Search:here today

2x12" Repress


January 1981 found Gudrun Gut and Bettina Koster in Christopher Franke’s Berlin-Spandau Studio recording their first Malaria! EP (Zensor Records). Christine Hahn of The Static with Glenn Branca and Barbara Ess, joined in from New York, and Manon P. Duursma fresh from Nina Hagen’s O.U.T. project and Susanne Kuhnke completed the Line-Up.

Malaria! started touring intensively soon after the release of their 12”, commencing with a concert with New Order at Brussel’s Ancienne Belgique, and going on from there to concerts with Siouxsie and the Banshees, Birthday Party, The Slits, The AuPairs, Raincoats, Nina Hagen, John Cale, Einstuerzende Neubauten. They played venues as diverse as the Mudd Club, Peppermint Lounge and Studio 54 in New York, the Documenta in Kassel, the Bat Cave in London, Les Bains Douche in Paris, Milky Way and Paradiso in Amsterdam, ICA in London, the Piazza Santa Maria Novella in Florence and Markthalle in Hamburg and naturally, again and again, at the SO36 in Berlin.

While touring, Malaria! used their time off to record in Studios in New York, London, Brussels, New Orleans, and in Berlin (How Do You Like My New Dog? 7”, Weisses Wasser 12”, New York Passage 12”, Revisited MC, Emotion Album). At the BBC studios in London Maida Vale Malaria recorded an Kit Jensen and a John Peel Session.

Malaria! took a break in 1984 - Bettina and Christine re-located to New York, and Gudrun and Manon stayed in Berlin to form, with Beate Bartel, Matador, but not before they recorded their Mini-Album, Beat the Distance. 1992 Gudrun, Bettina, Christine, and Manon met up in New Orleans with Jim Thirlwell (Foetus) to record Elation 12”. Elation was followed by Cheerio, Album, which again was recorded in Berlin.

Chicks on Speed did their own version of Malaria’s song, Kaltes Klares Wasser in 2001, and the Remix went into the German Top 10.

Malaria has been an instrumental part of Berlin Music History, as recently presented at the „Zurück zum Beton“ at Düsseldorf’s Kunstakademie, Kunsthalle Wien „Punk!“, „Geniale Dilletanten“ Goethe Institut, and in B-Movie.

BIBA KOPF 2019
The theme song for that great German road movie yet to be made, Malaria!’s 1981 single “How Do You Like My New Dog?” etched the E into the motion music of their soon-come debut album Emotion with its trail-out line “Immer vorwärts, nie zurück...”. Always forward, never back: from West Berlin to London, Paris, New York and Tokyo... from here, there and everywhere to eternity, the Autobahn goes on forever, with Malaria! at the wheel, spinning new moves from timelines crossed in records and songs right on the money evoking Zarah Leander, fighting the power, staring down Death, and a whole lot more. In all, one merry hell of a ride, and on the evidence of Compiled 2.0, it’s not over yet.

MARK REEDER 2019
"Even today, their originality in everything from sound to style, has proven just how relevant Malaria! are. In my opinion, their music has stood the test of time. To me, Emotion sounds as good today as it did when it was first released and it was a pleasure to revisit it. They might not have had any zillion selling albums, and their image might have been copied, while their sound could never be. They remain exclusively unique and their influence and legacy will reach far into the future. This band is both an inspiration and a statement and they prove what five very creative girls can achieve, if given the right support to allow them to evolve, and it is exactly that, which has made Malaria! Germany’s most successful and renowned, all-girl band...“

DIEDRICH DIEDERICHSEN 1991
"...Malaria! put across so many clear, manifest, attractive, certain, muscular, and harsh symbols, just as they refused - defying the customs intrinsic to these symbols and the worlds in which they circulate - to weave all these things into a readable, reproducible and manageable, generic text..."

Like a phoenix from the ashes, the mighty Cécille Records is back, and return with their 2008 club smash, ‘Nesrib’ which launched the career of label mainstay SIS, and here is catapulted into the present day with a remix from Fuse hero Archie Hamilton.

Established in 2007 by Nick Curly and Marc Scholl, Cécille quickly became a trustworthy and steadfast purveyor of deep tech-influenced music. With its reputation for quality unsurpassed, Cécille attracted a
wealth of talent, none so much as SIS. German-born Burak Sur’s origin story is evergreen. Caught up in the rhythms of DJ Karotte at U60 club in Frankfurt one night, he decided that dance music was his life’s mission and began to plot his future. Already a proficient rock drummer, he learned to DJ and produce at the age of 21, releasing his first tracks in 2006.

‘Nesrib’ catapulted SIS on a furious 4-year musical journey which saw him win multiple awards for ‘Track of the Year’, ‘Producer of the Year’ and ‘Breakthrough Artist of the Year’ across the music press. Still
performing at clubs and festivals today, SIS has perfected his live/DJ hybrid show which continues to take him around the world.

For his remix, Archie Hamilton has dug deep into his roots to transform SIS’s original bumpy minimal techno vibe into a fully formed rolling tech monster. Aquatic FX and sparse percussion open the track before that huge growling bass shifts things into high gear. Carefully holding back on the vocal chops, Hamilton carves out a muscular groove before unleashing Williams’ diva lyrics.

PLAYED BY Marco Carola, Martinez Brothers, Luciano, Reboot, Nick Curly, Archie Hamilton

Are you ready for fresh blood! Some time ago, Tomorrow Is Now Kid! head honcho Alex Salvador and Jelle Meeuwsen aka "Pokopoko" met while spinning records and talking music at a party in Tilburg, The Netherlands. A big stack of demos got sent over to the TINK! headquarters and eventually a debut EP named "Petrichor" was created. A powerful four-tracker with a dusty and melancholic take on today's House music. It's raw and funky but changes vibes throughout, keeping it fresh. That said, "Petrichor EP" is an emotional rollercoaster and a tribute to the ever-changing and unpredictable Dutch weather.

DJ Feedback

Harry Avers:
"A solid EP."


Colin Dale:
"Great sound and a solid EP."


Jeff Barker:
"Iglozbub and Stipperflip are cool. Will support, cheers!"


Simon Huxtable:
"There's a distinct 90s UK house vibe to this EP. Good stuff."


Michael Serafini:
"Excellent! Petrichor and Hurdy Gurdy solid."


Jacques Renault:
"Always dig a new release from Tomorrow is Now Kid!"


Tim Haze:
"Very nice EP, will definitely play out. Soulful, funky, deep and energetic all at the same time. "


Mirco Violi:
"Very nice tracks."


Robert Monk:
"Quality proper Deep House cuts - love em all."


Eric Downer:
"Love the slowly unfurling start to the ep, 'Hurdy Gurdy', introducing things with floaty keys and jaunty percussion. this leads into the smart, sunny and upbeat 'Iglozub' which is snappy, bringing the mood up a little and spilling into the deep, meandering but no less uplifting 'Stipperflip' and a driven hi-hat dripping over a thick bass pump. Pokopoko saves the best for last, however, with all tracks leading to the majestic 'Petrichor', deep, dynamic and evolving with sweet, aching chords laced up with a crispy shaker and syrup-smooth bassline. Perfection."


Agus Arbol:
"House music at its best."


Severino Panzetta:
"Cool vibe."


Tunde Adams (DJ Caspa):
"Really nice ep here, will be supporting. "


Ben Gomori:
"Iglozub is stunning."


Al Bradley:
"Cool EP right here, saving the best to last with Petrichor doing the business!"


Timos:
"Nice work, I like it thanks!"


Paul Hazendonk:
"Lovely lovely vibe in Iglozub."


Times are Ruff:
"Nice work! Cool tracks."


Nathan Goode:
"Another fine release by TINK! Can't wait to play this one on air! "


MEAT:
"Great tunes!"


Robert Colon:
"This Is Some Beautiful Sexy, Dirty & Filthy House & I Am Loving It! I Will Be Smashing This Out."

