Hip-Hop News

The new release on 45 Loves features Beastie’s and Biggie’s both on each side over some cherry-picked Moar beats. Vocals fit so snug that we wonder what life would be like if Moar had grown up in New-York City in the 90's. Dancefloors were made for this, quality stuff. The flip is another fusion cut, dropping the tempo and creating a disco/rap affair.

Finest French jazzy beats "JAZZ LIBERATORZ", their 1st single "What's Real" featuring Aloe Blacc, who was also featured on Avicii, which was suddenly released in 2003 and later released on Stones Throw has finally become a 7-inch vinyl! B-side is a the single "Music Makes The World Go Round (2004)" featuring great talent of the West Coast underground "Declam", this is a special version which is remixed by 20Syl who is the MC / track maker of Hocus Pocus, France.

In the shadows of the Renaissance Centre in downtown Detroit 1979, producers Jimmy Hall and Ralph Leach founded independent record label Ren Cen Records. Predominately used as a outlet for their roaster of local artists, over a ten year period Jimmy & Ralph tried to make their name releasing anything from electro-boogie to synth pop and soul. One of the first artists released on the label was Rita Joyce. Little is known about Rita and like many of the label’s other artists, this single was her only brush with a recording career. Dancing Close and Back Home Again are two incredibly powerful tracks with Rita’s voice effortlessly gliding across each track. Tough drums and a deep synth hook provides a concoction that has led to this single becoming highly sought-after by soul & hip-hop collectors alike.

Miles Away are delighted to reissue this deep cut once again on in its original 7” format. Remastered and repressed brandishing the Miles Away teal green label. The release is set for 19th February on vinyl & digital platforms.

Okocha Records sendet Grüße aus „Jazzenatico“ und nimmt euch mit auf eine musikalische Reise an der italienischen Adria entlang. Nehmt euch eine kurze Auszeit und genießt den sonnigen Tag am Strand von "Jazzenatico" mit harmonischen Melodien und warmen, jazzinspirierten Instrumentals von u.a. FloFilz, Wandl, Wun Two, Twit One, digitalluc, Melodiesinfonie uvm.

Full album from rapper Mista monk produced by Inkswel - featuring super nice guests Illa J, Laneous, Reggie B, Colonel Red, People Without Shoes and Planetsel

The son of a mixed-race Zimbabwean mother and white Australian father, Liam Monkhouse aka Mista Monk was born and raised in Katherine, a rural town in the Northern Territory, far from both his African roots and the urban environment most hip-hop evokes. But rap music spoke to the young Monk’s fledgling sense of a mixed race identity, with his hometown being a strange dichotomy of Ocker Aussie and Indigenous culture. These cultural crossroads and their broader implications have informed his lyrics for over a two decades now, culminating in his first solo hip-hop album 'Muti' with prolific producer Inkswel on production duties.

Mista Monk represents these crossroads with rhythmic flows and conscious word-play illuminating his world view from the macro of humanity's ills to the miniature of personal identity with nods to fun off-the-cuff flows and cartoon-esque narratives making for a balanced spread of flavours to navigate the vivid sample driven soundscapes provided by Inkswel.

He is the founding member of multi-cultural hip-hop band Culture Connect (circa 2000) and currently performs with Afro-Jazz outfit Black Jesus Experience; frequent collaborators of Ethio-Jazz star Mulatu Astatke. Bringing a definitive raw fire to live grooves, hip-hop and Afro-House, Monk brings 20 years experience on the mike and it shows in his commanding stage presence.

No stranger to the club and festival circuit in Australia, Monk has held it down down under with artists such as Mista Savona, Digital Afrika, Ganga Giri, Monkey Marc, Combat Wombat, and Laneous amongst many others. Black Jesus Experience have appeared twice at Glastonbury (UK) , and Big Chill Festivals (UK), as well as Azgo (Mozambique) and Bushfire (Swaziland) Festivals during tours to Europe and Africa. Four trips to the motherland have featured numerous tours of Ethiopia with performances with Mulatu Astake at United Nations Africa HQ and solo shows in Kenya, Tanzania, Zimbabwe and South Africa.

