Hip-Hop News

In anticipation of an album recorded at the BAT Records studio, Junior Roy released his first maxi 45RPM on the label, with a stepper roots and a rub a dub per side, Opus produced by Dub Shepherds.

100% sound system track, made with the 90s UK legacy style. The legendary Tony tuff sends us some love and positive vibes. The riddim is built and mixed at King Operator studio in France, mastered at BAT Records

Yellow vinyl reissue of the third volume of the 1997 "The Mood Mosaic" series. Contains the unforgettable French Kiss by Lil Louis, a 7 minute version.
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Falling marks the first release of the newly born label DMK Outernational aiming to focus on roots and dub music. Founded by Daddy Iriiz with protagonists from both Germany and Tunisia. Mixed and mastered at BAT Records

Dal Platinum strikes back! He has already got a proper remix and a very successful Powerhour free-download under his belt on Breakbeat Paradise Recordings- and this 7" release now is just gaining even more heat to the fresh legacy of the hip-hop guru.

Touching a hip-hop reggae classic and melting it with some oldies melodies in a very Soulful way, Dal Platinum takes us on a unique travel with the tune called"Breathe and Strut" which has got such a properly dope end-section that each beat-match mixing 45 beat-boy DJ will praise for a while.

Accompanying this release, the song named "Peace Dust" is opening new Doors to the output of Dal Platinum- a through by through bassline driven, catchy club-banger is in the making...

This 7" with Dal Platinum is the 12th edition in the Toxic Funk series- so, never hesitate to get your copy before it would be too toxic out there and getting sold out!

25th anniversary release of the album from 1998 as expanded special limited edition. It is the eighth Dub Syndicate studio album mixed by Adrian Sherwood. Originally released as catalogue number Lion & Roots 002 in 1998 on Style Scott"s own label here"s the expanded and remastered collector"s limited edition as 2LP-set including six additional tracks not available on the original vinyl release and also as 18-track CD release, with the booklet including excerpts from an unpublished interview. Main vocal contributor is the legendary artist Big Youth plus Little David courtesy J.R. Productions (Junior Reid"s camp), backing vocals by Skip McDonald and Style Scott"s inimitable laughter. The basic tracks were recorded in Jamaica, with some of the pals from the Roots Radics days (i.e. Flabba Holt, Steely Johnson) at Studio 2000 (Steely & Clevie"s studio) and the legendary Tuff Gong Recording Studio, followed by overdubbing in the USA at Greenpoint Studios (Bill Laswell"s studio) and Playroom Studios in New York, with additional overdub and final mix at On-U Sound (London) by Adrian Sherwood.

The Great Escape is the debut collaborative album from San Francisco Legend, Larry June & prolific super producer, The Alchemist. Through a process that felt very organic, the two churned out an extra healthy amount of music that resulted in what may be their magnum opus. At 15 tracks, the album includes tasteful features from some of Hip-Hop's most celebrated figures; Action Bronson, Big Sean, Ty Dolla $ign, Slum Village, Boldy James, Evidence, Wiz Khalifa, Jay Worthy, Curren$y & Joey Bada$$. Like a fine wine, sit back, let it breathe, and enjoy the neat yet exquisitely rich complexities of two of Hip-Hop’s smoothest figures.

repressed !

Brothers Hom Yu and Jiun Chi returned to Taipei in 2017 after finishing their studies. Since then they began to explore their mutual obsession for Taiwanese occult-inspired art and vintage superstitious imagery, channelling it through music. Mong Tong means many things in Chinese, but the translation they choose to fit their music is “the east-side of dreams”.

Growing up in Taiwan in the 90’s, the brothers listen to 電子琴音樂 which they describe as “relaxing Chinese synth pop” along with video game soundtracks, psychedelic music, doom metal and sound collage/library music. On “Mystery秘神” these inspirations combine with the dark humour of Taiwanese folklore and a love of conspiracy theories to form what they describe as “a psychedelic journey to the east.”

Album Description
Recorded in their home studio in Taipei, “Mystery 秘神” is a psychedelic journey into Taiwanese folklore combined with the 80’s media obsession with the supernatural. It’s a record that manages to combine nostalgia and tradition with humour and an underlying intrinsic earthiness to create something unlike anything else out there.