For its 50th release, Black Truffle presents the 9th album from one of the label’s core ensembles, the power trio of Keiji Haino, Jim O’Rourke and Oren Ambarchi. Drawn from a November 2015 performance at Tokyo’s now-defunct SuperDeluxe, the record’s opening piece drops us immediately into the maelstrom, abruptly cutting into an extended episode of Ambarchi’s pummelling drums, O’Rourke’s fuzzed-out 6 string bass and Haino’s roaring guitar and electronics. Eventually settling into a hypnotic bass and drum groove over which Haino unleashes some almost Ray Russell-eque skittering atonal screech, these opening 13 minutes act as a potent reminder of the trio’s power. Alongside showcasing the steady development of a unique language for the guitar-bass-drums power trio, the group’s succession of releases over the last decade has demonstrated a constant experimentation with new instruments, which continues here with O’Rourke use of Hammond organ (played at the same time as his roaming, sometimes knotty basslines). On the album’s second piece, the organ plays a key role, furnishing a harmonically rich shimmer over O’Rourke’s angular 6 string bass chords, Haino’s distant, chirping electronics and Ambarchi’s crisp cymbal work; arriving somewhere halfway between Albert Marcoeur and Terje Rypdal, this piece is undoubtedly a highlight in the trio’s catalogue so far. Sides two and three are given over to slow-burning, multi-part epics that range from spacious reflection to furious tumult. Where the trio’s previous 2LP set (This Dazzling, Genuine “Difference” Now Where Shall It Go?, 2017) was primarily instrumental in focus, here we find Haino’s voice taking the spotlight on the expansive third side, intoning, wailing and exhorting in Japanese and English over a backdrop that moves from hushed bass and organ atmospherics to rolling toms and cymbal crashes before arriving at an ecstatic finale of searing guitar, tumbling drums and reverb-saturated bass. The fourth side returns to the hypnotic grooves of the opening piece, fixing on an relentless riff and riding it into oblivion under Haino’s roaming psychedelic soloing and jagged chordal slashes.

In support of their forthcoming Bob Moog documentary Electronic Voyager, Waveshaper Media have produced a compilation LP of Moog recordings from the 1960s. The first compilation of its kind, Electronic Voyages: Early Moog recordings 1964-1969 contains tracks by Robert Arthur Moog, Herbert Deutsch, Joel Chadabe, Lothar and the Hand People, Intersystems, Ruth White, Max Brand, and Paul Earls. All of these tracks, released here on vinyl in an edition of 1000 copies, have been scarcely heard and difficult to track down, with all but three of them previously unreleased on vinyl.

Bypassing the Moog synthesizer’s backseat appearance on key pop recordings by the likes of the Beatles, the Doors, and the Beach Boys, Electronic Voyages aims to highlight the diverse approach of 1960s musicians and composers who adopted the Moog as their primary instrument; these recordings all feature the Moog synthesizer front and centre. Beginning with an “audio letter” (The Abominatron) from Bob Moog to his musician-muse Herbert Deutsch, demonstrating some of the first Moog synthesizer prototype’s capabilities, Electronic Voyages veers from avant-garde and electronic soundscapes, to psychedelic madness and summer-of-love pop. In the 1960s, the Moog synthesizer was a new, groundbreaking instrument, and its use was completely uncharted territory. The pioneering use of the Moog on all of these recordings sounds fresh today - you can sense the wide-eyed exploratory delight unfolding, and the disparate results range from endearingly naive (Lothar and the Hand People, Paul Earls) to downright eerie (Ruth White, Intersystems).

The musicians and composers behind these Electronic Voyages may have been among the first to adopt Moog synthesizers, but the fact that they so readily found within them expressivity, heart, and a means to translate their wondrous sense of discovery, speaks far more to Bob Moog’s visionary invention and enduring legacy.

Charles Trees. Myth, tall tale, legend of a human being, one of those people who one minute you'll be scouring reddit for obscure content and the next, stepping on stage to casually DJ to thousands of people like “no big whoop” at a French music festival. Charles is unassuming, the kind of person who effortlessly mixes ghettotech into soul for lulz, who samples a speech (/rant) by Funkmaster Flex in an acid track, or rides BMG & Derek Plaslaiko’s “True Story of a Detroit Groove” with Velvet Underground’s “Sister Ray” for 8 minutes straight.

Charles' relationship with electronic music started early. In high school, Dave Shayman (Disco D) introduced Charles to DJing and he was a regular at Dubplate Pressure*– Todd Osborn's now-legendary record store in Ann Arbor. By 1998, he was already playing on raves in Detroit. A year later, he was the first person to show Zach Saginaw (Shigeto) to Ghostly International, arguably altering the course of our lives forever. In the late 2000s, they became label mates on Moodgadget, the record label of Jakub Alexander (Heathered Pearls).

Through out the years, Charles has been a musical mentor (whether DJing, producing or throwing shows) to many, danced at every weekly at every venue in Ann Arbor & Detroit, produced Hip Hop, and fronted a psych rock band. He has released music on Moodgadget (US), Musique Large (FR), Lovemonk (ES), Vanity Press (US) and JFX Lab (FR). Today, between DJing, hosting radio shows and producing new music, Charles regularly throws shows/parties/raves, and hosts a monthly at Deluxx Fluxx.

We love Charles Trees and we're proud to present "2019," the eighth record on Portage Garage Sounds.

*Additional reading: Dubplate Pressure: was the precursor to Technical Equipment Supply; how Todd Osborn was discovered by Richard D. James and signed to Rephlex Records; where Sam Valenti IV, the founder of Ghostly International, met Tadd Mullinix (Dabrye, JTC, Charles Manier, X-Altera); one of the reasons why we're all here

"Got No"
Hit the ground running.
Chopped up vocal stabs and a playful syncopated melody accompany this percussion heavy two-step shuffle as it speeds down the Lodge on a Friday night in Detroit.

"Think First"
Undeniable rhythm section pocket.
Acoustic bass and dirty ride symbols swing alongside lush keyboards and sprinkles of light melodicism in this psych house banger.
Think St. Germain with CAN playing a warped version of "Rose Rouge."

"In Arms"
Crave the rave. Whips crack and sizzle in this dubbed out techno slapper. A modern take on a classic sound. Trees conjures an era close to his heart: when the warehouse was church and service didn't stop until the sun came up.


"Acja feat. Marcus Elliot ("12 club mix)
Beautifully understated and triumphant.
This closer marks the return of Detroit Saxophonist Marcus Elliot (Detroit pt II - PGS 001). His notes dance and soar over a creeping acid line, while driving drums and warm pads effortlessly take you home in this powerful house anthem.

More golden era heat from the nervous vaults! It keeps coming!
1994 is the year and Black Moon and the whole Boot Camp Clik are on a major roll.
'Buck Em Down' is as potent today as it was back then with Da Beatminerz bros flipping Donald with a little 'Hihache' in the mix.
Oh? You love that gritty SP1200, filtered out, buddah smoke filled basement sound? Well, this is for you. All-time classic stuff right here, easily.
Here on dinked 45 for the first time ever you get the dirty instrumental versions of this sublime mid-90's banger.

Fully legit, licensed and reissued by Above Board distribution in conjunction with Nervous Records, NYC. 2019.

More golden era heat from the nervous vaults! It keeps coming!
Another stripped back, rough & raw banger from the vintage mid-90's output of Brooklyn's Black Moon crew, a legendary group.
'Powaful Impak' . still sounds super heavy today, a swirling mixture of dancehall vox, Busta samples and ultra raw and banging SP1200 loops courtesy of the mighty Evil Dee & Mr. Walt aka Da Beatminerz. Nobody comes close to the ferocity of this, super hard, street level hip-hop that encapsulates NYC beautifully, ultra gritty! Throw on your timbs, Carhartt jeans and jump the turnstyle to this right here. Essential vintage rap, instrumental included. Cop that.

Fully legit, licensed and reissued by Above Board distribution in conjunction with Nervous Records, NYC. 2019.

Enzo Elia – one who knows how to conceive Italo driven audible passion with the machines that surround him. His releases on cult labels Compost, Free Range and Black Pearls Records have long spoken to us here at KOMPAKT.

We welcome this summer heater which is “Gilli 88 EP”. A tribute to the 80s phenomenon…THE PANINARO. Without any ideological basis or connection to a particular lifestyle THE PANINARO was based around fashion imagery and luxurious clothing. Enzo found this translatable to today’s social network dynamics and is prime for the retrofuturistic dancefloors of today that are inspired by the golden days of Italo-Disco.