Amazing beats album from aussie producer rela with Beka.. keys player who has worked with and played alongside Stanley Clarke, Lenny White and Chick Corea..

The Amsterdam Beat Tape is an experimental fusion of moods by Rela & Beka Gochiashvili. Combining elements of Hip-Hop, RnB, Jazz, Soul and Electronic Beats. From layers of smooth neo soul chords over groovy drums and mind bending jazz solos to electronic beats with out of this world drum patterns, The Amsterdam Beat Tape has everything to satisfy any lover of pure music.


Beka Gochiashvili (Georgia)

Beka is a proud Georgian and one of the world’s greatest young Jazz prodigies. From playing jazz clubs in Tbilisi at he age of 10 to touring with Stanley Clarke at the age of 16, Beka has really made a name for himself amongst the international Jazz community. At the age of 13 Beka was the youngest winner of the Bösendorfer Solo Jazz Piano Competition, Montreaux Switzerland. He was also the semi finalist and youngest participant in the Thelonius Monk International Jazz competition. He attended Juilliard at 13 and started playing on stage as young as 15 with Jazz legends such as Stanley Clarke, Lenny White and Chick Corea. Currently touring the world as part of The Stanley Clarke Band.

Neo/soul bits vibe remiscent Lauryn Hill/ Erykah Badu/ No.name

The first of three upcoming tapes, Ruru.432 presents Moonloops, a short compilation of music documenting Love, light and healing. Ruru.432 is an accomplished singer and songwriter residing in Adelaide, she has played at the New Zealand Fringe Festival, Sanaa Festival and a handful of smaller shows in Europe in 2018. Music as a healing force.

Ban vibes ala Kamaal Williams/ Baker Brown.. with raps from Cazeaux OSLO who is on the Stones throw quakers release, comes with Inkswel mix

Cut from live jams at teverte collective’s own studio located in forest range, south australia, same old things is the collective’s first offering to the outside world. Featuring good friend and frequent collaborator, cazeaux oslo (so.Crates).

Featuring a line up of 4 core members and a handful of frequent collaborators, tervete collective are a hip-hop and groove collective inspired by hip-hop greats like the soulquarians, j dilla, a tribe called quest and robert glasper, as well as the recent revival of the uk jazz scene.

L’Entourloop “Le Savoir Faire” album in Vinyl 2LP version – September 22, 2017 – 18 tracks – 4 sides

Breeding in open air since 1964, Sir James and King Johnny are the figureheads of the mysterious L’ENTOURLOOP collective. Feed with good grains from Sounds Systems, vinyle’s culture (Scratchs / Beatmaking / Sampling) and rocked by the epic dialogues of a certain cinema, L’ENTOURLOOP concocte with love a music half-way between Kingston, London and New York!

This album is rich in combinations (Panda Dub, Kill Emil, The Architect…) and plenty of featurings (Biga*Ranx, Marina P, Demolition Man, Tippa Irie…) where the collective once again unveils its « Savoir-Faire » !

Andres (aka DJ Dez) steps up to join the MotorCity Wine family in fine style with the Allegria de Vino series. For this 2 volume series Andres flexes his blunted downtempo beat-driven side, complete with his primo cut skills celebrating our favorite red, white, and pink libations. Both volumes feature 3 instrumental hip-hop beats, cut loud at 33.3 rpm, pressed with love at Archer on Detroit's east side, and housed in the MotorCity Wine company 7" jacket.

*Repress*

In the year 2000, I moved to Chalmers on the eastside of Detroit. With an Ensoniq EPS, and a Roland VS 1880, I started a studio in my mother’s basement just a block from the Detroit River. The first order of business was engineering a compilation my boy Murf was producing. One day he had a session with Idol. The song was taking longer than usual for Idol to lay. We attributed this to the fact that his attention was divided between the song and the woman he brought along with him. He also brought along his little brother and his friend who were both about 17, 18 years old. As the beat was playing, Murf heard his brother’s friend rapping under his breath and asked to hear what he was saying. Murf turns to Idol for the green light, one take and 5 minutes later, Boldy had his first song. From this point, Boldy was in my basement recording or in the streets.

