quête:hi

Glasgow reggae collective Mungo’s HiFi celebrate 25 years of pulsating music with a follow-up to game-changing second studio album Soundsystem Champions. Released in 2008, the original Sound System Champions became an instant 21st century classic - thanks to its industrial strength basslines, blazing horns and lineup of scorching microphone talent. To commemorate a quarter century of rocking dances and building rhythms, Mungo’s have created Soundsystem Champions 2. They’ve lovingly assembled some of their biggest dubplates, previously only heard in a soundsystem situation, now available to the world. Fans of the first Sound System Champions will hear musical echoes in the new version. Irrepressible Junglist General Levy rides the Belly Ska riddim that kicked off the 2008 edition, with the militant Gideon Boot. Italy’s Marina P returns to the new record on the expansive Searching, as does Kenny Knots, closing the track list with heartfelt roots anthem Rise and Gravitate. For Soundsystem Champions 2, Mungo’s have invited many more voices from their epic journey. Bristol’s Eva Lazarus revisits Althea and Donna’s immortal Uptown Top Ranking. Reading’s Solo Banton turns his lyrical versatility to hip hop banger Bubble N Wine. The beautiful grainy tones of Ireland’s Cian Finn reimagine the Wailers’ Rainbow Country. With this historic sequel album, Mungo’s look back while going forward, the exclusive becomes the inclusive, and the Sound System comes to you!

DIY-Haltung, Slacker-Romantik und der Flirt mit den MTV-Heydays - eine bewährte Ästhetik, die irgendwie nicht totzukriegen ist und neuerdings in HI MUM aus Nürnberg ein weiteres Pro- Argument findet. Ja, das Quartett hat sich frisch formiert. Nein, der Begriff Newcomer trifft es trotzdem nicht ganz. Jedenfalls sollte die direkte Vorgängerband MAFFAI nicht gänzlich unerwähnt bleiben, auch wenn es zu kurz gegriffen wäre, die Verwandtschaft der beiden Projekte schlicht auf den Tausch der Frontperson zu reduzieren. Elan und Skillset beibehalten, profitieren HI MUM zwar vom Knowhow der letzten Jahre, schlagen musikalisch aber eine spürbar andere Richtung ein. Alternative, Shoegaze, Indie und Grunge sind in diesem Zusammenhang Genre-Bezeichnungen, die sich zweifellos aufdrängen.

HI-LO returns for another elite EP on Drumcode, ‘REESE’, with the title track a tribute to Kevin Saunderson’s iconic bassline sound. The Dutchman never misses. Following acclaimed EPs HI-LO has released on Drumcode including “‘DIZZY’, ‘CRESCENDO’, ‘WANNA GO BANG’, and ‘HYPNOS”, the HILOMATIK boss brings his A-Game for the stunning ‘REESE’ EP, his anticipated annual release on Drumcode. ‘REESE’ epitomises a producer at the top of his game. The title track is a peak-time headrush built around a moreish bass riff and silky chords. A masterful balance of darkness and light that’s been building since Ultra WMC and also featured in Adam Beyer’s Essential Mix. 'FLORESTA FUNK' is a punchy percussive jam that shows his range.

Nicolás Mirón presents Hi-Tech Thoughts, his debut release on Echo Alpha Recordings. A record that draws inspiration from Detroit Techno, as well as New York Hip-Hop and MPC culture, reflected in the way he works with samples and programs chops on his AKAI MPC 2500. His production focuses on beat-making, pursuing a raw, hardware-driven sound rather than an overproduced one.

Nico’s creative foundation is rooted in Black music in all its forms, from soul and jazz to electronic sounds, while also embracing the legacy of figures like Kraftwerk, and genres such as Italo Disco, and New Wave. His musical career began with his residency at Radio Relativa in 2022, with his program “Pa’ Riparla Benne”, a connection between skateboarding and music, as well as its evolution and close relationship with contemporary culture. In the show you can hear different styles of music that have appeared within this scene through legendary video parts from skateboarding history, along with stories and curiosities behind these pieces of art.

It says a lot about the interconnectedness of the global dubwise underground that it took downtime with Bristolian Neek in Portland to spur the link between ZamZam and Feel Free Hi Fi out of the Minneapolis Twin Cities. Once he put us on to them we were hooked- not only by their brilliant music but by their rigorously DIY approach and aesthetic. Heavily inspired by the more esoteric angles of early digi-era JA dancehall and UK dub (Shaka, Disciples, Mixman and Gussie P being some touchstones) the duo create a sound both reverential and unique, steeped in the traditions but striking out hard left into idiosyncratic territory all their own. Releasing all of their works up to this point on their own fantastic Digital Sting label, we’re excited to showcase them on ZamZam.