“Low Red” is a Italo-Pop gem conceived with Quique Aldebaran and Quique on vocals that takes inspiration from the legends that were – the mighty Suicide. An instrumental version dives deeper into the groove for DJ play persuasion. “Aj Squinza” takes a classic 80’s disco approach with sound-scaping synths that endlessly jam with an everchanging rhythm. “Volpinata” succumbs to a classic EBM groove that finds its way out of focus due to fat synth melodies that engorge this elevating track.

Soul Jazz Records are releasing this stunning new collection, The World of Keith Haring, featuring
music influential to the artist Keith Haring.
The art of Keith Haring is today one of the most recognisable of any visual artists of his generation,
defining 1980s New York during an intense period when downtown artists and musicians collaborated
like never before. Haring’s musical inspiration took in the punk/dance downtown sounds of clubs like
The Mudd Club, underground disco at Larry Levan’s Paradise Garage, as well the early days of hip-hop
and electro.
The album is released to coincide with the opening of the first major exhibition in the UK of Keith
Haring’s work at Tate Liverpool and which runs for the next six months.
Haring’s many friends included Jean-Michel Basquiat, Andy Warhol, Madonna, Fab Five Freddy,
William Burroughs, Jenny Holzer, Yoko Ono, Grace Jones, Larry Levan, Futura 2000.
If you were looking for a person to guide you through the wide variety of nightclub scenes of
downtown New York in the 1980s, then Keith Haring would have been your man.
This album comes in deluxe artwork and three formats – Double CD + 48-page book, a deluxe 3xLP +
bonus 7” + download code vinyl version, and a standard 3xLP + download standard vinyl version. All
formats of the album feature stunning photography, extensive sleevenotes and interviews.
The music here includes the work of a number of Haring’s close friends, including Jean-Michel
Basquiat, Yoko Ono, Larry Levan, John Sex and George Condo (The Girls), as well as healthy dose of
rare disco, early electro and New York punk/dance tracks.

For Against Fascism Trax 006, Auntie Flo takes us to Brazil, a country that is dealing with having a bona fide fascist president, with an EP recorded in Rio De Janeiro. I’m going to shut up and let Afonso Marcondes from Sao Paolo take it from here -

In a world in which culture policies (incl. music) win nationalist tones, Brazil has lessons to give with the catastrophic failed experience of the last government and the teletubbies talk on Culture from the current one.

As one sometimes feel as if one is on a time-warp from time to time, most often taken there by music, songs like March of The Berimbau here, could easy make for the perfect soundtrack for the political history of Brazil, country in which Auntie Flo got his inspiration and recorded this tracks.

From the military regime that gave Brazil bossa nova in the 60’s, the tropicália sounds of the 70’s to the pop rock era of the 80’s all the way from the rave scene of the 90’s to todays Bahia Bass, music in Brazil has always been instrumental in helping shape the political scene.

One thing about the Brazilian music ’scene’ is that rarely it lends itself to extreme political views, via lyrics or otherwise, after all, carnaval must be kept a happy time! The number of different cultures living in peace, side by side in Brazil has strenghten the country disapproval of hate talk in music since I can remember growing up in the interior of São Paulo state.

As per wiki: Fascism is a form of radical ultranationalism, characterized by dictatorial power, forcible suppression of opposition… Children bedtime reading if you follow the past 15 years in Brazilian politics and the rise and fall of Brazil’s Labour Party, together with its disastrous polices on culture and synergy with de definition above; including the views of a important cultural Party branch that continuously 'preached' that Authors should need no rights over their works. That couldn’t bit music in Brazil.

Fast forward to the first 5 months of government of an unfortunate retired army officer, whose every word sounds like Trump, and whose views on culture is to extinguish the Culture Ministry and cut low the state incentives to the sector, that, so far, is not bitting music in Brasil.

Hope that Auntie Flo’s music inspired everyone as the place where it was made and recorded inspired music in Brazil, as a beacon of light against any hate talk darkness.

U Know Me Records proudly presents a special album showcasing Polish drumming scene - each track was produced by a different drummer - these are their portraits.

official video promo: https://youtu.be/qxuTYjMRUMM

In the 21st century drummers imperceptibly switched from the background to the front line, despite popular music not exactly pandering to them. In the early days of rock culture this joke made the rounds "What's the last thing a drummer says in a band?" "Perhaps we could play one of my songs…?"
In popular music the drummer became the first to compete with machines. They were the first band members that consequently began disappearing, however, as contemporary electronic music took hold, they were also the first to return. First they were incorporated into compositions but gradually - took centre stage. Thanks partly to the ubiquitous culture of Hip Hop recognising the drummer's role as key in any recording, alongside the eclecticism of new music, which demanded fluid transitions between musical forms, a drummer's adaptive skills – as a trained multi instrumentalist – became truly impressive. This new generation of drummers seen on Polish stages today are exceptional even against the backdrop of today's unusually creative and well-educated music scene which rejects narrow minded or genre-centric views.

This album exhibits portraits from the cream of today's Polish drummers. Kovalevo Tone Bank by Michał Bryndal tags the 1980's, the era which began stealing drummers' bread. Incidentally, the heavy groove laid down by the artist references a hit by Wham!, the same hit in which the group decided to cut the drummer's part because he was late and replace him with a LinnDrumm machine. Hubert Zemler in The Life and Death of Ben Bekele and Łukasz Moskal in Father Sparrow show they've found themselves perfectly in close cooperation with electronic instruments.
Multifaceted improvisors - Qba Janicki (Kabina projekcyjna) and Jan Młynarski (Roj) - transform their drums kits into multifunctional devices capable of delivering wildly diverse palettes of sound. Rafał Dutkiewicz (Displaced) showcases drums as the lead instrument on a club track. Marcin Rak (Alpaka) does the same, but with the conventions of Funk and Hip Hop, whereas Krzysztof Dziedzic (Vagabonde) gravitates towards the edges of jazz. Each of them here is a leader and… plays one of their songs.

Bartek Chaciński
(translation: Sean Palmer)

Massive balearic summer vibes going on here! Futuribile records did set its eyes on the past with a reissue of Il Giardino dei Semplici's "Carnevale Da Buttare". In addition to the original song, this 45rpm 12" record provides an instrumental rework of "Carnevale Da Buttare" by Raffaele 'Whodamanny' Arcella, the son of Il Giardino dei Semplici's keyboardist and founding member Andrea Arcella. Whodamanny makes a nice balance between the original and todays functionality. He swapped the blazing saxophones for mind-melting synth solos that takes things into othe realms. Hot stuff!!.

Compilation of work from the group, spanning 1986 to 1991.. Dub infused experimental tunes here!

Politico dub-collage practitioners Guerilla Welfare came from Edmonton, Alberta, coincidentally the birthplace of prophetic media sage Marshall McLuhan. Armed with vanguard ideas taken from Steve Reich, Fela Kuti, Robert Fripp and Material, the duo of Curtis Ruptash and Brian Schultze adopted the 'studio as instrument' mindset of Eno and King Tubby creating complex textural and polyrhythmic sonic insurgencies. They overdubbed drum computers, guitar, bass, noise-makers, mallet percussion, sitars, often accompanied by sampled vocals and found sound taken from TV. Their pan-global, multi-media palette supported zeitgeist commentary — often, with a healthy dose of gallows humour — on gender, power structures, and sexual and geopolitical tensions in the late 80s. Their DIY bunker studio experimentations align them with genre defying dub-infused outfits like African Head Charge, Dome, Lifetones, Naffi, Woo, Negativland and The Residents. The Nature of Human Nature captures Guerilla Welfare's most formidable output, compiling tracks selected from their entire discography (two LPs and a cassette collaboration with poet Mary Howes), all originally self-released from 1986 to 1991. Remastered from the original tapes.

Icons Karen O and Danger Mouse unveil their debut recording as a duo, 'Lux Prima,' today—listen here. The song, out today on BMG, is the first to be released from a forthcoming joint album.

'Lux Prima is the first song we wrote for the record,' says O. 'After making music for the past twenty years and embarking on making this record with Danger Mouse I knew a couple things: one was that the spirit of collaboration between us was going to be a pure one, and two was that the more I live the less is clear to me. When you create from a blurry place you can go places further than you've ever been. I think we both were excited to go far out.'

