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In 2015, Tresor Records welcomed Shao Yanpeng as the first Chinese artist to contribute to the label's catalogue. Shao is based in Beijing, China, where he has been making electronic music since 2002, and pursues his career as a producer and sound designer.
Tresor Records is now proud to present Shao's new long player, Doppler Shift.
Meticulously built compositions, feverish synth journeys and suspenseful ascensions make up the signature sound of Shao's work, at times contemplative and expressive at others.

This is the third release of Anonym on bloop recordings, back in Detroit after years in Amsterdam, the boy returns for a four track including a remix from the portuguese Andrade. Anonym brings the powerfull of 3 floor bombs, once again we have selected 3 tracks from a selection that Anonym send us. Prepare yourself for dreamy and quirky tracks with really fat kick drums. On the remix duty, portuguese Andrade give us his frenchy house flavour, watch out on his forthcoming ep on bloop!

15 Jahre nach seinem frühen Tod feiert - The 20th Century Records Albums (1973-1979)' Barry White als einen der größten Künstler / Songwriter / Produzenten der 70er Jahre. Er etablierte den neuen Klang der Orchesterseele, der über das Jahrzehnt und darüber hinaus zu einem Grundbestandteil wurde. Das Vinyl-Box-Set enthält alle 9 LP-Alben, die Barry White über das Label 20th Century Records veröffentlicht hat und werden hier zum ersten Mal zusammengestellt. Alle neun Alben wurden zum ersten Mal seit ihrer Veröffentlichung in den 70er Jahren von den originalen analogen Masterbändern remastert und werden hier mit ihrem originalen Sleeve und Label Art präsentiert. Die Alben wurden in den Abbey Road Studios in London auf hochwertigem 180g Vinyl geschnitten, um die höchstmögliche Audioqualität zu garantieren.





















































[ZZA] q4 | Oh Me, Oh My (I'm Such a Lucky Guy)
[ZZB] r1 | I Can't Leave You Alone
[ZZC] r2 | Call Me, Baby
[ZZD] r3 | How Did You Know It Was Me

Standard Edition, Mastered at half speed, 140g vinyl, Sticker We Release Jazz (WRWTFWW Records' new sister-label) is thrilled to present the official reissue of criminally overlooked Japanese jazz gem Mellow Dream (1977) by Hokkaido pianist wunderkind Ryo Fukui, released in conjunction with the its legendary predecessor Scenery, sourced from the original masters and mastered at half speed. Firmly standing on the foundation he laid down with Scenery, Ryo Fukui continues his exploration of modal, bop and cool jazz sounds with meticulous grace and absolute mastery. As its title suggests, Mellow Dream ventures into slightly mellower, more soulful, and sometimes more contemplative territories (the Bill Evans-reminiscent 'Mellow Dream' and 'My Foolish Heart") while still packing the commanding punch Fukui's work is loved for, as heard on the amazingly bombastic 'Baron Potato Blues' or the gigantic McCoy Tyner/John Coltrane-influenced 'Horizon' which sees each member of the trio (Satoshi Denpo is on bass and Yoshinori Fukui is on drums) demonstrating their virtuosity for 9 exhilarating minutes. With his sophomore album, Ryo Fukui swings from melancholy to vibrant joy with ease, reminding us that jazz is best served with a pinch of blues, and displays an immensely rare combination of pure talent, unique personal approach and focused discipline. The man undeniably deserves a spot in the pantheon of all-time great jazz pianists. After releasing the outstanding Scenery and Mellow Dream back to back, Ryo Fukui worked on developing his live skills, often performing at Sapporo's Slowboat Jazz Club (which he co-founded with his wife Yasuko Fukui), and even releasing 2 live albums. He sadly passed away in March 2016, leaving behind a legacy of works that all jazz lovers should explore.

The first LP release for connected comes from Nandu and as with his previous EP releases the LP is a unique genre crossing palette containing elements from Deep House,House,AfroHouse,Electronic Techno and beyond brought together in Nandus' original style. Truly an LP that begs to be listened to from start to finish. In Nandus' own words: 'One mans high can truly be, another mans anxiety. In some parts of life this is very clear like having a baby, do drugs, to work, not to work, be an artist, be a banker and so it continues. Yin & Yang and the whole idea of duality is another way to describe this. When you go left you say goodbye to right - at least for the moment you choose left. What you choose is up to you. It wasn't always my dream to get up at 3pm to change diapers, but it was always my dream to have a family. And here the sacrifice is not even mentionable. It's more than worth it. But when you sometimes in life make a choice that you regret but which always will follow you, or when uncontrollable powers force you into another direction, it can easily switch the poles between high and low. In these cases you just have to look forward, but not without looking back. You need to learn, take it with you, and do better next time. This album is about how my highs also can be my anxieties."

Leifur James will release his debut album in October through Late Night Tales' artist label Night Time Stories.
A Louder Silence is the London-based producer and multi-instrumentalist's first proper release; his two earlier singles feature on the record, after gaining support from Gilles Peterson's Worldwide FM with a live airing and interview in 2017, plus continued backing from XLR8R, Stamp the Wax, and BBC Radio 6 Music DJ's.
The album is both spacious and thought-provoking, energetic yet restrained, brimming with nuanced electronic instrumentals, dubby synths, and jazz breaks — creating an array of rich textures, complemented occasionally by James' own soulful vocals.
While James' early unreleased work was singularly electronic, A Louder Silence focuses on analog synths and warm acoustic instruments, all played by his own hand. It's the product of a two-year spell in James' home studio, with additional live drums recorded with Jim Macrae at London's Old Paradise Audio.
James' rich musical influences are laced through the release. Encouraged by his mother, a classically trained pianist, he learned to play the cello and developed adeep understanding of rhythm and melody that informs his approach to writing electronic music. James playsthe piano he grew up listening to in 'Mumma Don't Tell' and samples an indefinable percussive element to drive forward 'Suns Of Gold.' 'Night and Day' sees cello plucks and long melodic strokes interlink with a grooving synth line. He also field records the atmospheric Moroccan sea in 'Red Sea.' Inspiration stems from the experimentation of modern day electronic producers, fused with the Jazz, Classical, Blues, and Soul music that soundtracked his youth.
Central to the album is the idea of space. James recalls the early advice of his uncle, a jazz guitarist, who features on 'Uncle Blue': 'I remember him saying to me: "What goes in comes out' James says. 'Every detail should be a worthy detail; sometimes nothing is better than something.' Moments of blissful, structured intensity are juxtaposed with stillness and near silence — dark and light; loud and quiet. This also forms the foundation for the album title: A Louder Silence reflects the dichotomy of finding pockets of stillness in a noisy world.
The result is 10 distinct tracks delivered as one coherent and well-structured long-player debut, set for release on LP, CD, and digital, on 5th October 2018.
Live dates follow a debut live show earlier this year at the Jazz Café with Yazz Ahmed, including an album launch at London's Ghost Notes in October.

righteous expensive: motohiko hamase's 1986 album "reminiscence" scores a decent prize at online vinyl selling platforms and it is worth each coin!

it's a perfect "refuge from nasty reality", as the glorious british 20jazzfunkgreats blog once said. and it comes from a man that knows his trade: bass play - an artisan on which he also already wrote many theoretical books in his more than four decades long career.

in the 1970's hamase was no stranger to tokyo's vibrant jazz scene. together with jazz pianist tsuyoshi yamamoto and jazz-rock guitar-ist kazumi watanabe he played in the isao suzuki sextet and was part of their classic landmark jazz-funk album "ako's dream" from 1976.

in the following years he also participated on records like mikio masuda's latin-funk-jazz gem "moon stone" or japanese female jazz singer, actress, and essayist minami yasuda's last album "moritato". in the early 1980ees his work shifted from pure jazz to electronic and ambient spheres and he started to compose his own music around his deeply emotional bass play.

from 1985 to 1993, hamase released five solo albums. just recently studio mule dropped his first one, "intaglio", in a new recording that sounds as stunning as the original release from 1986.

now the previously mentioned "reminiscence", his second work for the celebrated defunct japanese new age record label shi zen, follows in a fresh shape on studio mule.

as the original, it features deeply touching moments of sheer pristine perfection and distributes hamase's inner emotional landscape with a bewitching bass performance. a soothingly beauty of an album, that reflects hamase's search for spaces of melancholy.

a rhizome of soundscapes that capture, settle and sound elusive while simultaneously being awe-inspiring. as for "intaglio", the 66-years old artist gathered again some befriended musicians, rented a studio, staged his gear and recorded most of the original "reminis-cence" material new, while keeping the moving musical story arc of the original album alive in a fresh wrapping.

the result is a dazzling, blue mood seething, strongly hypnotic longplayer, full of personality and hybrid ambient electronic jazz spheres that open doors to unheard sound universes and that perfectly work for all those stress-relieved souls that love the disclosure of the mind and seek for a "refuge from nasty reality".