Airrica makes her Crosstown Rebels debut with ‘Hi Speed Lover’, featuring Nick Morgan and KinAhau remixes.

Balancing experimental musical curiosity with her playful take on house and techno, Los Angeles’ Airrica may only be two releases into her blossoming journey as a producer, but she has already showcased her growing sound and vision while aligning with her own powerful DJ sets. Following her collaborative release alongside Ashee on Diplo’s Higher Ground and building on her debut via Crosstown’s sister label Rebellion, Damian Lazarus now welcomes her to Crosstown Rebels for the first time ahead of her appearance alongside the label boss at Hï Ibiza as she unveils her ‘Hi Speed Lover’ EP - accompanied by remixes from Canadian-born DJ/producer Nick Morgan and hotly-tipped talent KinAhau, as both also make their label debuts.

Bumping and trippy, ‘Hi Speed Lover’ is a snaking, bass-heavy cut loaded with energy as warped vocals are accompanied by slinking drums, icy hats and resonant chords and strings, while Nick Morgan’s take brings a stylish, hazy glow to the track as dubby low-ends and delicate keys work amongst the mix. Second original ‘Cherries’ is another impactful production merging metallic drums with further vocal murmurs and an infectious acid-dipped bassline, while KinAhau’s remix strips things back to deliver a classy journey through rich textures with an ethereal trip to close the package.

Twin Cities duo Feel Free Hi Fi return to their in-house imprint Digital Sting with their first full length entitled “I was so far in I was out.” After two prior EP's and collaborations with Equiknoxx and Duppy Gun Feel Free Hi Fi deliver 8 new tracks of their distinct but eclectic digital dub. Amalgamating many of the sounds, sonics, and aesthetics of prior releases into these eight percussive instrumentals. The industrial dub and weirdo dancehall remain but the focus is further refined while also exploring environmental and cinematic sounds to create often dark and heavy versions that are as singular as they are collective, as introverted as they are expansive.

The records come in double sided silk-screened printed custom DJ Jackets, with Obi Strip style stickers and hand stamped white labels created and printed by Digital Sting.

For the 30th anniversary of the release of the first single by Frankie HI NRG MC 'Fight Da Faida' Irma Records together with the artist have decided to pack an unreleased collector's version of the song.

The new look is in 7-inch format (45 rpm) in a limited edition on white vinyl with a gatefold format cover containing, in addition to a photo of the artist of the time and one of today, the original lyrics of the song and a text by the well-known journalist and radio and television host Luca De Gennaro who was the first to notice the artist.
The song Fight Da Faida has been seminal for the evolution of Italian Hip Hop.

At the time, few such songs had come out and they were all known mostly on the alternative circuits. Fight Da Faida, despite its harsh and explicit text against the mafias, was the first to have real radio programming on national networks.

It was also obviously the launching pad of the artist who later released his first album 'Verba Manent' which also contains this single.
The new format contains the original version, the instrumental version and the 'famous' Sicilian nursery rhyme 'Tri Tri Tri Trinacria Breakdown' which over the years has been repeatedly sampled abroad for club music songs.

Greetings from TROPIKA! The Tikiyaki Orchestra’s fifth album is a soundtrack with many interpretations. Sometimes, an idyllic paradise. Sometimes, a place of danger and intrigue. The jetsetter, the beachbum, the lounge lizard, the international man of mystery, the alluring wahine, the soldier, and the suave - they all co-exist in Tropika, represented by their own musical escape. Enjoy your stay!

Originally released on Volume and Tension in 1994, the 'Duster' EP was one of only two releases Toby Warren completed under the Hi Tech Criminal moniker, it has since gone on to become a rare gem of a record that swaps hands for princely sums. Klasse Wrecks is very pleased to announce the re-issue of the original tracks on vinyl and digital and happy to announce an exclusive-never-heard-before mix of the title track. The 4 tracker harks back to a period in time when creativity and originality was at an all time high in dance music. The tracks on the 'Duster' EP defy categorization, part bouncing House, part progressive and driving Techno...all good.

Artist, painter, curator Leo Vincent, is fired up off the back of supporting Soulwax, on their recent Paris and Netherlands shows. Proudly presenting two debut songs “Hello it’s me again” and “Loving isn’t easy”, co-produced with the brothers, David & Stephen Dewaele, of Soulwax/2manydjs.

Seven years ago, Leo Vincent bluffed his way into a video editing job at DEEWEE. Despite being told to not touch or ruin their gear, he later resurfaced with demos that sounded like he had anyway.