It's that time again. The skies are calling and its time to board our trusty jet for the 5th outing of Africa Seven's premiere class compilation Africa Airways. For volume 5 its time to brace yourselves for 10 slices of Afro boogie goodness.

We up the boogie time groove with The Black Bells Group (the first band of lead singer Sidney 'Patrick Duteil' who went on to become the godfather of French hip-hop and a well know TV presenter. Here the groove is swinging... the perfect opener. Next up is German-based Cameroonian musician and cousin of Manu Dibango, Charly Kingson with this bass-synth boogie stomper. Big brass and jazzy trumpets add layers of sparkle too.

Next its time for some highlife inspired boogie from Ghanian Gyedu Blay Amboley. Highlife fused with reggae, disco, boogie and jazz just as the lyrics say.

Next we pair up with Africa Seven friend Eko once more under his Dikalo guise. The Cameroonian master musician is on fine form with his heavy brass and deep percussion with a driving afro boogie groove. To round off Side A its off to Cameroon again to groove with Jean 'Mekongo President'. Think Bernard 'Chic' Edwards on the bass with some African style and you can see it's the bottom end groove and afrobeat drums that power this gem along.

We open the second side slowly and purposefully with the highly sought after 'French Girl' from Fotso. Drippy bass synth grooves and a wondrous percussion and drum shuffle pair with piano riffs to make this a unique sounding track. Our friend Tala AM is next with the foot-stomping 'Sugar Lump'. JK Mandengue is next with most definitely the catchiest chorus you will hear today. Nigerian Jide Obe gets synth and clavinet rich with his doe to sensible dating advice 'Too Young'. We close off the album with a track from label good friend Jo Bisso under his Mulamba guise. Sounding like a long lost TV theme from a late night TV show circa 1977. Let's get down and boogie with the brand new dance in town folks... the Dashiki.

Until Volume Six takes flight it is time to unbuckle those seat belts folks.

Liška, the Czechoslovakian word for fox. Beguiling in its beauty, cunning in it's charm. Said to be one of the most intelligent animals on the planet its global family consists of thirty-seven varieties; all of them recognised, respected and feared for their persuasive, creative, resourceful and elusive nature. The Liška we will talk about today is no exception to these hereditary rules and within the grooves of this record Finders Keepers present an 'elusive' musical artefact that best exemplifies every facet of this composer's animal namesake.

Had he not been born in the small Bohemian town of Smecno in the early 1920s the story of The Fantastic Mr. Liška might have well taken a different course. Alternatively, fettered by the hampers of communism, this lifelong resident of Czechoslovakia would never quite find his seat at the same table as the likes of John Barry, Ennio Morricone, Michael Nyman and Stanley Myers, nor drop enough phonographic breadcrumbs to track his legacy. But having waited patiently behind the borders of the wider landscapes of international cinema, Liška's musical brood, spanning multiple stylistic decades and generations, has now started to walk proudly amongst his would-be, latter-day compeers. In an era where music lovers have almost become immune to adjectives like 'lost', 'rare' and 'unreleased' in a climate where previously lesser-known off-kilter master composers such as Vannier, Kirchin and Axelrod have become widely revered, it is perhaps the perfect time for discerning listeners to advance above the feeding trough and seek out this truly pioneering and revolutionary Eastern European composer. Rivalled only by the likes of Krzysztof Komeda and Andrzej Korzynski in Poland, alongside Alexandr Gradsky in Russia, and often splitting workloads with fellow Czech composers like Luboš Fišer, Zdenek Liska's filmography of over almost 300 fully formed movie scores virtually eclipses the achievements of these socialist era luminaries. Respected unanimously in both Czech and Slovakian by studio bosses, producers, directors and actors alike Liška is widely known for his ability to take the existing energy in a reel of film and literally change the polarity to suit his own interpretation while maintaining the full support from his 'client' who would in-turn end up working under this composer's creative direction. Not only was Liška a genius of emotive orchestral and coral composition, his grasp on small group arrangements and intimate, minimal scores set him above the competition. By utilising primitive sample techniques by 'looping' a films existing ambient noise, or rearranging found sounds and dialog into subtle melodic arrangements, Liška would independently develop his own techniques which had simultaneously become known in Paris as musique concre`te. It is a direct extension of these experiments that saw Liška also draw parallels with Walter Branchi (Ennio Morricone's main electronic sidekick) in Italy as well as Daphne Oram in the UK, making Liška a relatively untravelled pioneer of early electronic composition and sound design due to his unlikely global environment. Imprisoned, preserved or reserved; time has been kind to Liška's music.

Kyle Geiger isn t your average DJ/producer. From his marathon sets at legendary clubs like Berghain to his powerfully pounding but yet sensationally melodic productions, there are plenty of notable musical accomplishments on his resume. When you scratch the surface though, what you find is a genuinely humble human with a true passion for techno and a love for DJing the kind of grateful joy you find in those who come from small Midwestern towns in the U.S., and find themselves relocated to an area where techno is so widely consumed: decades of experience collecting and programming music for some of the toughest crowds to be finally rewarded with chances to play in venues that have carried the music to where it is today. We are beyond happy to have this true legend and gentle giant on MATERIA with his awe-inspiring 4-tracker Thirty Seven EP

James Baldwin was an unparalleled master of the written and spoken word. He was best known for his brilliant essays, plays and novels that shone light on his insights into race, sexuality, spirituality and humanity. Baldwin was an incredible orator who commanded the power of words. Whether on the pages of his books or in speeches and debates, he was passionate, compelling and powerful. This EP is the second half of a project that is a tribute to Baldwin. It features extracts from the audio portion of a documentary film shot of a discussion led by James Baldwin and Dick Gregory at the West Indian Student Centre in London in 1968.

Peabody & Sherman is a partnership between Phillip C Hertz and Curtis Ruptash - drummer and bass player respectively. They share common interests in dub, afrobeat, funk, jazz, ambient and improvisational music. They have long histories of the employing 'studio as instrument' approach to recording. The foundations for this EP was P&S rhythm tracks recorded at the Wayback Machine Studio in 2011. Supplemental instruments were layered on to create the final product. The same original sessions were also the source for their James Baldwin EP released in 2012. That EP featured remixes by Area and Afrikan Sciences.

The same concept is applied here, with remixes being contributed by Waajeed and BusCrates. Waajeed is a Detroit producer known for inventive and genre-defying music. He is background includes his work with Slum Village through to the Platinum Pied Pipers and to his work with his own Dirt Tech label today. BusCrates is a Pittsburg based producer known for his inventive use of electric and vintage synths to create deep layers of analog goodness.

PATTI JO was a Nashville teen when she cut this, original, version of Curtis Mayfield's song 'Make Me Believe In You'. She still resides in Nashville today but has remained somewhat of an enigma. One thing is for certain, if the quarter of a million YouTube views are anything to go by, this is one mighty mighty slab of pure funk/northern/rare groove SOUL! The master was produced by Curtis Mayfield for Scepter Records in 1973 and released on their Wand imprint. Reissued here for the first time under the Scepter logo and coupled with another Mayfield song 'Stay Away From Me' on which Patti delivers a stunning performance on the song that Mayfield originally cut with Major Lance.

It is with great honour that Emotional Rescue comes back to the music of Jaki Whitren & John Cartwright for a special 7" of two previously unreleased songs on to vinyl for the first time in That Will Be That and This Time. Originally part of the International Times reissue project (ERC004) in 2013, the songs have previously only been available on CD and digital formats as 'out-takes'. However, all that time the plan was to release the songs as a stand-alone vinyl release at some point.
Discussion with John continued over the years and the plan was for a release as part of the label's fifth anniversary, until sadly the project was put on hold due to the untimely loss of both Jaki and John in late 2016. The recent repress of their masterpiece that is their privately pressed album, International Times, led to these songs being revisited for the first time since and so here at last are both available together, as much in homage to these two wonderful musicians. More than studio-plus recordings, That Will Be That actually appeared in rerecorded form on the couple's Rhythm Hymn album of 1983. Here though is the original (and superior) version, with all the hallmarks of classic Whitren and Cartwright song writing craft, musicianship and production skill. Again remastered by their son (and at the time, teenage drummer) Joby Baker, the song drips with a confidence of masters of their instruments, full heartfelt, righteous and as relevant today as then lyrics, all backed with some deep white funk and enough soul to move mountains. This is accompanied by one of their greatest compositions in the spine-tingling This Time. Only ever known on this live recording from Glastonbury Hall, Jaki's vocals and light accompaniment from John's keys let the song shine. If the sheer power of her voice and words don't move you, then something is missing in life. A pure, sad, joyous way to thank and remember this wonderful music and people.