Hosono's solo career would take many twists and turns from this point forward, with forays into exotica, electronic, ambient, and techno, culminating in the massive success of techno pop group Yellow Magic Orchestra (YMO), who made their debut in 1978. Admired by artists ranging from Van Dyke Parks to Mac DeMarco, Hosono continues to forge ahead as he heads into his fifth decade as a musician. With the re-release of his key albums for the first time outside of Japan, his genius will be discovered by a whole new generation of fans around the world.
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The unbelievably prolific Haruomi Hosono is one of the major architects of modern Japanese pop music. With his encyclopedic knowledge of music and boundless curiosity for new sounds, Hosono is the auteur of his own idiosyncratic musical world, putting his unmistakable stamp on hundreds of recordings as an artist, session player, songwriter and producer.

Born and raised in central Tokyo, his adolescent obsession with American pop culture informed his early forays into country music, which he would revisit later in his career. Hosono made his professional debut in 1969 as a member of Apryl Fool, whose heavy psychedelia was somewhat at odds with his influences, which leaned towards the rootsy sounds of Moby Grape and Buffalo Springfield. The latter was one of the main inspirations for his next group, Happy End, whose unique blend of West Coast sounds with Japanese lyrics proved to be highly influential over the course of three albums. After the band’s amicable break up in 1973, Hosono began his solo career with Hosono House, an intimate slice of Japanese Americana recorded inside a rented house with recording gear squeezed into its tiny bedroom.

Guapapasea! is the first album by Gecko Turner, a unique creator from southern Spain. Born and bred in Extremadura, near Portugal, Gecko has an original and tasteful Latin personality, and during the 90s he was responsible for some locally quite successful bands like Perroflauta, and The Reverendoes.

Acclaimed by Spanish critics as the best debut album upon its original release in 2003, Guapapasea! is a musical journey blurring the boundaries in Latin music. It's a nice blend of different styles - from soul and Brazilian-flavoured songs like the free and easy (and all-time underground hit) "Un Limón en La Cabeza"; Afrobeat-driven tracks like "45.000$ (Guapa Pasea)"; and the flamenco-reggae of his rendition of Bob Marley's "Rainbow Country", to the infectious Latin rhythms of "Did You Black Up Today"; Monk tribute "Monka Mongas"; the original adaptation of Bob Dylan's "Subterranean Homesick Blues"; and the radio-friendly, straightforward reggae track "Te Estás Equivocando".

Guapapasea! features contributions by some of the greatest musicians active at the time on the Spanish Afro-Cuban jazz scene, such as Rubem Dantas (Paco de Lucía's percussionist and regular member of Chick Corea's band), Rodney Dássiff, and Brazilian trumpeter Irapoam Freire. The album was licensed to Quango in the US.

It's been 15 years since its original release, and to celebrate this, Lovemonk's reissuing the album on double 12" vinyl for the first time, alongside Gecko's second album, Chandalismo Ilustrado, and the CD compilation Soniquete: The Sensational Sound Of Gecko Turner. The CD version features bonus remixes by Quantic, Mexican Institute Of Sound and Watch TV.

'Shlom Hatzibur' - 'Yanshuf al Anaf Gavoha' a repress of a long lost new wave single along with edits by 'The Models' and 'Mule Driver'.

'Shlom Hatzibur', a band formed by Yuval Banay and Oren Elazary, was active between 1984-1985. This was the year in which the band 'Mashina' paused their activity. ('Mashina' was established in 1983 - and is considered by many ones of the most influential rock bands in Israel). In 1984, they independently published two singles, one of which was 'Yanshuf al Anaf Gavoha'.'Yanshuf al Anaf Gavoha' (Owl on a High Branch) represents a rare moment in Israeli musical history and culture: a moment of disillusionment and expression of personal voice, contemporary sound, and rhythm which stood out during a turbulent political period.

During the First Lebanon War, in the 80s, a generation of young people traveled on the weekends from the battlefields of southern Lebanon and flocked to the rising nightclubs in Tel Aviv. From army discipline to individual freedom, from the threat of death to the city's vibrancy. It is a song of adolescence in a divided and alienated society, and its reissue is more relevant than ever.

The song mixes industrial rhythm with Post-Punk, Rock and Ska. The unusual musical production and the use of a drum machine were influenced prominently by the musical soundtrack played in Tel Aviv's record shops and alternative nightclubs (eg, 'Fuzz', 'Penguin').

DESCRIPTION

FALK Records will be releasing 'Spaces' from Icelandic experimental producer AAIIEENN this August.

AAIIEENN is the solo project of electronic musician Hallmar Gauti Halldórsson. Halldórsson first came to
music though being a mover and shaker in Iceland's punk and hardcore scene where he was the 'harsh
noise guy' with local band Distill the World. With AAIIEENN however, Halldórsson moved away from the
guitars and screaming to a fully electronic world of experimental synth music and gorging on the
mathematical possibilities and expanses of arpeggio/sequencer driven ambient music.

'Calab-Yau' and 'Continuous Property 1' drip shards of pure crystalline sound into deep crevasses as
harmonic droplets ping of gleaming surfaces coated with spongiform bass. The light and effervescent
'Euclidean' evokes classic Ambient Works Aphex Twin, while 'Manifold' is more direct with a muscular and
sturdy bassline. Spaces closes with the fluttering and lush ambient sounds of 'Zariksi' that are carried into
the skies by a pulsing and gliding techno beat.

HINOSCH are a duo of Koshiro Hino from Osaka and Stefan Schneider from Düsseldorf, they first (met and) began their collaborative work of musical interaction and exploring contrasting possibilities in 2017. After a number of concerts in the EU and in Japan a debut EP (HINOSCH EP/TAL05) was released in late 2017. Fully instrumental, their first full-length album HANDS offers a more steeply focussed approach than its largely improvised predecessor.

Encouraged by the momentum generated during a number of on-the-spot recordings in Osaka, where Schneider had held a residency in April 2017, the overall sound of the album has been honed down through meticulous studio engineering. One of the outstanding qualities of HANDS certainly is an unprejudiced approach of sound and song structures. The instrumentation is condently reduced to a small range of analogue and digital machines. Snatches of tape-loops deliver lower-pitched vocal and drum machine samples. This characteristic technical set up soon proved ideal in order to dene a tactile vocabulary of fully unsynchronized rhythm patterns. The word tactile perfectly conjures that quality which is the very essence of HANDS. It is the result of the manner in which interdependent threads of rhythm units are deliberately disconnected to form a cohesive, soulful and exible whole. Most tracks on HANDS are devoid of a central motif and examine an unpredictable dialogue. A fantasy of constant change and a search for musical suggestions is the most vital ingredient in this abstract environment.

The album title HANDS refers to physical aspects of electronic music production. Every live concert of Hinosch usually starts out with a hand shake between Hino and Schneider. The general process of collective music making, programming, button pushing, playing, recording, decision making, all demand utmost concentration. The image on the front of the abum sleeve (designed by Takashi Makabe) reects the general approach of HANDS: layers of tuckled fabrics confronting one another to articulate a form for themselves to no other end than their own orchestration.

After having emerged from the ever thrilling Osaka music scene onto the international playgrounds of electronic music just a few years ago Koshiro Hino's solo activities as YPY and his involvement with the band GOAT have already garnered him a very favourable international reception. Stefan Schneider has over the years produced and collaborated with a.o. Joachim Roedelius (Cluster), Arto Lindsay, Klaus Dinger (NEU!), Dieter Moebius (Cluster), Alexander Balanescu, John McEntire (tortoise), Katharina Grosse, Bill Wells and St.Etienne.