For the next 5 years or so, he would come and record to beats he brought while I was working on the Resurget Cineribus album. When I finished Resurget, with all of its wild composition, I was interested in just making some “beats” again. By 2007, I had some in the stash and Boldy asked to rap to them. We recorded the first song Die Young and thought lets keep going. Him and I both were people that did not create music to be in the industry, or for an audience. We created for ourselves solely, and still do. We are not careerists with music, but culturalists documenting the Detroit experiences that we have absorbed from it’s deepest of trenches, sometimes converting personal trauma into collective catharsis. This catharsis is what we shared with loved ones with similar symptoms, and we were good with that.

Early in the process of making what I could now see was going to become an album, my cousin came over. He sat and listened to the first few songs. He goes, “I can listen to this and not get high that day.” That gave me focus. At that time I kept asking Boldy to be more personal. The more he did that the more this became about healing, not making a “good” album. That was my little brother by now and he was going through a lot. Ironically, I saw a lot of my father in him, whom Resurget was about. He was the user closest to me, Boldy was the dealer closest to me. I saw that we are all in search of a feeling. Everyone has been a dealer and user at some point. We have all dealt a feeling to someone to enhance the condition of our lives, or were in search of a feeling to escape that condition, by becoming a user of what someone has dealt to us.

From 2007 to 2010 Boldy recorded vocals for this album. We couldn’t have been further from the industry, we were in our own world. During this time Boldy’s cousin Chuck Inglish began gaining steam with The Cool Kids. By ‘09, Boldy started going to Chicago to record with Chuck which led him to recording Gettin Flicked for their Tacklebox Mixtape, the song that kicked off his career. Those lyrics were originally for the song we recorded which is now Got Flicked(the rebirth) on this album.

By 2010, Boldy was off and running, and I had an album’s worth of songs with him that I had no clue what to do with. When he rapped to my tracks they were pretty much chopped samples and drums, my version of boom bap. As Boldy was ascending, musicians kept appearing in my life. Mother Cyborg became an early sonic thread with her cello. Jugal, an actual monk, was staying in the temple blocks from my house. I met him walking in the middle of the hood playing a mridanga, robe and all! He ended up contributing the mridanga and harmonium to the mix, as well as singing in Sanskrit. My cousin Keir Worthy brought Bubz Fiddler through. Bubz, who played with George Clinton and RJ’s Latest Arrival, was a legendary Detroit bassist who, along with his brother Amp Fiddler, anchored Detroit’s music community. It was their home that was the space that incubated Dilla and Slum’s musical journey in its infancy, just as Boldy in mine. Inspired by them, my home was open to neighborhood kids as well. My next door neighbor Tone eventually led the neighborhood kids to my house. Tone was hanging with a girl at his high school that he would bring over to record with them. Working on Welcome to 76 I needed somebody that sounded like a bad ass little kid to do the chorus and Deja’s voice was perfect.

Within a year or two, routine flooding was uprooting the basement studio while the kids that once used it were engaged in an all out war on our block. Boldy could see where they were headed, as we would watch them rush to the bushes for stockpiled guns every time a car came down the street. Boldy would do his best to hip them to the perils of the streets. As the smoke was clearing, my mother was preparing to leave the state after my grandmother passed. Many of those kids got locked up or killed. I didn’t see any of them again, though a few years later the unmistakable voice that I asked to do that chorus would be all over the radio with a national hit, helping to give birth to a new wave of Detroit Music, as Dej Loaf.