This highly prolific UK Drum and Bass producer returns with his second Tempo Records release. This work sees Alex' Judd rhythmic tweaks and overlays of texture with intricate melodies, heavy dub basslines giving the tracks a live & energetic feel. He draws out each track with his own distinctive craftsmanship and still giving them space to breathe. ''U Got me'' might be his best work to date but that's just our opinion. ''No Hype'' on the flip side says it all; music shouldn't be a hype but this release surely creates a huge buzz with all the dj's worldwide. This release comes as a limited 140g crystal clear vinyl pressing with full artwork sleeve + white glossy inner sleeve, including a mp3 download voucher + a free poster/inlay and all tracks mastered by Stuart Hawkes of Metropolis Mastering London.

Early Dj Support & Feedback
More Coming Soon!
Ltj Bukem thanks For Sending'
Grooverider good'
Icicle thanks, I'll Support No Hype On Rinse Fm'
Dj Flight nice Release, U Got Me & Loved Up Are Probably My Picks On First Listen. Will Play The Former This Weekend.'
A-sides no Hype', Thanks!'
Doc Scott thank You'
Drumsound & Bassline Smith nice One'
Gremlinz dope'
Hyroglifics (aka The Executioner) nice Ep!'
Villem hype Hype Hype'
Lynx yesssss Not A Media Hype!'
Chromatic nice Ep, Big Up Alex!'
Dj Clarky great Tracks On This'
Dj Chef (ministry Of Sound) big Ups Full Support'
Dj Tendai (swerve) loved Up Is Sublime'
Dj Kalm great Release Thanks!'
6blocc love The u Got Me' Track'
Earl Grey u Got Me Is The One, Badness.'
Arkaik will Be Supporting 'no Hype' Thanks'
Bulletproof Tiger (nyc, Usa) always A Pleasure To See Tempo In My Inbox. Biggups Y'all'
Dj Ros (addiction Fm + Label, Poland)'!'

...

Radio & Podcast
Coming Soon!
Icicle (rinse Fm) thanks, I'll Support No Hype On Rinse Fm This Thursday 20-09-2018'
Dj Chef (ministry Of Sound) big Ups Full Support'
Onedek (origin Radio Uk) awesome!!!!!'
Andre (soulsurfer - Bassdrive) now This Is A Strong Release... I Agree That This Is Alex Greatest To Date. U Got Me, Loved Up And Feel Good Are Immediate Favorites. Support In Club And Radio!'
Benjamin (the Dance Mission Dnb Show - Kiss Fm Australia) cool Music'
Overfiend (bassdrive) superb!'
Stunnah (bassdrive) big Release!!'
Chris Muniz (insomniac / Bassrush) mashing It Up Proper!'
J Swif (dnb Hq Podcast) dope Release Duded, 'feel Good' Is The One!'
Stanislav (zima - Czech Radio 1) gonna Play no Hype' Today... Cheers. Stanislav'
Matze (urban Wildlife / Syncopix Records) 5/5 The Rework Of Sweet Sensation Is Killer. The Crowed Loved It. Cool Arrangement And Use Of The Vocals. Feel Good With It´s Long Bassline Is Also A Most Functional Dance Floor Banger. Thanks For This One!'
Jose (nas Radio Show - Brazil) awesome Crazy Material Right Here'
Simon (see You Next Life Podcast & Night) soul Intent Fan Here So It's All Good. Cheers!'
Francesco (delta9 Recordings / Podcast) interesting And Diverse Album! All Are Great, Fav Are Loved Up And No Hype'
...

Reviews Blogs & Magazines :
More Coming Soon!
Julian (mixmag Germany Dnb Reviews) i Really Enjoy loved Up'.
Aliina (jungledrumandbass) big Up !!
Matthew (one Hour One Dj) great Tunes. Particularly Feeling The Two 2 Sides, Loved Up And Feel Good. Lovely Gritty Rollers.'
Rohan G. (dj Mag Spain) pow!'
...

Emotional Rescue returns to the music of Takenoko, the Bordeaux based synth-pop project from 1982-1988, to follow their LP collection L'Amour Est Mon Arme (ERC062), with an EP of remixes from Dresden's cult-like producer, Sneaker DJ.
The meeting of Takenoko and Sneaker offers a perfect marriage of left field cold wave tones, inventive drum programming and pop lyrics, with a master-mixer, programmer and DJ of today.
Following releases on cult labels like Uncanny Valley, Rat Life and Frigio as Sneaker and numerous labels such as Macadam Mambo, Bordello A Parigi and Bahnsteig 23 under several pseudonyms, Sneaker first contacted the label after his trance-inducing, drum heavy remix of C Cat Trance , with the suggestion to research an idea to create a reissue / remix project out of a band he had discovered, Takenoko.This was soon expanded to become a stand-alone album and remixes EP after the discovery in the vaults of a cache of unreleased songs. The breadth of styles found on L'Amour Est Mon Arme is matched with these "Mixes", as Sneaker takes 3 of their singles and indelibly puts his marker on them.
Starting with his retake of their second single, Lee Harvey Oswald, he reworks their pop ode to the Kennedy tragedy and strips it groove back for a near 9 minute vocal-meets-discodub that lets the lyrical structure remain, before stretching it out and letting the instrumental interplay between keys, guitar and rhythm machines glide before bringing it all back for finale.
Next, their 1988 single Trans Amor Express is given what is becoming a trademark Sneaker treatment. In a similar vain to his remix of C Cat Trance, here he rips the original apart to extend a single vocal refrain with the raw percussion elements for mind-inducing results.
Finally, his mix of the anthemic John Wayne is almost gentle in comparison, adding 909 overdubs but letting much of the original stay, showing again a modern mastery of mixing desk technique and craft.

A collabo you couldn't make up. Ice-T & Charlie Funk team up with Hamburg's Mighty Mocambos for a funked up version of their single "Bounce That Ass", blending old school west coast vibes with raw funk recorded live to tape, guaranteed to get every dancefloor busy.

Ice-T & Afrika Islam aka Charlie Funk wrote history together. They made countless platinum LPs, won grammys and oscars and shaped rap music as we know it today with albums like "Rhyme Pays" and "Power". Here they reunite for the fun(k) of it, celebrating the motion of hips like only they could and the Mighty Mocambos once again leave no doubt about their status as absolute funk heavyweights and 45 champions.

Exclusive release on vinyl.

Kalita Records and CC:EDITIONS (a new venture by
Australia's CC:DISCO) jointly announce a 12' EP
comprised of four of Nana Tuffour's greatest electronic
burger highlife tracks, accompanied by interview-based liner
notes. Here, in partnership with Nana, we select two highly
sought-after songs from his 1993 release 'Genesis', namely
'Sikyi Medley' and 'M'Anu Me Ho', and pair them his with two
lesser known yet equally deserving tracks 'Asamando' and
'Jesus' from his 1997 CD-only release 'Highlife Tropicana'.
Hailing from Kumasi, the capital of the Ashanti region in Ghana,
Nana Tuffour is by far one of the most important exponents of
modern highlife music. He studied piano at college and cut his
teeth in the '70s as an organist and vocalist for the incomparable
Kyeremanteng Atwede and Dr. K Gyasi's Noble Kings Band.
Fast forward to 1981 and Ghana was at the apex of its golden age
of music. This era was brought to an abrupt end by political
upheaval when the military took over the government and as a
result a restrictive dusk to dawn curfew was imposed between
1982 and 1984. This resulted in a total obliteration of the country's
night life, and Nana just like many other prominent musicians
including Pat Thomas and George Darko left Ghana for greener
pastures, the most popular destinations being Nigeria and
Germany. The Rheinklang Studio in Düsseldorf run by a young
inimitable German sound engineer Bodo Staiger and another
'exiled' Ghanaian musician Charles Amoah played a crucial role
for those musicians who had chosen Germany. This studio
became the focal point for Ghanaian musicians and the birthplace
of a new sound, now known as 'Burger highlife' - traditional
Ghanaian highlife infused with the more up to date electronic and
disco sounds of the West. It is arguable that Nana has played a
crucial role in Burger highlife and developing the sound of
traditional Ghanaian highlife more widely to what it is today, with
his innovative use of electronic accompaniment pushing its
boundaries to its creative extremes.
It is Burger highlife's transcendence of traditional musical
boundaries that helps make it so accessible to listeners,
appealing not only to Ghanaians back home but now highly
regarded and sought-after by those in the West interested in
more occidental disco and electronic sounds. We hope that you
enjoy the four songs offered here, each chosen to demonstrate
Nana's singular influence on the development of Burger highlife.