A producer with multiple aliases and projects, the sound wizard behind world recognized mastering studio Jammin Masters and brother of Khan, owner of the legendary New York record store and record label Temple Records. Cem Oral, the aforementioned, raised in Germany by a Turkish father and a Finnish mother, heavily influenced by Jamaican dub and electronic music pioneers, began his career at a tender age playing with four-track recorders and synthesizers, juggling between collaborations with many pop music stars, or as sound-designer of film soundtracks, and in underground solo or group projects, writing some of the most beautiful pages of German and European alternative music in general. At the same time since 1993, he has mastered over forty thousand tracks for countless prominent artists and labels. "Never Been On E" as Oral Experience is definitely an odd release if you know La Bella Di Notte catalog, but probably one of the most representative of his own vision. The reissue comes courtesy of Cem Oral and fully restored by none other than himself.

Complimenting the release of the new Supafunkanova Vol.3 album by Woody Bianchi is this extremely badass 7” for all those that like it at 45. Two very rare, choice cuts from the album, one of which doesn’t feature on the Vinyl version of the Compilation.

First up is the Together Band with their falsetto boogie funk track ‘Calif. Curl, Calif. Girl’ sitting somewhere between Slave & One Way with it’s killer guitar groove, disco toms and synth swells.

On the flip is The Firebolts - Firebolt Hustle an extremely hard to find cut on 7” featuring legends such as Bernard Wright and Barry Johnson. A pure badass Funk track from the Disco-Boogie era indeed!

.Soundscape Versions pres. its fifth release from Italian producer Antonio Marini.
The EP called "Primitivism Masks" leads a synergy between the electronic matrix and the darkest Dub textures. Irregular rhythms will be perceived, accompanied by various pulsating bass riff and frenetic percussions, of African derivation. King Tubby, Lee Perry, African Head Charge are some of the references of the release that will be heard. A "smoky" and introspective spiral, from the beginning to the
end of the project..

Originally released on the seminal self-titled Nucleus Roots album at the turn of the millennium, Under De Kitchen is finally getting a well-deserved vinyl pressing with new dubs and remixes!

Vocals come courtesy of Manchester's Des Nia Lashimba, accompanied by Moses, Dub Dadda and Maria

Bristol's Sasha Steppa steps up on remix duties with her debut production, elevating the track even further with her trademark high-energy peak-time stepper style

Normandy via Glasgow dubber Stalawa strips everything back for his futuristic interpretation, channeling plenty of Rhythm & Sound inspiration

As usual, Dub Junction isn't doing things by halves, with three separate records being pressed to house all six mixes, all with their own unique two-colour marbled effect.

Originally released on the seminal self-titled Nucleus Roots album at the turn of the millennium, Under De Kitchen is finally getting a well-deserved vinyl pressing with new dubs and remixes!

Vocals come courtesy of Manchester's Des Nia Lashimba, accompanied by Moses, Dub Dadda and Maria

Bristol's Sasha Steppa steps up on remix duties with her debut production, elevating the track even further with her trademark high-energy peak-time stepper style

Normandy via Glasgow dubber Stalawa strips everything back for his futuristic interpretation, channeling plenty of Rhythm & Sound inspiration

As usual, Dub Junction isn't doing things by halves, with three separate records being pressed to house all six mixes, all with their own unique two-colour marbled effect.

LTD 500 units 7 Inch of this seminal Hip Hop/Electro jam from 1984.

Mint 'Styrene' copies are changing hands for £100+, but this remastered reissue version is now available on 100% virgin vinyl at a snip of that price. A slice of Hip Hop history.

A new and terrific house album from Dj Jauche, a true pioneer and cofounder of the house and electronic music scene in Berlin. Mr. Jauche comes with a mix of funk, soul and the deepness of 30 years experience in deejaying & clubbing. With a lot of depth, lively bounce and premium quality.

Two superrare & heavy funk cuts from Donnie Sanders. "Shing A Ling Baby" can be found on the incredible "Feeling Nice Vol.4" compilation album. "Naptown USA" is completely unknown and waits to be discovered.

Limited edition LP pressed on Orange & Green splatter vinyl – 2 albums on 1 limited edition vinyl!

Ezroh paints ethereal images of forgotten worlds through pan international sounds, chopped, crunched and spat out again into collages to be remembered. Blank Lux is his second outing under this moniker. His sound is reminiscent of the dusty and dirty sound of Madlib, Dabrye and Samiyam but honed in with a sound that reflects the echos of noises made in the deepest corners of the culutral melting pot we call home (earth).