Skinny Pelembe has corralled together a cast of talented friends for his new EP. It's the second release from the Doncaster-raised, multi-talented producer-cum-bandleader since signing to Gilles Peterson's Brownswood label in February. This one's a group effort, with each of its tracks featuring a different artist, each of them an act he's met through music or through linking with Brownswood's talent development programme Future Bubblers two years ago.

The EP touches on hip-hop, psych-rock and jazz-influenced sounds, continuing in the gloriously magpie-like approach of his earlier releases. Each of its songs started as a rough idea which was then fleshed out and re-imagined with his collaborators. He says that the title of the EP comes from some advice which he left for himself on an old notebook. The singer-guitarist-producer, born in Johannesburg and raised in Doncaster, signed to Brownswood earlier this year and debuted with the 'Spit / Swallow' single in March. It's seen support from Dazed, The Quietus and Huck. He's been invited as a guest onto Jamz Supernova on Radio 1xtra, as well as Tom Ravenscroft and Lauren Laverne on 6 Music. He recently featured as one of the guests chosen for 6 Music's showcase at The Great Escape. The single release will be followed by Skinny's first UK Tour in September.

Beautiful 1 Lp Edition With 140g Vinyl, Stoughton Tip-on Sleeve, Liner Notes (english & Japanese) By Chee Shimizu, Sticker Official Reissue Of Diggers' Favorite Colored Music Available On Vinyl And Cd Or The First Time Since 1981. Genre: Electronic, New Wave, Pop, Synth, Experimental Wrwtfww Records Is Deliriously Happy To Announce The Reissue Of The 1981 Self-titled Album From Cult Japanese Duo Colored Music, Available On Vinyl (housed In A Stoughton Tip-on Sleeve) And Digipack Cd, With Liner Notes By Digger, Curator, Connoisseur, Writer And Legend Chee Shimizu. An Incredible Mix Of Cosmic New Wave, Unconventional Disco, Avant-garde Synth Pop, And Hybrid Electronic Funk, Colored Music Is Enchantingly Unique, A Sort Of Experimental And Magnetizing Take On David Bowie's Berlin Trilogy With A Psychedelic Haruomi Hosono Touch. From The Groovy Post-punk Glam Title Track To The Proto-house Dance Floor Killer heartbeat", Ichiko Hashimoto And Atsuo Fujimoto Hit All The Right (and Sometimes Not-exactly-right-but-truly-genius) Notes To Create The Odd And Beautiful, An Unparalleled Audio Escape To The Best Elsewhere You Can Think Of. Also Playing On The Album Are Celebrated Musicians Mansaku Kimura, Shuichi ponta' Murakami (pacific, Ki-motion By Mkwaju Ensemble, Collaborations With Jun Fukamachi, Yasuaki Shimizu, Haruomi Hosono...) Kiyohiko Semba, Tamio doyo' Kawabata, And Tatsuhiko Hizawa.

Daniel Terndrup Is A Los Angeles-based Dj And Producer. A Longtime Record Collector And
Digger, Daniel Has Become A Local Authority On Bygone Music. He Hosts Regular Radio Shows
On Dublab (crosseyed & Painless) And Nts (heat-wave) While Also Throwing A Weekly Party
For Heat-wave In Collaboration With Wyatt Potts At Former Hollywood Stripclub, Gold
Diggers. Daniel Started Making Music A Decade Ago As One Half Of Cosmic Kids. Alongside
Ron Poznansky, He Made A Name For Himself Producing Heady House And Astral Dance Tunes,
And Releasing Records With Cult Labels Throne Of Blood, Let's Play House And Dfa. In Addition
To Racking Up Plays On Original Cuts, The Duo Was Regularly Tapped To Deliver Remixes For
Heavyweights Like The Rapture, Holy Ghost!, Poolside And Superhumanoids.
After A Handful Of Releases With Cosmic Kids, Daniel Pivoted Toward His Own Project As Daniel
T. His Solo Output Is Inspired By Everything That You Might Find Leafing Through His Record
Collection: Funk, Post Punk, New Age And Pop Of Yesteryear (think: Compass Point All Stars To
Yellow Magic Orchestra). The Music He Releases As Daniel T. Is A Reflection Of His Global Taste,
But Indelibly Filtered Through His Southern California Surroundings

Blurb Attached
Following His 2015 Solo Debut Tetrachromat, Released On Friends Of Friends Sister Label
Young Adults, Daniel T. Returns With A New Album Called Heliotrope, Out This Summer On
Cascine. In Contrast To The Steady Dance-oriented Tempos Of Tetrachromat, Heliotrope
Moves Across More Dynamic Landscapes, All United Under Daniel's Sun-soaked Sensibility.
From The Breezy Bounce Of call,' To The Lithe Cover Of Tatsuro Yamashita's Classic windy
Lady,' He Effortlessly Wades Into Pop Territory. Elsewhere, On The Neon Glow Of moonlight
Bounce' (inspired By Dan's Near-religious Love Of Roller-skating) And The Ebullient First Single
'heat-wave', His Trademark Mid-tempo Swing Shines As Bright As His Synths. Heliotrope Is A
Reflection Of His Global Taste, But Indelibly Filtered Through His Southern California
Surroundings

The music contained in this album invokes the vibes and spirit that were so crucial to much of the music recorded during the 1960's & 70's in Jamaica. If you talk to the musicians and singers of this era, they will tell you that the driving force behind the songs they created was the sheer love of music. This is one of the reasons these recordings are so powerful and move listeners to this day. Music like this can only be made by those who were schooled in the studios and yards around Kingston and is not something that can be easily reproduced outside Jamaica. The Kingston All Stars represent some of the most legendary musicians to ever grace the little island & it is thanks to their passion and dedication that we have a lifetime of music to enjoy.

The members of KAS have been working & recording with each other in some of Jamaica's most legendary studios for over 50 years. The vibes and music that are created when they get together is nothing short of magic. This is the 3rd KAS LP showcasing the talents of Jamaica's top session musicians from the golden era of Jamaican music. These are the artists who laid the foundation for Rocksteady, Reggae, Roots and beyond in countless recording sessions around Jamaica & without them the music we love would not exist.

The album's intro piece 'Boo Rock', is a tribute to the legendary drummer Mikey 'Boo' Richards. Mikey has recorded with many of the Kingston All Stars in some of Jamaica's most fabled studios. It is obvious that Mikey is revered by all of the Kingston All Stars and it is fitting that this is the 1st track on the album.

Singer Allen Jahsana who is known for his work with Mikey Chung in the early 70's brings two amazing songs to the project. The first 'Jungle Justice' is a commentary on the lack of justice in the tough streets of Kingston, one which Alan knows firsthand as a longtime Kingstonian. The second vocal 'Rising from the Ghetto' is a call to the youth to rise up out of sufferation with some seriously heavy basslines courtesy Jackie Jackson.

New to the KAS family Carol Brown's 'Only Jah Knows' on a sweet dubbed out Rocksteady riddim shines that much brighter with the help of her daughter, Krystal Mittoo. Carl was married to Jackie Mittoo before his untimely passing.

Greenwich Farm rasta and legendary roots vocalist Prince Alla adds a real classic vibe to a new he wrote titled 'My Vision". The deep and powerful style Alla is known for was voiced on a riddim built by keyboard legend Ansel "Stagalag" Collins.

'Guns & Pulpit', the companion vocal for 'Clappers Dub' which saw release on the KAS Dub LP, finally sees the light of day. A proper roots anthem from singer RZee Jackson with conscious lyrics and RZee's unique vocal style.

The Kingston All Stars include Sly Dunbar, Hux Brown, Mikey 'Mao' Chung, Ansel Collins, Jackie Jackson, Robbie Lyn, Everton & Everald Gayle with the guidance of musician, writer & engineer Moss ' Mossman ' Raxlen. Members of the Kingston All Stars have been part of / or recorded with The Revolutionaries, Lynn Taitt & The Jets, Studio One's Sound Dimension and Soul Vendors Band, Lee 'Scratch' Perry's Upsetters, Peter Tosh's Word Sound and Power Band, Toots and the Maytals, Now Generation, In Crowd, Wailers Band and countless others.