As one wave was washing out for me, I began meeting a new wave of Jazz musicians returning to the city from college and other places. One musician in particular was Rafael leafaR, a protege of legendary Jazz bassist Reggie Workman who played alongside John Coltrane and Art Blakey. Raf would become my right hand and personal woodwind section. Everyone would come to my place and play wherever they wanted to on the album. With my records constantly being shuffled in plastic bins to clean up every time it rained, there wasn’t much new music being made. The album was all I had for them to play on. As the water broke the flow of my production, the engineer in me was emerging. Twenty plus musicians later, I had a whole new project on my hands with a ton of editing, composing, arranging, and mixing to do. Boldy’s words became the soil from which I could grow the sound into a womb-like world that held his experience, an experience all of us share in one form or another. It went from having a physical space where Boldy’s voice could grow, to using Boldy’s voice as the spiritual space to grow the sound inside of, as I was losing this physical space where all of this started. This became apparent after recording Mommy Dearest. The things we create can become the womb that we needed to return us to who we were, before our circumstances made us what we are.

Summer 2018, I gave Boldy what I thought was the finished version of the album which now included a Ghettotech-inspired vamp out at the end of Birth of Bold and Requiem. Both pieces didn’t have any vocals. Requiem was a tribute to Bubz Fiddler, who passed 2 years earlier. Boldy tells me, “I love it but, I want to rap on those 2 open beats.” Little did I know that giving space to acknowledge the passing of Bubz would lead to new life for this record. So 8 years afterBoldy and I last recorded, on the day after his birthday, he returned to record new lyrics to those tracks to finish the album, bringing this process full circle.

As I was sitting with Kesswa listening to the final mixes we arrived at Got Flicked(the rebirth), which she sang on. At this moment, she was listening to Boldy’s vocals for the first time, as I’d had them muted in my session with her. Sitting there, it dawned on her that she recorded vocals to the original version of one of the songs, from that Tacklebox mixtape, that inspired her to pursue music years earlier. This 12 year process affirmed to me that if you take the time to get back to your beginning, you will arrive at your infinity.

Sterling Toles

Taken from his debut mixtape "1999", Brooklyn's Joey Badass drops 2 slices of classic 90s sounding hip hop. Limited to 300 copies only.

A new project by Chicago-based drummer/producer Makaya McCraven. An addendum to his critically-acclaimed 2018 release Universal Beings, which The New York Times said "affirms the drummer and beatsmith's position as a major figure in creative music," Universal Beings E&F Sides presents fourteen new pieces of organic beat music cut from the original sessions, prepared and produced by Makaya as a soundtrack to the Universal Beings documentary film. Directed by Mark Pallman, the Universal Beings documentary follows Makaya to Los Angeles, Chicago, London and New York City for a behind the scenes look into the making of the artists breakthrough album, taking the viewer through the story of Makaya's life, his process and the community of musicians that helped bring this project to life. The Universal Beings documentary and Universal Beings E&F Sides album will be released on all DSPs this July 31st on International Anthem.

Among the Most Influential, Inventive, Invigorating Records Ever Released: Run-D.M.C.'s Raising Hell Brought Hip-Hop to the Mainstream, Includes Crossover Smash "Walk This Way"

Mastered from the Original Master Tapes and Strictly Limited to 3,000 Numbered Copies: Mobile Fidelity 180g 45RPM 2LP Heightens Rick Rubin's Pioneering Production

Run-D.M.C.'s Raising Hell remains the turning point at which hip-hop crashed through mainstream barriers and never left. Anchored by the crossover smash "Walk This Way," the 1986 blockbuster still sounds like a revolution unfolding in real time. It has everything – hard-rock riffs, turntable scratching, itchy rhythms, hit singles – not the least of which are the trio's invigorating raps and inseparable chemistry. And now it's the first rap record afforded audiophile treatment, courtesy of Mobile Fidelity's simply illin' analog edition.

Mastered from the original master tapes, pressed at RTI, and strictly limited to 3,000 copies and 2000 SACD, the unsurpassed reissue label's 180g 45RPM 2LP set elevates Raising Hell to sonic heights on par with its musical and cultural significance. Ranked the 123rd Greatest Album of All Time by Rolling Stone, 43rd on Pitchfork's Greatest Albums of the 1980s, one of the Top 100 Albums of All Time by TIME – and included on "Best of" lists by Spin, Paste, XXL, Entertainment Weekly, and basically every other significant media outlet – the triple-platinum effort rocks the house.