The EP takes flight with the title track featuring 90s hip hop evangelists Blu & Exile, raw raps partnered with matching cuts. Track 2 continues this direction with Stonesthrow affiliated MED aka Medaphor for an even dirtier angle.. the ebbs and flows are dramatic yet poignant. To round things off Cazeaux Oslo and Nelson Dialect of the local rap group 'Sunset Cities' appear respectively on solo outings with 'Mind Taco' and 'Steel Life'. This whole package is painted into a beautiful retrospective image via the front cover designed by in house artist Michal Rafaj, that perfectly presents the chaotic and soulful energy of these songs.

On the B side is the repressed version of his first album ‘Error On Green’ which was released in 2020 on Sonar Kollektiv offshoot 'Sun Aura Records'.
















p B5 Blank Lux (feat. Blu & Exile) Inkswel Remix
q B6 Blank Lux (feat. Blu & Exile) Edseven Remix
r B7 Medicine (feat. M.E.D.) Inkswel Remix

Big Crown Records is proud to present the debut full length offering from Les Imprimés, Rêverie. The stirring and ethereal sounds of Les Imprimés have been making fans of anyone who hears them since their first 7” single hit the speakers. Morten Martens is the man behind the band. Born, raised, and working in Kristiansand, Norway, he keeps a low profile while making his heartfelt, highly infectious, and unique music. This album is a long time coming for Martens and it is sure to make him a name to be reckoned with.

The first thing you notice listening to Les Imprimés is the high level of musicianship. Martens plays nearly every instrument on the recordings and handles the production and arranging. He has been making records for decades, winning a Spellemann Award (aka, the Norwegian Grammy) in 2006 for producing a Hip Hop album as well as getting nominations across three other genres. While awards and accolades speak to the level of his talent, this new album really shows who he is as an artist on his own terms.

Moving away from being a hired gun on the touring scene naturally led him to start doing more studio work. Slowly collecting gear and getting more experience behind the boards he built his own studio on the island of Odderøya and was making a living playing with and recording other people's music. As the story goes, after those sessions would end he would work on his own project into the wee hours of the night. From these late night sessions, Les Imprimés was born and Rêverie began to take shape.

However, "it wasn't until COVID, when things locked down, that I was really able to find the time to focus on Les Imprimés" Morten says about creating and leading his own solo project. "It was a scary time. But I knew I had to do something with it." He took the sum of his influences, combined them with his own vibe and got busy writing the music, playing the instruments, and singing the songs. "It's soul music, but I don't exactly have the soul voice," Morten explains humbly. "But I do it my own way, in a way that's mine."

It is his sound, his fingerprint, his sensibility, that makes his music hard to categorize. He has crafted an album of songs with different energies that all fit together to make one gorgeous record. The lead single “Falling Away” starts with a raw drum break and turns into a lushly arranged tune that paints the picture of love when it slips away. On “Still Here” he professes his resilience through life’s twists and turns over a thundering track that puts a new spin on the B side ballad genre. Songs like “You” and “Our Love” mix tones from 60s and 70s Soul with arrangement nods to Doo Wop records while Martens’ lyrics and delivery leave you singing the melodies long after they finish. “Love & Flowers” finds Martens in a moment of clarity with a song that fits the niche sub genre of happy break up tunes, the four on the floor track will move the dancefloor while the message will resonate with anyone who put too much effort into the wrong situation in their lives. However, it is songs like “Muse” and “Chess” that really encapsulate the uniqueness of Les Imprimés as they push the boundaries of genre, one a profession of love for music and the other a cover of an electronic record respectively. Martens’ lyrics, emotion, and delivery truly make the whole thing come together and stand out from any of his peers. There’s an infectiousness and a pop sensibility in the writing that is done with the utmost class and taste giving Les Imprimés the rare quality of immediate attraction that only deepens the more you listen.

Los Angeles wordsmith Pawz One teams up with German producer DJ Dister on the collaborative album "Watch & Learn" via Below System Records.

"Watch & Learn" captures scenarios of street life, hustling and paranoia all painted over well-crafted production. Pawz One has come off a string of recent releases that have sharpened his song writing ability while Dister has produced various projects expanding his diverse sound.

For Pawz One "Watch & Learn" has given him a chance to speak on topics that were close to heart having lost friends and family to the streets and prison as well as serving time himself. DJ Dister showcases a wide range of production that combines a classic sound with progressive elements.