The music contained in this album invokes the vibes and spirit that were so crucial to much of the music recorded during the 1960's & 70's in Jamaica. If you talk to the musicians and singers of this era, they will tell you that the driving force behind the songs they created was the sheer love of music. This is one of the reasons these recordings are so powerful and move listeners to this day. Music like this can only be made by those who were schooled in the studios and yards around Kingston and is not something that can be easily reproduced outside Jamaica. The Kingston All Stars represent some of the most legendary musicians to ever grace the little island & it is thanks to their passion and dedication that we have a lifetime of music to enjoy.

The members of KAS have been working & recording with each other in some of Jamaica's most legendary studios for over 50 years. The vibes and music that are created when they get together is nothing short of magic. This is the 3rd KAS LP showcasing the talents of Jamaica's top session musicians from the golden era of Jamaican music. These are the artists who laid the foundation for Rocksteady, Reggae, Roots and beyond in countless recording sessions around Jamaica & without them the music we love would not exist.

The album's intro piece 'Boo Rock', is a tribute to the legendary drummer Mikey 'Boo' Richards. Mikey has recorded with many of the Kingston All Stars in some of Jamaica's most fabled studios. It is obvious that Mikey is revered by all of the Kingston All Stars and it is fitting that this is the 1st track on the album.

Singer Allen Jahsana who is known for his work with Mikey Chung in the early 70's brings two amazing songs to the project. The first 'Jungle Justice' is a commentary on the lack of justice in the tough streets of Kingston, one which Alan knows firsthand as a longtime Kingstonian. The second vocal 'Rising from the Ghetto' is a call to the youth to rise up out of sufferation with some seriously heavy basslines courtesy Jackie Jackson.

New to the KAS family Carol Brown's 'Only Jah Knows' on a sweet dubbed out Rocksteady riddim shines that much brighter with the help of her daughter, Krystal Mittoo. Carl was married to Jackie Mittoo before his untimely passing.

Greenwich Farm rasta and legendary roots vocalist Prince Alla adds a real classic vibe to a new he wrote titled 'My Vision". The deep and powerful style Alla is known for was voiced on a riddim built by keyboard legend Ansel "Stagalag" Collins.

'Guns & Pulpit', the companion vocal for 'Clappers Dub' which saw release on the KAS Dub LP, finally sees the light of day. A proper roots anthem from singer RZee Jackson with conscious lyrics and RZee's unique vocal style.

The Kingston All Stars include Sly Dunbar, Hux Brown, Mikey 'Mao' Chung, Ansel Collins, Jackie Jackson, Robbie Lyn, Everton & Everald Gayle with the guidance of musician, writer & engineer Moss ' Mossman ' Raxlen. Members of the Kingston All Stars have been part of / or recorded with The Revolutionaries, Lynn Taitt & The Jets, Studio One's Sound Dimension and Soul Vendors Band, Lee 'Scratch' Perry's Upsetters, Peter Tosh's Word Sound and Power Band, Toots and the Maytals, Now Generation, In Crowd, Wailers Band and countless others

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

Universalist is the first album by ACT! Baroque, kaleidoscope electronics; material sound for a disembodied world. The energy is optimistic and posi - even naive - a statement of unity in the age of psychic dislocation.

10 Tracks of phosphorus midi and brittle digi textures feel indebted in spirit to the masters of psychic jazz as much as the physical euphoria of the club. Above all, this album belongs to the catalogue of Halocline Trance, yet subtle references connect it to a larger lineage of free sound. The empty, divine heaviness of songs like Ecstatica / On Patrol invokes Yusef Lateef's Little Symphony, while the computerized spontaneity of Lava Valley feels somehow connected to Yasuaki Shimizu's Music for Commercials. Non-musical sounds and evocative melodies sit side-by-side - new psychedelia for love and life in the digital jetstream.

ACT! is a project from Toronto-based musician David Psutka. Building on a diverse body of releases as Egyptrixx, Ceramic TL, Anamai and various other collaborations, ACT! denotes a new chapter of creative output from Psutka and the Halocline Trance label. Universalist follows a prolific string of releases in 2017 with Anamai - What Mountain; Ceramic TL + Ipek Gorgun - Perfect Lung; and Egyptrixx - Pure, Beyond Reproach, and synthesizes recurring themes of materiality and the unifying potential of sound.

"Secret lover returns with one that hits all the angles, a record for the lovers and haters, the movers and the .... dancers Truly a record for the people! Now let's say you're home by yourself, pour yourself a drink, pop on your house coat and lay down by the fire, let the tunes take ya over. Could get spicy, know what I mean"

The secret gem of Space Disco vibes, Ichisan will be releasing his new EP via Kanto Records. First track of the EP, Megla (The Fog) is some sort of an instrument showcase by the Slovenian producer, who used his analog synthesizers deftly to accompany the funk-house strumming of his bass and electric guitars, both played by the artist himself.

Veter (The Wind) is a five-minute-long journey into the depths of unique and captivating musical mind of Ichisan, daring to be simple yet invoking majestic feelings. Third and fourth track of the EP, Planica and Yassa are more dancefloor oriented tunes that beam with positivity and energy, both have the potential to become anthems of the summer and beyond.

Arranged, recorder and mixed in Ichisan's own studio in Ljubljana, the EP MEGLA is brimmed with phenomenal beats that would not disappoint even the pickiest ears.

It is said that every generation casts its mind back to a previous era in times of crisis; the resources that will allow us to decode the questions of our moment may lie in the myths of another era.

Le Renard Bleu, the new musical and cinematic collaboration between Lafawndah and composer Midori Takada, and filmmakers Partel Oliva, takes a cross- generational echo as ground zero for recovering a crucial myth for uncertain times: the blue fox.

As transmitted by Takada, the fox appears in both ancient Senegalese and Japanese folktales as the trickster archetype; belonging both to the heavens and to the earth, the fox is the agent of chaotic good, shaking the world up when its energy has become stagnant. Above all else, the fox is famous for its cunning nature.

Renard Bleu marks the first new music released by Takada in nearly twenty years; it would be difficult to overstate the importance of her return to the public eye. Her first solo record, 1983's Through the Looking Glass, has been rediscovered and heralded as a lost classic; the influence of her percussion trio, the Mkwaju Ensemble, continues to permeate and inspire a new generation entranced by its lucid beauty, playfulness, and sensual patience. Takada has performed in numerous film score orchestras, including the ensemble for Akira Kurasawa's Dreams, coincidentally a key influence on Renard Bleu.

In the ensuing years, Takada has worked closely with theater group the Suzuki Company of Toga on productions of Electra and King Lear, an experience, she says, that allowed her to pursue 'a unity of music, body and space.' Recent live solo performances have evinced the depths of her exploration of all three.

Equally, it is Lafawndah's freedom of tone, decentralized maps of ancient and modern music cultures, and alloying of devotional intensity with modern songcraft casts her as a distinct relative of Midori Takada's.

Over the course of two EPs, self- directed music videos, and countless live performances, Lafawndah has drawn out an uncompromising exploration of how theater, situational intervention, and choreography can amplify the affective palate of forward pop music. One can trace the influence of artists such as Meredith Monk, Carlos Sara, and Andy Kaufman as much as musical antecedents AR Rahmann, Missy Elliott, or Geinoh Yamashirogumi.

It is in a mutual commitment to this unity that Lafawndah, Takada and Partel Oliva find fertile aesthetic common ground.

The music of Renard Bleu originated in Takada's preoccupation with the legend of the fox; after constructing a vivid instrumental composition dramatizing the spirit animal's journeys through waterphone, bells, marimba and various forms of drums, Lafawndah responded - in her inimitable mix of fairytale and undertow-- with melodies and lyrics capturing a dialogue between her and the fox himself. Eventually, the duo met in Tokyo for a week of communing with the material at Avaco Creative Studios, where new elements were composed on site.