The second in a series of all-time CLASSIC hip-hop anthems from the Nervous vaults, pressed onto high quality dinked 45's.
Remastered from the original source material and featuring the unedited 'dirty' version on the A-side, and the full instrumental on the B-side, these 45's are for the heads who know what time it really is! 'How Many Emcee's Must Get Dissed' is that raw, NYC, Beatminerz flavour, even the video that dropped on MTV in 1993 is legendary featuring the whole Black Moon mob in their native Brooklyn posting up with their crew. Everyone remembers that Timberlands & Philly Blunts rap from the mid 90's onwards, raw SP1200 beats, dusty loops and samples pulled out of crates in the darkest corners of the five boroughs, a truly creative period in rap music and popular culture with many artists who came up in the era shaping the future of music from the streets upwards. Black Moon are one such group, their indelible mark on music is still felt today, the blend of streetwise raps and sturdy, murked out, jazzy beats supplied by the Dewgarde brothers is timeless. They sure don't make em like this anymore and if they did we're sure Black Moon would continually crush the competitors as they always did. Essential New York rap classics right here! Don't front. Fully legit, licensed and reissued by Above Board distribution in conjunction with Nervous Records, NYC. 2018.

Moritz Simon Geist, media artist and robotic musician, publishes his first record. It is the world's first techno record played entirely by self-made futuristic robots. This is the 4-track EP to the following full-length album out 16. Nov. 2018. All of the sounds on his records are played by robots: small motors that beat on metal, futuristic 3D-printed robo-kalimbas, salvaged parts from old hard drives that click and cut. It took Geist several years to build, tweak, test and play all his DIY robotic instruments. His 'Sonic Robots' try to push the boundaries of the imaginable. He did so already in 2012 with his well-known oversized 808 robot - an iconic drum machine gotten real, 4 by 2 meter, filled with robotic parts which play the instruments live and in front of the audience. Now, Moritz Simon Geist goes even further to discover the unknown and futuristic world of techno robotics. For this quest he teamed up with the berlinian sound wizards from Mouse On Mars and dug deep in the history of mechanical music and experiments of early electronic music.

On the 4-track EP 'The Material Turn' Moritz Simon Geist turns materials into sounds. The opener 'Entropy' is a bassy club-track, played by futuristic bass-kalimbas, a psychedelic pattern of tonal glasses and pneumatic hi-hat patterns. It is core piece to this EP and is also featured in the main video. Even without a visual part, listening to his music, a sound world opens up which is unheard before: in definition, reference and organic nature. Geist: 'When you listen to robots playing, you realize, that they sound precise, but in contrast to digital sounds they transport an immense organic feeling. No beat is like the other, everything is played with actual acoustic physicality and thus actual error. On the same time, the repetitive nature of the robots make it perfect for playing electronic music. Its industrial and organic at the same time.' The second track 'Under Deconstruction' is a metal-on-metal slammer with a heavy beat played on a big sheets of metal. 'I often try to compose a track around one instrument', explains Geist, 'letting the sounds take a lot of room so they can stand out.' The B-side starts with 'Supercharged' - a heavy drone, reminding of the darked sides of music concrete. Here, tuned air fans, and a metallic percussion robot create the texture. 'Detok' closed the EP with an up-tempo club track, featuring complex rhythmic textures and well defined robotic percussion elements. What Moritz Simon Geist came up with is a stunning record of what is possible today - to explore the sound of mechanics that keep on filling our world. Geist creates a smashing soundtrack for both the precise automation and physical fragility that shapes today's society.

The spiritual and uplifting music of Clifford White is highlighted with two of his most sought after songs, taken from his 1989 album The Lifespring, and presented here in a special extended 12" for the first time. Starting in music production at just 15, White could be described as a protegee, however his take is that they were part of a music journey that continues today. With a centre found in electronic music and spirituality, his progress, from simple home use 4-track stereo to working in professional 16-tracks studios was swift, but matched by a deeper appreciation, greater confidence and wider palette of music styles. Utilising his love of early samplers, his first use of the Akai S612 to accompany and expand his keyboard recordings saw continued development from his debut album at just 17 with Ascension (1985), to the follow up Spring Fantasy (1987) and on to The Lifespring (1989). A small review in the local paper literally led to a knock at the door and offer of a deal from the Start (State Of The Art ) label to record his next album. With a subsequent advance, professional studio equipment was hired and out of these sessions his sound expanded to include ambient, orchestral, synth pop and even ballads. From this both Lifestream and Rain Trek emerged. With a love of Jean Michel Jarre's Oxygene in mind, Lifestream's smooth beginning soon gives way to the pulse of an arpeggio driven groove. Aiming for "relaxation with an edge", the track has become a secret play for the more Balearic minded DJ in the decades since and now sees the LP trade for dizzying sums. However, the original is achingly brief, gracefully fading as part of the album's journey. Here though, with DJs and collectors in mind, White returns to the song to craft a specially extended version that completes the song and will be appreciated at sunsets across the globe. Seeking to take the music and listener to another place, Rain Trek took White's interest in Sci-Fi and the mystic powers of water to a rightful conclusion. The healing nature of his music is apparent, the mystery, yearning and travelling, all emotions evident, but with a kick that will grace the more enlightened dance.

Here at Death & Leisure we are on a continuing mission to surprise and experiment, and so with our new release we present something very special, Blackmoon1348 and The Tibetan Monks of The Tashi Lhunpo Monastary. This project sounds like nothing else, it fuses heavy drone guitar sounds with traditional tibetan throat singing and live instrumentation.

BlackMoon1348 in collaboration with the Tibetan Monks of the Tashi Lhunpo Monastery (Tibet/ India). 2017 BlackMoon1348 embarked on a cultural experimentation of cultural diversity in the arts, forming a collaboration of ancient Tibetan ceremonial practises and instrumentation with sub-harmonic drones and industrial soundscapes. The music amalgamates sacred mantras that date back to the early teachings of Tibetan Buddhism practised in the Tashi Lhunpo Monastery, with heavy detuned western instruments, synths, and electronic music for the first time in recorded history. The Tashi Lhunpo monastery was once home to the Panchen Lama who subsequently 'disappeared' under the oppressive Chinese rule of Tibet. A handful of the Tashi Lhunpo monks were fortunate to escape into exile and have since re-built the monastery in Mysore, South India - now flourishing with over 400 monks practising within the monastery. Tibetan Buddhism is an outlawed ancient tradition within Tibet - monks, nuns, and Tibetans cannot openly practise their heritage and traditions, forcing Tibetans to inhabitable plateaus, with such areas are now under 'Chinese Re-development', the land being stripped of natural resources for China's ever growing economy and totalitarian rule. Tibetans face persecution for as little as owning a Tibetan flag, or picture of the Dali Lama, with such actions landing you in jail, tortured, poised, and/or being released just before the point of death. It is important for us to remember and celebrate the traditions of the Himalayas and its sacred, peaceful practises.

The music was recorded live in one take at Flesh and Bone studio in Hackney for NTS Radio's Black Impulse show. Engineered, mixed, and mastered by Oliver and Owen at Flesh and Bone, capturing the raw, ethereal essence of the collaboration and ceremonial sounds buried deep within the Himalayas. This was the first time in history for such collaboration of tradition, ideology from Adeline Rozario and orchestrated by David Kerry of BlackMoon1348 who created this music to diversify and bring together ceremonial instruments, diversifying the metaphysics of transcendence through ceremonial Tibetan practises.