The first single "World Champion" moves listeners with the energetic track fused with a dash of reggae and Pawz's combination of punchlines and wordplay. On the follow up single "Out Here", Pawz One and Guilty Simpson lay out the often ignored rules of the streets over a sinister soundtrack. "No Contest" is the last single pitting Akrobatik and Pawz One against all challengers. Next to Guilty Simpson and Akrobatik, other guest appearances by Napoleon Da Legend and Space Honey.

"Watch & Learn" provides a blend of vivid storytelling and melodic beats giving audiences of Hip-Hop something to add to of their collections.

Superb funky-soul tune which was comped on the incredible "Natural Resources II" compilation album. The original 45 is tricky to find so most of the soul music aficionados out there should be pleased with this reissue.

Since first joining forces in the studio at the dawn of the 2000s, Danielle Baldelli and Marco Dionigi have released countless collaborative singles and albums, each showcasing distinctively different take on the “cosmic sound” that Baldelli did more than anyone else to define in the early 1980s.

Alloteva marks the pair’s first joint release for Leng Records, and Baldelli’s return to the label following last year’s acclaimed full-length collaboration with Marco Fratty, Oil Painting. It boasts a quartet of cuts that further refine the pair’s now-familiar joint style, which combines elements of dub disco, space rock, Italo-disco, funk and Afro-cosmic (another style which Baldelli arguably created via his DJ sets at the legendary Cosmic Club).

Those who’ve followed the experienced Italian pair’s career over the last two decades will enjoy the heavy and sweaty title track, a cowbell-sporting chunk of funk-fuelled cosmic disco decadence piled high with loose-limbed drums, throbbing synthesizer arpeggio lines, flanged guitar riffs and rubbery, low-slung bass.

The pair’s love of dub disco is further explored on the deliciously deep and warming ‘Deflector’, a pitched-down delight in which intergalactic chords, snaking saxophone motifs and echoing percussion hits rise above a metronomic beat and another headline-grabbing bassline.

‘Sonora’, which opens the flipside of the vinyl version of the release, is arguably even more cosmic and spaced-out. Light and airy thanks to a sparse, clicking drum machine rhythm, hypnotic bassline and gently pulsing synth chords, the track is marked out by some near horizontal, echo-laden jazz guitar solos that seemingly tumble down across the sound space.

To round off a strong EP, Baldelli and Dionigi deliver ‘Time is Plastic’, whose icy ambient intro and blazed spoken word samples quickly segue into another elastic cosmic funk groove. This time round, the star attraction is the duo’s classy combination of liquid bass guitar and excitement-packed slap-bass. Throw in some gnarled, flash-fried funk guitar riffs and a heady, hypnotic mood, and you have another deep space gem from the most cosmic duo in the business.

Repress

The mighty Dusty Donuts label is back with a bang. After seeing an extended hiatus due to global conflicts and supply chain issues, they’re back on track. The Balkan phenom DJ Goce is behind the boards for this one and it’s a doozy. Taking inspiration from early naughties soul laced bangers, both sides are heavy. Side A is derived from a track produced by a certain NPD laced fashion mo-gul and builds on the Soul and Hip Hip stabs. Goce drops crazy Game on this one. Side B is a Problem. And no one can seem to solve it. The answer is that this 45 won’t leave crates for a long while.

Impossibly rare and extremely obscure 45 that almost never turns up. A monstrous modern soul dancer with a funky edge on the a-side and a great boogie banger on the flip side now available to soul and funk fans around the globe at the price of a pizza for one. This version comes out of a fortunate demo on a 1/4” reel tape which is the only recording that survived a car crash Mr. Horton was involved in many years back. Johnny kindly allowed us to license this beautiful piece of music and we are very proud to bring to your decks such a testament to the Alabama sound of the seventies.

Thirty years in the making, Kraig Kilby’s Satori is an exercise in perspective. The classically-trained trombonist and pianist put down his professional roots in the Soul, Jazz, and Funk scenes of 1970s California, contributing to records by Bennie Maupin and Dynasty as well as touring and recording consistently with The Whispers and Etta James. While off the road in the SF Bay Area, he found himself adjacent to some of the most forward-thinking and far-out Jazz musicians of the time.