Created in partnership with KENZO and premiered today via their channels, it was Partel Oliva who imagined a contemporary cinematic frame for the myth of the fox to re- appear, creating a hybrid of choreography and narrative around Takada and Lafawndah's performance of their joint composition (also titled Le Renard Bleu.) Returning to film in Japan for the third time, Partel Oliva's moving image work (Club Ark Eternal, The Pike and the Shield) has set the standard for and revolutionized the fashion art film. Their deployment of original music, dance, and a highly stylized mis en scene coalesces here in the casting of Los Angeles krump artist Qwenga as the eponymous fox, stalking the halls of the ancient Noh theater in which Takada and Lafawnda's performance takes place.

Why call up the myth of the fox now In Le Renard Bleu, Lafawndah and Takada's collapsing of distance between generations, styles, and milieus intimates that the relationship to time must be shaken. The future lies in fragments in the past; to remember is to recover it; the fox rises to thicken the plot.

Park Jiha first gained attention as the leader and producer of the neotraditional Korean duo (su:m). Her music combines the formalism of classical minimalism, the rootedness of Korean folk motifs and the dynamics of post-rock and contemporary jazz. A calm from within the storm.

The heavenly 'Skywards' leads the way upwards with tenderly treated spacious drum programming and light-as-air atmospherics while darker and deeper cavernous tones create the yin-yang balance of lightness and dark. 'Broken Spell' continues the uplifted vibe of a spell that when broken, blooms open with an intoxicating permeating sweetness like an exotic fragrance that lingers in one's memory. 'A New Day' leans slightly more towards a heavier driven track featuring a funky bassline with bright electronic notations as counterpoint while drifting, dreamy pads keep the overall mood airy and light. The off-kilter knob is turned way right on the bouncy final track 'Disjointed Route', injecting dashes of wry quirk alongside a lightly moving groove.

2022 repress

currently the rediscovery of long forgotten japanese electronic, jazz and new age music is at a peak like never before. but although many re-issues already flood the record stores around the world: the large, diverse musical culture of japan still got some gems in store that are really missing.

for example, it is still quiet around the the work of japanese bass player, new-age and ambient musi-cian motohiko hamase. when the today 66-years old artist started to be a professional musician in the 1970's, he quickly gained success as a versed studio instrumentalist and started to be part of the great modern jazz isao suzuki sextett, where he played with legends like pianist tsuyoshi yamamoto or fu-sion guitar one-off-a-kind kazumi watanabe.

he also was around in the studio when legendary japanese jazz records like 'straight ahead' of takao uematsu, 'moritato for osada' of jazz singer minami yasuda or 'moon stone' of synthesizer, piano and organ wizard mikio masuda been recorded.

in the 1980's hamase began to slowly drift away from jazz and drowned himself and his musical vision into new-age, ambient and experimental electronic spheres, in which he incorporated his funky medi-tative way of playing the bass above airy sounds and arrangements.

his first solo album 'intaglio' was not only a milestone of japanese new-age ambient, it was also fresh sonic journey in jazz that does not sound like jazz at all. now studio mule is happy to announce the re-recording of his gem from 1986, that opens new doors of perception while being not quite at all.

first issued by the japanese label shi zen, the record had a decent success in japan and by some overseas fans of music from the far east. with seven haunting, stylistically hard to pigeonhole compo-sitions hamase drifts around new-age worlds with howling wind sounds, gently bass picking and dis-creet drums, that sometimes remind the listener on the power of japanese taiko percussions. also, propulsive fourth-world-grooves call the tune and all composition avoid a foreseeable structure. at large his albums seem to be improvised and yet all is deeply composed.

music that works like shuffling through an imaginary sound library full of spiritual deepness, that even spreads in its shaky moments some profound relaxing moods. a true discovery of old music that oper-ates deeply contemporary due to his exploratory spirit and gently played tones. the release marks another highlight in studio mule's fresh mission to excavate neglected japanese music, that somehow has more to offer in present age, than at the time of his original birth.

Apollo is proud to welcome Paul Frick to the fold. Frick is a Berlin-born music composer primarily known as one part of the group Brandt Brauer Frick. Stunningly despite a 20+ year history of making music 'Second Yard Botanicals' is his debut album.  With BBF keeping Frick inspired and busy since 2009, other ideas had piled up until a temporary break allowed him to fully dive into them - "While it took so long until I made my first album, it took about two months once I started.Exploring a vast number of instruments, field recording and deconstructed breakbeats woven with undulating filters and gossamer melodies, the album sees Frick drawing on the world around him in a free associative style ; "A word I sometimes had in mind was - Alltagspoesie', the poetry of everyday life," he explains. "The thought that however small and unimportant things and people are, they - or we - all hint towards each other, if not to say towards the whole. The fact that half of the pieces on the record are short miniatures has to do with that. Throwing something in and hearing what it tells.

"Manchester has produced some of the world's most loved artists and bands - from indie to acid house - listened to by millions around the world.
Ad Hoc Records continues this musical tradition, as a record label dedicated to showcasing the very best of Manchester's music scene - with a firm 21st century, 'post-everything' mentality. First, Banana Hill's very own: Cervo (Black Acre/Lumberjacks in Hell); with its pulsing beat and bassline, Hesse Groove makes you want to discover a new part of town late at night. Next, is Taurtollo with an outstanding, universal composition that will be sure to delight ears and dancefloors. Penultimately, Paul Chamber's brings a raw, Fela Kuti sampling afro-house cut sure to get your head bobbing. Lastly, Ad Hoc regular Yadava (Church/Banoffee Pies/So Flute) brings the relaxing jazz-funk number Kadampa 125. If this doesn't get you moving whilst simultaneously achieving a zen state of mind, nothing will."

* "Of all the dubplates in my bag from this last few years, the ones I've selected most often have Walton's name scribbled on the sleeve. 'Black Lotus' is a unique creative statement; I'm very proud to release it on Tectonic and to support Walton, who I believe is a true talent." Pinch

* On July 6th Tectonic recordings presents the game-changing second album by 26 year old Mancunian Sam Walton, better known as simply Walton.
* 'Black Lotus' follows his inclusion on Tectonic's landmark 100th release - Riko Dan's 'Hard Food' EP, plus the 'Praying Mantis'/ 'Koto Riddim' 12' (also on Tectonic) and the 'Taiko' EP on Kaizen - the latter two of which hinted at the album's sound, but didn't fully prepare us for the brilliance to come.

* Abstract electronics, grime, dubstep and new styles that don't even have a name yet coalesce perfectly on this classic in the making. It finds Walton at peak power, reaching just as far (if not more so) than anything on the Pan, Different Circles, Boxed or Tectonic catalogues for pure futurism and new-terrain-traversing brilliance.

* Spacious and modern sounding, with just the right amount of grit, on 'Black Lotus' Walton has taken things the next level - setting an impressive new high bar. This is the best music to take inspiration from far eastern culture since Photek's seminal 'Ni - Ten - Ichi - Ryu' and 'The Water Margin'.

* Cinematic may be a term bandied about too often, but on this record it unquestionably applies, with the whole thing playing out like an epic movie, full of highs, lows, action, reflection and changing scenes.

* The album kicks off with 'Black Lotus', which makes it quickly evident that this isn't just another generic longplayer; a weightless/sino style intro segues into a mystical kalimba line, which is then is enveloped by huge waves of synthesized, pitched-down brass.

* 'Point Blank' offers locked, harsh mechanical funk, full of aggravated excitement, before sleek, spacious grime and disguised pop garage achieve twisted anthem status, on the hugely satisfying 'Koto Riddim'.

* 'No Mercy''s Yakuza crime riff is perfect for Riko Dan's threatening menace, especially at the point his voice gets distorted into a guttral and unsettling, demon-like wretch.

* 'Mad Zapper' is abstract, comprised of simple yet challenging beats, tones and stutters, whilst 'Angry Drummer''s taiko/kumi-daiko style percussion has a rousing, heavy thump.

* 'Pan' sounds equally enthralling whether soundtracking a dark movie scene of impending danger, or carying enratptured ravers on a danceflor journey, especially one suited to the synapse-prodding drama of a high production, lazer-heavy festival set.

* Choppy drums and bouncy bass tones are laced with the georgeos melody of 'Ehru', and 'Vectors' is sleek 'n' deep breakbeat-garage-meets-IDM.