It is important to understand that BlackMoon1348 are not attempting to change the fundamental meaning or belief of the Tashi Lhunpo Monks, or assume to have a deep-rooted understanding of the ancient traditions of Tibetan Buddhism, This is our understanding of Tibetan culture and practices as truly and honestly as we see and feel it, and our attempt to spread this beautiful, sacred, culture, and keep it alive within today's society.

Liberation through hearing.

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.

At first, it's difficult to pinpoint exactly what makes Our Girl so special, or why the Brighton-formed, London-based trio's music stands out within a busy crowd of fellow guitar-wielding-types. But if an explanation didn't jump out when they first emerged with a debut EP of mighty fuzz-soaked songs in November 2016, it surfaces with 'Stranger Today', a debut album of personal, emotional juggernauts that could have only been made by these three people: Guitarist / vocalist Soph Nathan, bassist Josh Tyler and drummer Lauren Wilson.

Since forming in Nathan and Tyler's Brighton home four years ago - Wilson joining as a late recruit when she was wowed by a demo of their self-titled debut track, and 'Stranger Today''s opener - Our Girl's members have only had pockets of time to work together. A day booked in a local studio here, a soundcheck there, full-time jobs and other projects meant the three rarely had a concentrated, collective patch. This changed in September 2017, when they stayed in Eve Studios in Stockport for a week, recording with Bill Ryder-Jones. Their week in Stockport became a crucial catalyst for what would follow. Ryder-Jones is a guitar virtuoso himself ('He did stuff neither me or Soph had ever seen anyone do before,' Tyler remarks), and he became an unofficial fourth member of the group.

'Stranger Today' is a special debut for several reasons: First, because it's the sound of a band beginning to grasp their own value and place in the world. Secondly, because you can hear the trio's hunger to finally get in the same room and put to tape years' worth of scrapbooks, half-finished ideas, and a slowly-forming feel for how their first album would actually sound. 'What band isn't itching to make their debut But it's quite frightening, knowing you're about to do it,' Wilson remembers.

The real clincher, however, is Our Girl's dynamic, and how it plays out across 'Stranger Today'. Best friends in person, the trio share the same close kinship and chemistry on record. On one side is Nathan's visceral lyricism, which has a habit of detailing and chipping away at precise moments; the first heart-flutter of a new crush; the moment a long-term friendship begins to ebb away. Around her, Tyler and Wilson's rhythm section carefully mirrors each feeling Nathan conveys. When she sings pointedly about love ('I Really Like It'), she's backed by a major-key afterglow. When the subject turns on its head ('Josephine'), out steps a wall of taut, earth-shaking noise. They each 'serve the song,' in Wilson's words, moving in sync but with their own personal slant. Not least on the closer 'Boring', where all restraint is thrown aside and the trio let out one final, violent thrash. They inhabit a space bigger than the first loves, sleepless nights and growing pains that define this record.

Nathan remembers being in Brighton four years ago, shortly after Our Girl formed, and realising, 'I was finally in the band I wanted to be in.' Almost half a decade later, and this eureka moment is sewn up on 'Stranger Today'. It's the sound of three friends totally at ease in their own space, discontent with being anywhere else; a vibrant document of what it's like to be young, invigorated and amongst people who feel the same.

Dusty archives, the backrooms of record stores, private reel to reel stashes, master tapes - these are the environs of the Dynamic Range experience.Dynamic Range is a new label focused on unearthing deep Soul, Funk and Disco jams that continue to resonate with todays dancers and DJ's. Time spent scouring the bowels of the majors and independents has unsurprisingly resulted in numerous gems being added to the DR wants list. High quality, fully licensed reissues are the order of the day, always taken from the correct master source and re-presented to hungry record heads the world over. To repeat, this is a fully legit operation - Avoid the sharks at all costs!
The debut release on the label is a real doozy - New Birth, the mighty Detroit Funk outfit who operated from 1970 onwards are first up to bat. Their late 70's rarity 'Deeper' is a real monster lifted from their killer 'Behold The Mighty Army' LP. Produced by legendary Motown stalwart Frank Wilson this is some straight-up Disco-fied Funk for sure! One of those solid, mid-tempo groovers that just ignites a dance-floor at any time, any place. Side-A is the glorious full-side Disco mix and we're treated to the full instrumental version on the flip. No lazy edits here, just the full Funk and nothing but the Funk, just as the group intended! This is one of many soulful treats that Dynamic Range will be presenting in the coming months, stay tuned for more - 'Ain't It Something'. All music selected by the Dynamic Range team / Licensed and reissued by Above Board distribution in conjunction with Warner Music.
Remastered with love by Optimum Mastering, Bristol UK. Artwork and design by Atelier Superplus. 2018.

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.

'syncho Sound System & Power' Features The Music Of Nigeria Fuji Machine,
Which Includes Some Of The Country's Finest 'fuji' Master Drummers And Singers, And Is Newly Recorded By Soul Jazz Records In Lagos, Nigeria. Fuji Is The Heavily Percussive And Improvisational Style Of Nigerian Popular Music, At Once Modern And Yet Deeply Rooted In The Traditional Islamic Yoruba Culture Of Nigeria.
Here On This Album Nigeria Fuji Machine's Striking And Powerful Lead Vocalist Taofik Yemi Fagbenro Soars Above A Wild And Energetic Backdrop Of Polyrhythms Played On Traditional Talking Drums, Trap Drums, Electronic And Street Percussion To Create A Powerful Wall Of Intense Sound. Fuji Is A Hi-energy Street Music, Heavily Percussive Which Evolved Out Of The Islamic Celebration Of Ramadan, Which Became A Major Event In Mid-20th Century Lagos. Groups Of Young Men Walked Through Muslim Neighbourhoods At Night Singing Improvised 'wéré' Music To The Accompaniment Of Pots, Pans, Drums, Bells
And Anything Else Available, Waking Believers For The Early Morning Prayer. By The Early 1970s This Music Had Crossed-over Into Popular Nigerian Culture Where It Came To Be Known As Fuji, First Made Popular By The Artist Alhaji Sikiru Ayinde Barrister, As The Music Began To Be Performed Commonly At Parties And Social Events. In The 1970s And 1980s Three Nigerian Artists - King Sunny Adé, Chief Ebonezer Obey And Fela Kuti - All Secured International Major Record Deals Bringing Popularity To The Nigerian Musical Styles Of Juju (adé And Obey) And Afro-beat (fela Kuti's Unique Mixture Of Highlife, Funk And Jazz) Abroad, But In The Process Ignoring Much Of Nigeria's Rich Musical Landscape. Fuji Is, Alongside Highlife, Juju, Afro-beat, Sakara, Afro-reggae, Waka, Igbo Rap, Apala And Numerous Others - One Of These Central Styles Of Nigerian Music. The Singer Barrister Described The Music As Follows: 'fuji Music Is A Combination Of Music Consisting Of Sakara, Apala, Juju, Aro, Afro, Gudugudu, And Possibly Highlife.' Juju Performer King Sunny Adé Described The Difference Between The Two
Styles Of Fuji And Juju Somewhat Competitively Thus: 'fuji Music Is More Or Less Like My Music Without Guitars. It's Like I'm Singing In A Major Key And They Are Singing In A Minor. The Music Itself Is The Music Of Juju Music.' Today Fuji Remains A Powerful Popular Music With Deep And Powerful Islamic Roots
Which Continues To Modernise And Attract New Generations Of Young Nigerians And Nigeria Fuji Machine's 'syncho Sound System & Power' Is A Powerful And Intense Musical Experience. This Album Is Released As A Limited-edition Heavyweight Vinyl Edition (+free Download Code), Deluxe Cd And Digital Format.

With The Completion And Imminent Release Of Blocks & Escher's Debut Album For Metalheadz, The Duo Turn Their Attention Firmly Back To Their Own Label And Kick Off A Stream Of Releases For 2018.

Narratives Is Proud To Present This Single From One Of Blocks & Escher Favourite Artists, Sb81. Shaun Bateman Aka Sb81 Has Released On Labels Across The Drum And Bass Scene, In Most Recent Years On The Metalheadz Camp And Crowned An Amazing 2017 With His Remix Of J Majiks Seminal Classic it's Yours'.