Afforded extra groove space, Raising Hell unleashes a torrent of massive dynamics and tsunami of frequency-plumbing details underlined by Rick Rubin's taut, crisp, albeit raw and streetwise production. Just as the Queens-based group both defined what hip-hop could represent – and displayed just how big it could get – Rubin's work melded ear-worm hooks, savvy drum loops, metal-leaning guitars, and, of course, Run and D.M.C.'s cross-fire lyrical interplay into watertight frameworks bursting with ideas, tones, samples, and beats. Heard anew on Mobile Fidelity vinyl, Raising Hell is in every regard the aural equivalent of a direct-to-console 1970s classic. And it sounds as fresh as hell.

As for the music, it ranks among the most influential, inventive, and invigorating ever released – rap or otherwise. Vanguard artists such as Ice-T, Eminem, Jay-Z, and Public Enemy's Chuck D – who declared it his all-time favorite and "the first record that made me realize this was an album-oriented genre" – have testified on behalf of its brilliance. And never mind the presence of the Top 5 single "Walk This Way," whose power helped make Aerosmith's Steven Tyler and Joe Perry relevant for the first time in nearly a decade – and literally put Run-D.M.C. in bedrooms ranging from the Bronx to Bartlett to Bad Axe.

Look instead to the rest of the entirely filler-free set, be it the corkscrew turns, slippery wordplay, and "My Sharona"-meets-"Mickey" mixology of the boisterous "It's Tricky," the fat-but-minimized bass grooves and warped turntable wobble of the hysterical "You Be Illin'," chimes-accented inertia and boombox-on-shoulder thunder of the now-iconic "Peter Piper," or voice-as-percussion attack of the funky "Is It Live." With Raising Hell, the answer to the question is always affirmative – a sensation bolstered by the fact the group always had something to say.

The definition of Golden Age Hip-Hop in every way, Run-D.M.C. avoids the negativity and misogyny that later plagued the style, spinning assertive tales about identity (the biographical and culture-changing "My Adidas"), work ethics ("Perfection"), and, most notably, pride (the Harriet Tubman- and Malcom X.-referencing "Proud to Be Black"). Pavement-packed inner cities, tree-lined suburbs, and cornfield-rimmed rural areas would never again be the same. And rocking a rhyme that's right on time would become trickier than ever.

High quality laqcuer cut 7 inch that comes with a nice booklet with photo album, lyrics, inner sleeve, PVC outer sleeve and a hype sticker!

Two super cool 7-inches of Ivan Ave's new RNB singles, featuring artists like Byron The Aquarius & Mndsgn. Both seven inches comes with a nice booklet with photo album, lyrics, inner sleeve, PVC outer sleeve and a hype sticker! Illustrations by the grand imperial Nick Dahlen.
Mutual Intentions is proud to announce the long awaited comeback from one of Norway's biggest exports of urban music - Ivan Ave - rapper turned singer. It's two songs on each 7-inch which makes it four new singles in total, all released with instrumentals on their flipsides. The 45's feature production and vocals from artists such as Byron The Aquarius, Mndsgn, Joyce Wrice, Devin Morrison, Sasac & Clever Austin of Hiatus Kaiyote.