* Although already known for elements of musicality, Walton raises his game even higher with the beautiful closing track 'White Lotus', which has a wow factor akin to hearing Aphex's Twin's 'Jynweythek Ylow' for the first time.

* 'The title came from the idea that I wanted it to be sweet and melodic in areas, but dark and grimey at the same time', recalls Walton. 'I never really listened to much Japanese and Chinese music before working on this, and that element originally came from listening to a lot of Sino grime stuff. It wasn't until I was deep into the process of making the album that I started listening to loads of traditional stuff on YouTube for melodic ideas, which changed how it turned out. The whole dubstep techno crossover thing was also a big influence.'
* 'I'm really happy to have Riko Dan & Wen on there', he adds. 'I've done a few remixes of Riko tunes which have had a great response, so it's been wicked to get some original material done together. The track with Wen was first started a while back, so I'm glad it was finally finished and will see a release.'
* Walton has been steadily gaining serious clout through releases since 2011 on Hyperdub, Keysound, Tectonic and Kaizen, with supporters including Mumdance, Logos, Slimzee, Laurel Halo, Wen, Hodge, Mary Anne Hobbs, Giles Peterson, Paleman, Teki Latex, Commodo, Loefah and Kode9. Key club, festival and radio shows include FWD at Plastic People, Fabric, Outlook, NTS, Rinse and BBC 1xtra.

While notorious in the Chicago streets, RP Boo's music had been unfairly confined to a few white labels and self-released mixtapes until his two archival Planet Mu LPs Legacy and Fingers, Bank Pads & Shoe Prints introduced broader audiences to his sonic history, some of it fifteen years after it was first recorded. I'll Tell You What! is the next step in his mission, and the first time he's released an album of contemporary material. The title, a favorite maxim of his, welcomes listeners to sit down and let him narrate in the unforgettable abstract fashion he's known for. He explores familiar motifs such as the cosmos, movement, and opposition, using densely interwoven vocals, unpredictable percussion, and evil humming bass as his tools of choice. RP Boo's music doesn't follow the traditional rules that most compositions do. Layering decades of samples from yesteryear to the present over his commanding vocal cut-ups, he transports the listener to their own realm of the space-time continuum. The main difference between this record and his prior work is now we hear Boo tell new stories about preaching his gospel outside of Chicago, from his experiences frantically touring the globe over the last five years. The words 'things ain't been the same / since I hopped the plane' are repeated on top of engine sounds and rumbling bass on Flight 1235, a glorious paean to his new jet-setting adventures. The spirit of competition runs through RP's veins as much as blood does, something you can't unlearn when you've been making music for Chicago's footwork circuit as long as he has. The local culture has served as a shelter from the violence that has plagued the city, pitting kids against each other with their feet rather than weapons. On At War Boo reminds us 'we are at war in the streets', a double meaning to both the mayhem in this world and the sweetness of rivalry on the dance floor. Another battle-themed track Cloudy Back Yard, one of the spacier moments on this album, is an abstract on the state of footwork's home. Chicago remains the backyard of this artform even though it's left the porch and traveled to new neighborhoods worldwide. Back at home though, competition among the DJs and dancers continues, and as the man himself says, 'with all this hate, there's smoke, and it's cloudy'. I'll Tell You What! throws more than a few curveballs into the mix. Footwork has always borrowed from hip-hop, and many vocal tracks are almost condensed raps, dating back to the street chants pioneered on Dance Mania Records in the ghetto house days. On Bounty, Boo grabs the mic and brazenly lays down a full-on verse of terror over a thick atmosphere of his signature sweltering low-end and erratic Roland R-70 patterns. While he's most famous for his confrontational battle anthems, his melancholy moments are just as powerful. You get the best of both of those worlds on U-Don't No, with soulful samples finishing his own cocky sentences, one of the most elegant tracks RP has made to date. Deep Sole closes the record out, with the words 'It's always beautiful at the end' looping over waves of hypnotic synthesis, confidently looking death straight in the eyes.

After releasing their Yantar LP digitally last year, Hell Yeah now serve up a much anticipated vinyl version of Richard Somerville and Craig Wilson's perfectly horizontal sounds. It features two of the superb originals with remixes from The Beat Broker and Los Gatos Escobar.

Somerville & Wilson have appeared on ISM Records, DWDK (Danny Was A Drag King), Paper Records and Music for Dreams and count the likes of Tensnake and Gerd Janson as fans of their laidback and charming grooves, and this EP is a real slab of heat that will surely sizzle souls across the world this summer.

First up, The Beat Broker proves he is on fire right now with a remix of the classic 'Melt'. His heart swelling remix has impossibly mellow chords ringing out into a yellow-orange sky as melodies rise and fall like a yacht bobbing on gentle waters. It's a blissed out musical sunset of the highest order.

Then comes Somerville & Wilson's 'Cero Gravity', eight minutes of cosmic synth workouts, yawning chords and long legged drums offset by soft acid. Drenched in reverb and rippling out in all directions, it's a warm musical rush that keeps washing over you until your soul melts away.

From New York, Los Gatos Escobar duo offer a more driving but just as tropical remix of 'Yantar' with big rubbery drums, zoned out chords and smeared pads. It's beautifully innocent and honest, heartfelt and meditative music that encourages you to escape to a seaside paradise.

Last of all, a melted Space Edit of Yantar is drowned in saturated chords, scorched pads and heat damaged keys that leave you adrift in a sea of sumptuousness.

Music doesn't come much more majestic, melodic and mellow than this.

The California EP pays homage to Diplo's first full-length release, Florida, where he spent much of his youth. The sonics on California share a similar tone: slow, vibey, & melancholic, a bit of a departure from the sound he has been known for in recent years. The EP is much more than just a handful of tracks, it's an introspective body of work.

2025 Repress

After a wildly successful collaboration on Thatmanmonkz's 'Turn It Out' from the LP, Columbus-ing, Dave Aju suggested they should continue their production streak for a new percussive tracks project. At the same time, Aju had finally kept his word to legendary Bay Area club/underground MC and personality, Foxxee aka Foxxee Brown aka Lawrence Petty, to work on a track together as well. Petty being a core part of the infamous Ya Mama's House radio show on 106 KMEL alongside Pete Avila and David Harness that introduced legions of young Bay Area DJs to real House Music, includ-ing Aju, in the early 90s. While Aju & Monkz had originally been working on more of a slick club romance narrative angle over some robust tumbling drums, some very tragic news had struck their hometown - at an under-ground event in Oakland California, more than 30 people including many dear friends and stalwarts of the local dance music community had been trapped inside a building and killed in a fire that broke out while doing what they love, in the now-infamous Ghost Ship. Lawrence and Aju immediately acknowledged and agreed that the track should serve as a tribute to the event and the loved ones affected by it. But decidedly, rather than it being a solemn requiem of sorts, it should reflect the communal power, strength and uplifting spirit of the underground scene they all helped build and knew so well. At first entitled They Sleep We Live, a representative reference to the iconic arm tattoo of the late Jonny Igaz aka Nacht, one of the more well-known and active DJs whose life was lost that tragic evening, and a lyrical direction idea for Lawrence for a direct tribute to the SF Bay Area scene,

Very nice compilation on this artists work - on the ever excellent Born Bad imprint!
.
For many decades until quite recently, little was known about music from Burkina Faso (which was formerly known as the Upper Volta). It is still one of the lesser known forms of popular music from West Africa. A few years before the country changed its name to Burkina Faso, thanks to Thomas Sankara's dream of a new society, Voltaic music emerged as some kind of true cultural revolution in the wake of the country's independence in 1960. Remote, poor and isolated, Upper Volta musicians coveted the orchestras and artists from abroad while creating a music of their own, based on rich cultural traditions

Popular music that sprung up from Burkina Faso owed much to the music from neighboring countries like Mali, Ghana, Ivory Coast or Benin, and to the longing for cultural authenticity' conveyed through Guinean music. In capital city Ouagadougou, as well as in Bobo-Dioulasso (Burkina's cultural capital until the 1980s), the first two decades of independence saw the upcoming of such orchestras and artists as Amadou Balaké, Georges Ouedraogo, Volta Jazz, l'Harmonie Voltaïque, Les Imbattables Léopards, Abdoulaye Cissé, Tidiane Coulibaly or Pierre Sandwidi.