"Don’t know much about history”
"Don’t know much about biographies"

But we do know that by the time Leo Vincent arrives in your town, he will probably have destroyed two more Tascam 8-tracks.

Brussels-based, failed goalkeeper-turned-painter-turned-cameraman-turned-musician Leo, doesn’t seem to be afraid to leave his faders in the red zone for an unorthodox period of time while repairing the pitch knob. Some say it’s disco for night janitors. Some say it’s glam-rock for ravers. Others haven’t found the time to listen yet because they have real jobs.

But to fully grasp Leo Vincent's essence, imagine yourself sitting in the home cinema of the late Marc Bolan while watching a documentary on Scatman John, directed by Jacques Tati and scored by Ween, using only the instruments of Cabaret Voltaire.

»Low Tide, Hi Grypus!« is the new live-iteration of JC Leisure as JC Leisure Group. Documenting an encounter and a communication between human improvisers and atlantic grey seals. The record presents responsive improvisation as a form of cross-species collaboration.

The project began on Porthdinllaen, Wales, where Leisure recorded seal vocalisations from a local colony at low tide. Back in their Liverpool studio, Leisure developed a performance system that translates human musical gestures – pitch, timbre, rhythm, density, presence - into triggers for these seal expressions. The resulting system is dual-active, as in it simultaneously acts and is acted upon in the horizontal instance. It creates a new-music non-linear threshold that cannot be replicated.

»Low Tide, Hi Grypus!« was recorded live at 1210 Berlin and captures one instance of this concept. Local improvisers were invited to encounter the performance system. Recorded in one take, pedal-steel, woodwinds, strings, piano, organ, and electronics gradually learn to listen and respond to the marine voices. This interspecific group moves from intimate duets (that's human, seal) into full ensemble works (humans, seals) over the course of one night.

Rather than treating field recordings as static material, the extensive seal archive functions as an active collaborator: shaping form, pacing, and interaction in real-time. Now that’s marine biology meets human communication!

JC Leisure has previously released work on Sun Ark, Warm Winters Ltd, Not Not Fun and collaboratively with Dialect as Raft of Trash. He has composed a radio play commissioned and broadcast by BBC Radio.

A new folk tropical music genre is born: Tsugaru folk songs meets tropical reggae!
The long-awaited 7-inch single by HI★STEADY meets Midori Takenoko is now complete.
HI★STEADY, who create a one-of-a-kind tropical groove as a trio, and Midori Takenoko, a singer whose sincere folk-style vocals, rooted in Aomori's Nanbu
folk songs, captivate all listeners, have joined forces to release their long-awaited 7-inch single.

Goose Bumpsis Hutter's second solo release and was produced by Hi-Style Records's Jimmy Sutton (JD McPherson, Pokey LaFarge, The Bellfuries). Sutton assembled an all star cast of musicians, including Alex Hall (engineer, drums) and Joel Paterson (guitar). Almost all recording was done live at the analog Hi-Style studio in Chicago. Bonafide contemporary rock star JD McPherson wrote "Everybody's Valentine" for Hutter; it could easily find its way into the next Bond film. Emanuela's influences draw from disparate historical musical threads like doo- wop, German punk, and classic country. From the balladry of "Monday Morning" to the punk-surf rock of "The Voices," Hutter's original songwriting shines throughout. Goose Bumpsis a must listen for fans of modern rock with a classic twist

A masterclass session of Japanese synth pop, new wave, and cosmic oddities from legendary Osaka-based DJ Mori Ra. Recorded live at ISC Records on Fairfax Ave in Los Angeles, CA May 6th, 2023.

Electric Satie is a one-off conceptual project by Japanese composer Mitsuto Suzuki, who is mostly known for his work on Final Fantasy soundtracks. Released on CD-only in 1998, “Gymnopédie ’99” reimagines Erik Satie’s beloved piano compositions in electronic form ranging sonically from downtempo bossa-nova (featuring Brazilian percussionist Marco Bosco and vocalist Silvio Anastacio) to freestyle ambience and chillout room IDM, not far from the music featured on Music from Memory’s “Virtual Dreams II” or Warp Record’s “Artificial Intelligence.” A deeply imaginative composer and arranger, Suzuki harnesses a unique mix of drum machines, synthesizers, live percussion, soprano saxophone, piano, and spoken word to craft a lush and vividly futuristic sound world that video game soundtrack enthusiasts will easily fall into.