He asked two of them, bassist Paul Jackson and drummer Michael Clark, to help him realize a set of his own compositions. The duo, already legendary for their roles in Herbie Hancock’s Headhunters band, went into the studio with Kilby to record the foundational tracks in the spring of 1977. Throughout the next four years, he would return on his own to apply layer after layer of additional instrumentation, up to the absolute limits of what was possible with the available equipment. This exacting process gave the sessions an unusual and compelling signature that bears something in common with the contemporaneous work of the Mizell Brothers, Norman Connors’ Aquarian Dream, and Detroit’s Tribe Records, but with a depth and lyricism unique to Kilby’s sense of harmony that lies amorphously between the worlds of 70’s Jazz, Funk, and Experimental Rock. Kraig's busy touring schedule throughout the following decades would leave the album fermenting until 2007, when it was paired with two more recent improvisational recordings and self-released on CD.

Satori's mercurial twists and turns lead us through a dense sequence of melodic and rhythmic figures as calculated as they are tripped, always at the edge but navigated with a precise sense of balance. Rife with hooks that will startle even the most seasoned breakbeat sleuth and sheets of emotive texture that sound right at home with today’s wave of Cosmic Jazz torchbearers, it spins like a collector's fever dream, surely one of the most prescient Jazz albums to have fallen through the cracks. Upstart Detroit label Just Us is pleased to offer this crucial missing link on vinyl for the first time.

Repress!

He made remixes matter more than the original songs. He introduced dramatic, forceful horns to rap’s sonic discussion. It almost goes without saying that Pete Rock is among the greatest hip-hop producers of all time, and Soul Brother #1 is still crafting timeless music. Now back on vinyl for the first time in years, Pete’s acclaimed album NY’s Finest features an impressive lineup of vocalists, including Wu-Tang emcees Raekwon and Masta Killa, Jim Jones, Little Brother, Styles P, Redman, Max B, Papoose, and more. Entirely produced by Pete Rock, the album is a modern masterpiece from a legendary artist. This repress also includes the bonus track “It’s So G” featuring Roc Marciano, a lost treasure from the NY’s Finest sessions that wasn’t on the original tracklist.

Lauf001 is a collaboration between Siggatunez and Oliver Bernstein. For -Funkplace One- and -Aliibumba- they visited eachother in their cities and worked together in the studio. The result are two head nodding tracks from hip-hop beat stuff to minimalistic house. A perfect bridge between Dessau & Berlin.

Released for the very first time in the format it was recorded for. • The Holy grail of Bolan’s unreleased soul recordings as producer • Includes completely unheard version of Do Your Thing taken from newly acquired original reels. • Features completely reworked version of classic T. Rex Tracks ‘Jitterbug Love’, ‘Get it On’, ‘Sunken Rags’, and the never released in Marc’s lifetime ‘Sailors of the highway’. • Besides some self-released gospel recordings Pat Hall never released anything again. This album remains the sole released recordings of this extraordinary singer.

Opaz celebrates 30 years in urban music with a compilation featuring some of their most sought after tracks. Featuring Martine Girault, Mica Paris, Maysa Leak, Cartier Fraser, Imaani, Natasha Campbel, Patrick Jean-Paul-Denis, George Howard, Mary Jane and Ray Hayden.

The compilation will be supported with a month advertising on Solar radio, as well as a two hour show featuring Ray's Productions, remixes and songwriting for the likes of Will Smith, Marvin Gaye, Omar, Mary J Blige, Incognito, Tyrese, Sade, Swing Out Sister, Guru and artists from the label. We expect some support from online magazines and soul music sites. Opaz has a FB promo page with 294 DJ's and taste makers from around the world who support the label and have contributed to the 1.2 million streams on average a year.

Officially licensed, remastered reissue of a rare and obscure experimental jam from Rotterdam, 'Cor Corora' by Nyra Bakiga, original copies of which have been selling for upwards of £300 on Discogs. Produced by Peter Graute and Martin Van Der Leer, who ran the punk/new wave label and record store Backstreet Backlash Records, 'Cor Corora' is an exploratory journey that sounds light-years ahead of it's 1981 release. Warped, crunched beats, twisted guitars and space echoed delays lay the foundation for Nyra's sublime vocals - who was the wife of an African ambassador in the Netherlands, where her paths crossed with the Backstreet Backlash duo. nsurprisingly the likes of Daniele Baldelli and Beppe Loda were giving 'Cor Corora' rotations in the early days of the Italian Afro Cosmic scene and the track is still a prized possession in the record bags of some of the best selectors around, including everyone from Peanut Butter Wolf to Manfredas.

Repress!