Nicknamed the troubadour from the bush', Pierre Sandwidi stands as one of the finest Voltaic artists from the 1970s. He belonged to an unsung elite of Francophone artists such as Francis Bebey, G.G. Vickey, Amédée Pierre, André-Marie Tala, Pierre Tchana or Mamo Lagbema. His entire released output consists of less than ten 7 inches, two LPs and a bunch of cassettes. A man from the provinces, he always favored social engagement and carefully crafted lyrics over instant fame. His words and music challenged General Lamizana's dreary presidency, which ruled the country from 1966 to 1980.

For A Long Time, Electronic Music Has Been Understood In Terms Of Sounds Rooted In Particular Places: The Styles Of House And Techno Inextricably Wedded To Detroit, Or The Early '90s Jungle Sound Which Carries Echoes Of London. But That's Something Which Is Changing - In Latin America More Than Anywhere Else. A New Project, Led By Gilles Peterson And Rum Maker Havana Club (that Created The Havana Cultura Platform In 2007 To Promote The Island's Contemporary Culture), Shines A Light On Cuba's Fast-mutating, Rhythmically-adventurous Underground. It's A Scene Where Old Ideas Are Transplanted Into New Contexts, And Like-minded Scenes Are Brought Together In New Dialogues.

Havana Cultura: ¡su´belo, Cuba! Showcases An Extended Network Of Like-minded, Forward-thinking Musicians Driving Cuba's Music Forward. Following Repeated Trips To Connect With Venues, Collectives And Djs, Peterson And Will Lv - One Half Of Lv, Who've Released On Hyperdub And Keysound Amongst Others - Linked Up With Dj Jigu¨e, A Much-respected Producer And Dj, Whose Guampara Label Has Charted New Directions For Cuban Music. He's Been Profiled By The Fader And Vice, And The Album Features His Extended Network Of Collaborators, Connecting Afro-cuban Traditions With Contemporary Movements And Ideas.

The Album Provides A Snapshot Of A Unique Club Culture That's Fast Evolving. On The One Hand, It's Indebted To Cuba's Unique Characteristics, Where Regularly-practised Traditions Are Coloured By Intermittently-experienced Cultures From Outside. On The Other, It's Part Of A Global Shift Toward De-centred Club Music, With Homegrown, Influence-grabbing Dance Cultures Tilting Attention From Club Culture's Traditional Epicentres. It Offers A New Side To Havana That's Firmly Rooted In Its Past.

Record Kicks Is Extremely Proud To Present You A New Outfit That Will Take The Soul Scene By Storm: The Faithful Brothers. Coming Straight From The Brainchild Of Tel Aviv Soul Club, The Faithful Brothers Is Man Of North Country's (acid Jazz Records) Side -project And Its Leaded By Singer "soul Boy" Yashiv Cohen. Monc Teamed Up With Record Diggers The Neeman Brothers To Form This New Eight-piece Deep Soul Combo. Their Official Debut On Record Kicks Is Expected With 2 Brand New Singles That Will Be Available On Digital Download And Limited Edition 45 Next 15 Of June.

On The A Side "crossroads Of Love" Is A Northern Soul / R&b Stormer That Will Set All The Dancefloor On Fire. On The Flip Side The Stunning Crossover Soul Single "one More Time" Penned To Be An Instant Classic On All Rare Soul Dancefloors Across The World.

Don't Sleep Though, This 45 Will Be Limited To 500 Copies, So First Come First Served...watch Out!

Miss Kittin & The Hacker are the Electro duo of Caroline Hervé and Michel Amato from Grenoble, France. The pair met during the early 90s at a rave and soon after bought turntables and began DJing. In 1996, they started writing music heavily influenced by 1980s synthpop and post-punk bands like Fad Gadget, DAF, Liaisons Dangeuresues, and Yazoo, as well as Italo Disco. Bored by the techno scene at the time, they set out out to lighten the serious tone and bring a campy sexiness to the dour musical landscape. Upon hearing their demos DJ Hell signed them to his Munich-based International DJ Gigolo label and released their first 2 EPs in 1998 and 1999. Their debut album 'First Album" was released in 2001 followed by . in .

Lost Tracks Vol. 2' contains 4 previously unreleased demos recorded between 1997 and 1999. The duo fused 80's European New Wave/Italo Disco with 90's Detroit Electro acts like Le Car and Dopplereffekt. By utilizing verse-chorus structures, they playfully shook up the loop based hard techno and electro that was popular at the time. Their studio set up at the time was a Korg MS-20, Roland SH-101, TR-606, TR-808, Siel DK80, and Boss DR-660 drum machine. The songs are direct, spontaneous, seemingly improvised in places. Miss Kittin sings about falling in love in the new millennium, snuff movies and controlling the unknown trip to death, all in her cheekily derisive French accent.

All songs have been transferred from the original DAT tapes by the band and remastered for vinyl by George Horn at Fantasy Studios. The vinyl comes housed in a glossy jacket featuring a black and white photo of the duo taken in 1996. Each LP includes a postcard with liner notes from Miss Kittin and The Hacker designed by Eloise Leigh. As Miss Kittin says of these demos, We were naive, innocent, adventurous and we didn't expect anything in return'

Katharsis was originally a regular party organized at the infamous Contact, Tokyo, the home of the electronic music scene in Japan.
In 2017 Katharsis Recordings was launched, with the first release being touted by many in the Japanese techno scene and played by the
likes of DJ Nobu at Dekmantel.The second release will be scripted with another compilation of 4 Japanese artists.

The first on the A side, Mikuni Kaido by head honcho Masafumi Take, is a fresh track that combines nostalgic arps and analogue bass.

The other main member Kannabi's track 'Shoka' on the B side is an abstract rhythmical piece that evolves slowly.

The second track on the A side 'Kirisame' is by a new member O-Ma. A modular synth enthusiast, his unique analogue sounds are a trademark
of his tracks.


The last track on the EP is 'Yoake' by veteran Ryogo Yamamori. The rolling beat and spacey synth sound gradually build up to a climax and
makes this track perfect for the dance floor.

All 4 tracks are distinctly different showcasing the identity of each artist. This new movement represents a fresh approach to the Japanese
techno scene.

Raga Yaman
1) Alap
2) Jod
3) Jhala
4) Gat (Composition in Chautal)

Zia Mohiuddin Dagar : rudra veena
Manik Munde : pakhawaj
Gayathri Rajapur & Annie Penta : tanpuras

Recorded by unknown at the University of Washington, HUB Auditorium, Seattle, Washington 15 March 1986 , concert co-sponsored by the UW Ethnomusicology Division and Ragamala.
Original digitally processed audio recording made with Panasonic PV-9000 VCR, Sony PCM-F1, PZM mics. Mastered & Cut by Rashad Becker at Dubplates & Mastering 1117 & 0318.

Liner notes by Renaud Brizard, Stephen O'Malley & Ian Christe.
Front and back cover photos by Niranjan B. Benegal, Seattle Center Folklife Festival 1979. Elizabeth Reeke & Annie Penta on tanpuras.
Inner gatefold photography by Niranjan B. Benegal & Ira Landgarten.

Around ten years ago, deep into a cozy and hazy night following a concert with my sound brothers Daniel O'Sullivan and Kristoffer Rygg in London (as Æthenor), they graciously introduced me to a recording of rudra veena (a kind of noble deeper bass relative to the sitar, in a way) as performed by dhrupad master Zia Mohiuddin Dagar.

Dhrupad, for those who do not know, is a branch of Hindustani classical music said to "show the raga in its clearest and purest form". It's pacing concentrates heavily on the slow, contemplative alap section and works with specific microtonal gestures and deep characteristics of resonance ... in short I was hooked on this new (to me) and ancient form of music from the first listen, and feel that a more or less continual listening & reviewing of Zia Mohiuddin Dagar's recordings in the years that followed have influenced my own approach to music quite heavily (if, albeit, indirectly).

