the Sublabel of Away, Berlin. Tracklist A Wild Hunt AA Sahara Pump Theory B Wild Hunt (Mark Broom Remix) BB Hell For Leather INFO H4L After Discrete Circuit kicked off ASTRAY, another offshoot of the Berlin party series AWAY, the other half of their joint venture AWAY Soundsystem is in charge for ASTRAY's third installment. H4L, the Berlin-based live studio project, explores some tougher, jam-driven experiments resonating from two decades of warehouse reverberation experience. INFO Wild Hunt EP The title track starts off the release with a dusty, stripped-down pursuit. Marching forward with impelling kick drums, H4L creates an overall organic groove incorporating percussive, distorted sound particles, glancing up in and out of the mix like misty voices. 'Sahara Pump Theory' follows a more robust approach driven by vivid stab sequences and gnarly acidic bass elaborating a vibrant exchange of flow and energy. One of these unfolding weapons that know how to tickle that genuine peak-time madness. Speaking of weapons, UK producer Mark Broom is no stranger to that discipline after hitting dance floors with his ensouled workouts for more than two decades now. Following his old-school compass by calibrating the essentials of groove and melody, Broom's remix of 'Wild Hunt' throws the originals' core parts overboard to empower his highly effective hi-hats as the driving force rocketing into a distant atmosphere. 'Hell For Leather' tops off H4L's package with an unexpected hit-and-run sonic attack. Whether the competing broken and off beats, the IDM rooted drum patterns or the leftfield yet industrial jazz design - this reckless trip is by no means an easy finish, more like a feral crash course about an (almost) forgotten principle: electronic music is either an adventure or nothing at all.