Joel Shearer’s Listening Immerses Itself in Ambient Guitar, Restraint, and the Beauty of Repetition

With guitarist and ambient composer Joel Shearer’s new album, Listening, he took the path of repetition, subtle movement, and pure sound rather than conventional songwriting. What began as a disciplined experiment — limiting himself to just electric guitar — soon expanded. At various points, he introduced piano, cello, and trumpet, allowing the record to evolve organically. "I didn’t know I was making another record,” Shearer says. “I was experimenting, wanting to do something beyond just the electric guitar. So, I started these other tracks, and that’s how Listening came about.”

Unlike albums built around hooks or dramatic shifts, Listening unfolds gradually, moving with patience and restraint. There are no choruses, no obvious climaxes — just sound evolving over time. “Instead of a traditional song structure with a verse, chorus, or B section, it’s one continuous movement that grows and dissolves,” Shearer explains. “It’s not about anticipating the next moment—it’s about sitting inside the sound, getting comfortable with patience.” A Topanga-based session musician, composer, and producer, Shearer’s previous solo albums, Morning Loops and Hours, explored the manipulation of only the electric guitar, using texture and repetition to push beyond conventions. Listening continues that journey, offering music that resists distraction and rewards deep attention.

Shearer recorded Listening without a click track, working in long, freeform takes. His shimmering, clean guitar tones—often unrecognizable, processed through looping pedals and effects—became a foundation, with layers of sound building around it. “I love making the guitar sound like anything but a guitar,” he says. “I might play for just a minute, but once the sound enters the effects chain, it takes on a life of its own. The music keeps evolving, stretching time in ways I couldn’t predict.”

The opening piece, “Big Sur,” is an 11-minute meditation that drifts in slow, hypnotic waves, its layered guitar textures sparkling like light over water. The piece moves without urgency, subtly transforming as it pulls the listener deeper into its atmosphere. “Threshold” features a delicate piano melody that gradually unfurls, allowing its essence to fully settle before the next emerges. Subtle layers of ambient guitar weave around the piano, stretching and dissolving into the background, creating a sense of stillness and slow expansion.

At nearly 15-minutes, “The Clear Light of the Void” is a slow-burning study in sustain and resonance. Layers of guitar stretch and dissolve into an open, drifting soundscape, each note lingering and shifting like a breath held in suspension. Subtle tonal variations emerge over time, creating a sense of vastness—an expanse where sound is less about movement and more about presence.

“The world is noisy—so much information, so much distraction,” Shearer says. “I wanted to create something that allows people to just be present with the sound, without expectation.” It’s an album that demands nothing from the listener but offers space — to focus, to drift, to listen without waiting for what comes next.

Highly anticipated album by The Cool Kids, who are widely recognized as
architects of the much fable "blog era" of hip hop (they were also early
colleagues of the Fool's Gold family)
The album is mostly focused on the group's own production and rapping, but include
features like Radamiz, Pink Siifu, A-Trak and Sango.

200 copies available worldwide.

DIIV teams with In Sheep's Clothing to release their previously digital-only 'Frog in Boiling Water' Remix EP on a limited edition white label 12". Featuring remixes from Minor Science, Mount Kimbie, Daniel Avery and upsammy.

Als 1957 in der Jazzszene das Gerücht die Runde machte, dass der Produzent Norman Granz die beiden
Saxofon-Giganten Stan Getz und Gerry Mulligan zu einer ersten gemeinsamen Session ins Studio holen
würde, schnalzten die Jazzfans vor Freude mit der Zunge. Man kann sich nur ausmalen, wie überrascht sie
waren, als sie die ersten Tracks des Albums ”Getz Meets Mulligan In Hi-Fi” dann hörten. Denn auf Mulligans Vorschlag hatten die beiden Stars für die erste Seite des Albums spontan die Instrumente getauscht.
So war also Getz auf Mulligans Baritonsax zu hören, während Mulligan das Tenor von Getz spielte. Ein
kurioses, aber durchaus gelungenes Experiment, das dieses Album zu einem raren Leckerbissen macht.

"Under the guidance of Norman Granz, Stan Getz and Gerry Mulligan collaborate for the first time as the primary horns on Getz Meets Mulligan in Hi-Fi. Recorded in 1957, this record offers the unique opportunity to listen to the two jazz stars trade instruments on the first three tracks (‘Let's Fall in Love’, ‘Anything Goes’, and ‘Too Close for Comfort’) with Getz on baritone sax and Mulligan on tenor. The music gels with the help of a world-class rhythm section featuring Lou Levy on piano, Ray Brown on bass, and Stan Levey on drums. While a massive musical success, the duo never recorded again in this quintet format, making this record a rarity.
Verve’s Acoustic Sounds Series features transfers from analog tapes and remastered 180-gram vinyl in deluxe gatefold packaging."