Sb81's Debut For Narratives, Once Again Combines The Artists Passion For Late 90s Authenticity With The Production Of Today. A Producer Who Wears His Influences On His Sleeve, The A Side Here Draws On A Time When Austere Tech Drums Effortlessly Danced Amidst Whirling Organic Strings,stabs And Synth Roars.

The Flip Side Offers An Ear Catching Display In Rhythm Experimentation, Subversion And Broad Strokes Of Colour. At Times Claustrophobic, At Times Dense But On Occasion Drenched In Hopeful Strings And Emotion. A Track To Lose Oneself In And To Raise Questions - A Notion Only Enforced By The Repeated Vocal Line, Asking who Are You'..

For its third release, Here To Hell welcomes Melbourne (via Adelaide) veteran, Rambl, and his incredible groover 'Doss'.

This third release on the label happened purely by surprise, and what a discovery! The track itself is no accident, but the signing took place after a chance encounter. Richard Campbell aka Rambl, who is one of Melbourne's best and most consistent DJs since the last two decades, had developed a small cult following of viewers via facebook, where he had been providing live video coverage of Australia's wild weather in a kind of comedy-weatherman format. Once these updates caught our attention, the magical facebook algorithm placed all of his content at the top of our feed.

One day his video moved away from the wild South Australian coast and into the studio. Rich - who we also know for his huge stature akin to an NBA basketballer, and his brain for Mathematics and Computational Biology - was bopping that giant brain up and down and making his 'bass face', with a mixing desk and some speakers (and some beers) in the background. The soundtrack to this video was completely mesmerising. We sent him a private message immediately: 'what the hell is THIS!!!'

His reply: 'This is one of mine, it's not finished yet but it feels good'. Our reply: 'It feels INCREDIBLE!!! Finish it and let's put it on wax!'

So today we bring you 'Doss' and we expect you'll love it.

On the flipside we've invited another Melbourne man, Sly Faux, to demonstrate why he's appearing in the playlists of Richie Hawtin and Maceo Plex, and why his EP on Nicole Moudaber's Mood was a bestseller. He's also just remixed The Presets and continues to impress with his tight productions. Sly Faux's remix takes the original Detroit-inspired techno-funk and twists it into a different kind of main room banger.

Record Kicks Celebrates 15 Years In The Business With A Collection Full Of Exclusive New Singles. Available In Ltd Edition Double Clear Vinyl Lp, Cd And Digital Download. Side By Side With Similar Outfits Like Daptone, Truth And Soul, Freestyle Or Timmion, Under Its Motto "the Explosive Sound From Today's Scene" Milan-based Independent Label Record Kicks Has Been Pitching The Contemporary Funk & Soul Scene Since Day One.

With Over 200 Releases Under The Belt, Rk Has Released Bands From All Over The Globe And Earnedthe Support Of Vip Fans Such As Kenny Dope, Jamie Cullum, Craig Charles And Not Least Jay-z, Thanks To Which The Label Has Recently Received A Grammy Nomination For Hov's Use Of Hannah Williams' "late Nights And Heartbreak" As Backdrop For His "4:44". The New Instalment "record Kicks 15th" Coming Out Next May 18th On Double Clear Lp, Cd And Digital Download, Celebrates 15 Years In The Business With A Collection Full Of Exclusive New Tracks And The Very Best Of It's Roster.

The Album Kicks Off With Rk's Latest And Youngest Signing:
From Chicago, Heavily Inspired By The Impressions And Leroy Hutson, We Are Proud To Present You "the Devonns" With Their Super Soulful Debut Single "come Back", An Appetizer Of Their Debut Full Length Expected To Land On Rk Next Autumn. Another New Signing To The Label Is Men Of North Country's (acid Jazz Records) Side Project "the Faithful Brothers", Here With Their New Single "one More Time".

Other Exclusive Tracks Of The Comp Are "this Strange Effect", A Coverup Of The Hooverphonic's Single From 1998 Brought To You By Dutch Northern Soul Disciples The Tibbs, "love You Back" From Detroit Deep Funk Outfit Third Coast Kings, "the Sort" By The Buenos Aires Mod Reggae Kings The Crabs Corporation, "top Dog" By British Funk Combo The Hook & Slingers And Straight From Down Under "you Don't Know Me" By The Always Great Dojo Cuts.

Along With These New Exclusive Cuts, Dig On Some Label's News Singles And Heavyweight Classics Such As Dj Shadow's "this Time" Taken From Baby Charles Debut Lp, "don't Throw Your Love In The Garbage Can" By James Brown's Original Funk Diva Martha High Feat Japanese Funk Ambassadors Osaka Monaurail, "psycheground" The Brand New Afro-funk Single By Calibro 35 And Then Portuguese Tnt Dynamite Marta Ren & The Groovelvets, Toronto Soul Queen Tanika Charles, Uk Funk Ambassadors The New Mastersounds, The Diplomats Of Solid Sound And The Already Mentioned "late Nights & Heartbreak" By Hannah Williams & The Affirmations.

Back in August 2017, Jerome Derradji received a call by one of Chicago's most renowned record dealer.
It went like this: 'Hey Jerome, I've got all these reel to reel tapes of Chicago House stuff. You want to take a look'
Less than 24 hours later, more than 160 reels were purchased and safely hauled back to the Still Music office and Jerome got to work.
In fact, these reels - that were lost for more than 20 years - contain some incredible stuff that we'll be releasing in the years to come but right now it's time to Jack!

Around 50 of these tapes are Dj Mixes that were broadcasted on WGCI and WBMX in the mid to late eighties mostly with the Hot Mix 5.

So Jerome decided to start a series of cassettes titled JACK to share the absolute greatness of these mixes (and to raise enough funds to finance the transfer and licensing of the more crazy stuff that's in the stack of reels)

Here is our first series with mixes from Frankie Knuckles, Steve 'Silk' Hurley, Chicago mystery - Devastating Daryl and a few 'unknown' mixes that were too essential to skip.

These mixes were played on the radio only once and were lost until today. This series is an absolute window back to the heydays of Chicago House music.

All the mixes were professionally transferred and remastered to the best of our abilities.

Back in August 2017, Jerome Derradji received a call by one of Chicago's most renowned record dealer.
It went like this: 'Hey Jerome, I've got all these reel to reel tapes of Chicago House stuff. You want to take a look'
Less than 24 hours later, more than 160 reels were purchased and safely hauled back to the Still Music office and Jerome got to work.
In fact, these reels - that were lost for more than 20 years - contain some incredible stuff that we'll be releasing in the years to come but right now it's time to Jack!

Around 50 of these tapes are Dj Mixes that were broadcasted on WGCI and WBMX in the mid to late eighties mostly with the Hot Mix 5.

So Jerome decided to start a series of cassettes titled JACK to share the absolute greatness of these mixes (and to raise enough funds to finance the transfer and licensing of the more crazy stuff that's in the stack of reels)

Here is our first series with mixes from Frankie Knuckles, Steve 'Silk' Hurley, Chicago mystery - Devastating Daryl and a few 'unknown' mixes that were too essential to skip.

These mixes were played on the radio only once and were lost until today. This series is an absolute window back to the heydays of Chicago House music.

All the mixes were professionally transferred and remastered to the best of our abilities.

Back in August 2017, Jerome Derradji received a call by one of Chicago's most renowned record dealer.
It went like this: 'Hey Jerome, I've got all these reel to reel tapes of Chicago House stuff. You want to take a look'
Less than 24 hours later, more than 160 reels were purchased and safely hauled back to the Still Music office and Jerome got to work.
In fact, these reels - that were lost for more than 20 years - contain some incredible stuff that we'll be releasing in the years to come but right now it's time to Jack!

Around 50 of these tapes are Dj Mixes that were broadcasted on WGCI and WBMX in the mid to late eighties mostly with the Hot Mix 5.

So Jerome decided to start a series of cassettes titled JACK to share the absolute greatness of these mixes (and to raise enough funds to finance the transfer and licensing of the more crazy stuff that's in the stack of reels)

Here is our first series with mixes from Frankie Knuckles, Steve 'Silk' Hurley, Chicago mystery - Devastating Daryl and a few 'unknown' mixes that were too essential to skip.

These mixes were played on the radio only once and were lost until today. This series is an absolute window back to the heydays of Chicago House music.

All the mixes were professionally transferred and remastered to the best of our abilities.