In early 2015 I was able to make contact with Zia Mohiuddin Dagar's son Bahauddin and some of his American students/disciples, primarily Jeff Lewis. Over time we developed a friendly and educational exchange, access a massive archive of recordings and developed these two paired titles for my label. It's been a long path to arrive at actually releasing them but also probably in many ways one of the most significant releases I've worked on. And I'm proud to be able to reveal these to date unreleased archival recordings of one of the masters of dhrupad, Z. M. Dagar, to the public for the first time.

Zia Mohiuddin Dagar was the nineteenth generation in a family tradition known as Dagar gharana, a rich lineage which continued and performed the musical form of dhrupad (Bahauddin Dagar continues the lineage as a master rudra veena dhrupad player of note today). Initially, dhrupad was a rigorous, austere, devotional genre that was sung in Hindu temples. But between the 16th and the 18th centuries, it became the preeminent genre in royal courts in North and Central India, and the Dagar gharana developed and continued publicly following the eventual loss of court patronage for dhrupad in the 19th century. The French ethnomusicologist Renaud Brizard covers the story of Zia Mohiuddin Dagar's life and teaching (a long story also in Seattle, my hometown!), the Dagar family and gharana, the rudra veena and more topics in an extensive set of liner notes in this release.

Raga Yaman was recorded at a public concert in Seattle at the HUB Ballroom at the University of Washington in March 1986 (the week after the accompanying release SOMA028 Ragas Abhogi & Vardhani was recorded) at the end of his last tour of the United States. Yaman was a special raga for Zia Mohiuddin Dagar, one of his signature raags. For centuries, Yaman has been considered as one of the most fundamental ragas in Hindustani music and is one of the first ragas which is taught to students. A deep knowledge of Yaman gives a key for understanding many other ragas. It's filled with tranquility, contemplation, pathos and spiritual yearning. .

-Stephen O'Malley, March 2018, Paris, France

Raga Abhogi
1) Alap
2) Jod
3) Jhala

Raga Vardhani
4) Alap
5) Jod
6) Jhala

Zia Mohiuddin Dagar : rudra veena
Annie Penta : tanpura

Concert recorded at the home of Shantha and Niranjan B. Benegal, Seattle, Washington 9 March 1986.
Recorded by Niranjan Benegal. Files obtained from Jeff Lewis.
Mastered & Cut by Rashad Becker at Dubplates & Mastering 1117 & 0318.

Liner notes by Renaud Brizard, edited by Stephen O'Malley & Ian Christe.
Front and back cover photos by unknown.
Interior photography by Niranjan B. Benegal, Dan Neuman & unknown, Seattle 1978-1980. .

Around ten years ago, deep into a cozy and hazy night following a concert with my sound brothers Daniel O'Sullivan and Kristoffer Rygg in London (as Æthenor), they graciously introduced me to a recording of rudra veena (a kind of noble deeper bass relative to the sitar, in a way) as performed by dhrupad master Zia Mohiuddin Dagar.

Dhrupad, for those who do not know, is a branch of Hindustani classical music said to "show the raga in its clearest and purest form". It's pacing concentrates heavily on the slow, contemplative alap section and works with specific microtonal gestures and deep characteristics of resonance ... in short I was hooked on this new (to me) and ancient form of music from the first listen, and feel that a more or less continual listening & reviewing of Zia Mohiuddin Dagar's recordings in the years that followed have influenced my own approach to music quite heavily (if, albeit, indirectly).

In early 2015 I was able to make contact with Zia Mohiuddin Dagar's son Bahauddin and some of his American students/disciples, primarily Jeff Lewis. Over time we developed a friendly and educational exchange, access a massive archive of recordings and developed these two paired titles for my label. It's been a long path to arrive at actually releasing them but also probably in many ways one of the most significant releases I've worked on. And I'm proud to be able to reveal these to date unreleased archival recordings of one of the masters of dhrupad, Z. M. Dagar, to the public for the first time.

Zia Mohiuddin Dagar was the nineteenth generation in a family tradition known as Dagar gharana, a rich lineage which continued and performed the musical form of dhrupad (Bahauddin Dagar continues the lineage as a master rudra veena dhrupad player of note today). Initially, dhrupad was a rigorous, austere, devotional genre that was sung in Hindu temples. But between the 16th and the 18th centuries, it became the preeminent genre in royal courts in North and Central India, and the Dagar gharana developed and continued publicly following the eventual loss of court patronage for dhrupad in the 19th century. The French ethnomusicologist Renaud Brizard covers the story of Zia Mohiuddin Dagar's life and teaching (a long story also in Seattle, my hometown!), the Dagar family and gharana, the rudra veena and more topics in an extensive set of liner notes in this release.

Ragas Abhogi & Vardhani were recorded in a private house concert in Seattle at the home of the Benegals in March 1986 (the week before the accompanying release SOMA029 Raga Yaman was recorded). The Benegals were friends (& Shantha Benegal was also a student) of Dagarsahib who sometimes hosted Hindustani music concerts in their home. It's a rare glimpse of a more intimate, personal and perhaps different kind of performance considering the form of dhrupad.

-Stephen O'Malley, March 2018, Paris, France

Stephen O'Malley would like to especially thank Bahauddin Dagar, Jeff Lewis & Jody Stecher for their enthusiasm, cooperation, patience, insight & advice toward developing these editions. Thank you also to Laurel Sercombe & John Vallier from the University of Washington Ethnomusicology Archives, Shantha Benegal, Philippe Bruguière, Dan Neuman, Ira Landgarten, Renaud Brizard, Ian Christe, Peter Rehberg, Rashad Becker, Daniel O'Sullivan & Kristoffer Rygg, all for their direct or indirect cooperation, assistance & patience.

A near-perfect record, White Magic was the lauded CD-only debut album by Sorcerer (Californian native Dan Judd, one half of Windsurf with Hatchback). Just in time for Spring/Summer, we present the first ever vinyl issue, released as a deluxe double LP.

Back in summer 2007, this majestic set gently nestled itself into the Balearic soundtrack-to-summer slot for many, making him a household name for Cosmic Disco heads alongside the likes of Lindstrom, Metro Area, Todd Terje, Mudd, Studio and Quiet Village. In the intervening years, exceptional producers have created vibrant variations on the dreamy, dubby, melodic nu-disco theme. Happily, the emergence of such luminaries as Jex Opolis, Harvey Sutherland, Suzanne Kraft, Tornado Wallace et al has only served to make the master - Sorcerer - sound ever more brilliant and vital.

Utilising his array of guitars, drum machines, synths, and trusty MPC, the loved-up Sorcerer sound inspires halcyon memories of warm days, endless sunsets and pure youthful abandon. Influenced by surf, 80s dance pop, acid-R&B, space jazz, krautrock, disco, dub, and am radio gold, his music maps a tour through a uniquely Californian lifestyle. Yet when music so vividly captures a vibe and a feeling, it can make writing about it appear almost redundant. Instead, to glean the full colour of what your turntable will soon gratefully radiate, we prescribe the generous soundclips presented here.

And, for a unique insight into the process behind the wonderful sounds conjured up, here's Sorcerer himself:

"White Magic is a reflection of personal freedom and discovery. Having been in bands for years, this was a chance to develop music that stood alone and for me to be in full control.

I was living alone and worked on jams whenever I could. I was highly inspired by a new openness to music as a pure inspiration, not being part of any scene. I tapped into the mixes I was hearing coming out the UK where deejays were playing "cosmic" sounds that were so strangely familiar.

I was picking up all kinds of $1 vinyl and throwing bits of it into my sampler almost randomly to see what would come out.

In my mind, I was making music to be played at my friend's Broker/Dealer Pop nights where they fused golden German techno sounds with the new disco emerging at the time. Also, I took vacations and reconnected with the Pacific Ocean where I spent so much time as a kid: it spilled out into the sounds.

Lastly, I forged a partnership with Hatchback (Sam Grawe) who was working on music in the same way. I learned so much about arrangement and the colors of music. We began recording together as Windsurf and released our own stuff. It all seems like a small glorious moment in time, so I am so excited to keep the legacy alive and I continue to work on my music with these spirits inside of me."

Lovingly remastered by the esteemed Simon Francis, cut reassuringly loud on to heavyweight double vinyl and presented in a deluxe gatefold jacket with freshly commissioned artwork throughout from original designer Rich Robinson, this limited edition of 500 copies is sure to fly.