KURU IS THE FIRST ALBUM COMPOSED BY THE COLLABORATIVE PROJECT KARU, AND ORCHESTRATED BY THE MULTI-INSTRUMENTALIST ALBERTO BRUTTI. HE DELVES INTO HIS PASSIONS FOR TRIBAL CULTURE, JAZZ AND ELECTRONIC PRODUCTION COMBINING THEM IN A WORK THAT IS IN EQUAL PARTS UPLIFTING AND SOMBER. THE ALBUM STARTS OFF WITH SELVA, WHICH UNFOLDS WITH ITS MYSTIC CHANTS AND A WARM SAX PAVING THE WAY FOR A SHIMMERING TRACK PUNCTUATED BY THE POLYMORPHIC PULSE OF THE DOUBLE BASS. THE HYPNOTIC CRESCENDO MELTS INTO THE SPACIOUS SERENITY OF UPYA, THE SINGLE EXTRACTED FROM KURU; TO CLOSE THE A SIDE, ZALIWA FEAT DAYKODA, WHICH SETS A VIVID FOREGROUND GROOVE AND BLENDS THE EDGES BETWEEN HIP HOP PRODUCTION AND JAZZ. ON THE B SIDE, KARU GO INTO DARKER EXCURSIONS; KENZO AND ROOT TURN UP THE BASS PRESSURE SOFTLY GUIDED BY THE GLOWING SAX, THAT STILL FEELS DISTORTED AMONG THE TRIBAL RHYTHMS AND VOICES. LIKE A WISTFUL SUNSET IN A DESERT, KURU CASTS A DELICATE NOSTALGIC MOOD THAT CALLS FOR PEACE AFTER THE STORM. THE ALBUM FEELS INTENSELY HUMAN, SOPHISTICATED AND EVENTUALLY PLAYFUL THANKS TO THE GUEST APPARITION OF THE ARTIST AND DJ GUEDRA GUEDRA WHO DELIVERS A BOUNCY FOOTWORK REMIX OF UPYA, THAT SHINES WITH ENERGY AND LOOPY SAMPLES WITHOUT MESSING WITH THE ELEGANCE OF THE TRACK.

This new 45 by Soul Supreme pays homage to Mf Doom and Madlib with a rework of raid and a cover of a 70s jazz-funk gem by Cortex on the flip side. While the music was already being pressed on vinyl, reality caught up with the release: the devastating news of MF DOOM's passing turned this 45 into an unintended posthumous tribute of sorts.

On the A-side, you find Soul Supreme's take on the classic "Huit Octobre 1971" by Cortex, a track that was sampled by Madlib (for MF DOOM's "One Beer," Jaylib's "No Games" and the intro to his first Mind Fusion project), among many other producers. The rework also appeared on Soul Supreme's self-titled LP, which was released late last year.

The B side features Raid, a jazz-fusion rework of the Madvillain track. Spaced-out keys and off kilter drums transfer Raid into different territories far away from the average 'hip hop cover'. The track features a great line-up of musicians getting free-form like a DOOM flow.

After the near-instant sold out 45s of The Message / Umi Says (and last year's repress) and the A Tribe Called Quest reworks Check The Rhime / Lyrics To Go, better act fast to not miss out on this third record.

Tape / Cassette

Prague based FM Label connects music, fashion and design. Established in 2020 by Uncalled 4, the label joins the flourishing scene of Prague with a vision of music in which the new revisits the old. The second release, Enough, comes from our very own Detente 2020 - the killer combo of Uncalled 4 and his studio partner and close friend, Universe Of Everything. Featuring NYC hip hop legend Afu-Ra and Charlie One on the vocals, the eponymous track Enough combines iconic 90's street rap with contemporary electronic sounds, presenting a scenic layer that provides a movie-like feeling. The EP also features the Czech Filharmony drummer Jakub Tengler, who jammed buckets, pots, pipes and any other unusual object at his reach to create the heavily percussive Bucket Tube. Norway's Fett Burger takes Bucket Tube on a ride through NYC with his 'Work Out' remix, providing the ever-astonishing impression of walking around the streets of the Big Apple. Olsvang?r remix of Enough is designed to smash the dancefloor. Heavily influenced by both the past and the present, his rework shifts between intelligence and sheer rawness. As a final touch, the release is accompanied by an acapella track that will also be found on future FM label releases. Enough EP comes in a special cardboard sleeve which can be reshaped into a vinyl display holder.

EP+MC Bundle

Prague based FM Label connects music, fashion and design. Established in 2020 by Uncalled 4, the label joins the flourishing scene of Prague with a vision of music in which the new revisits the old. The second release, Enough, comes from our very own Detente 2020 - the killer combo of Uncalled 4 and his studio partner and close friend, Universe Of Everything. Featuring NYC hip hop legend Afu-Ra and Charlie One on the vocals, the eponymous track Enough combines iconic 90's street rap with contemporary electronic sounds, presenting a scenic layer that provides a movie-like feeling. The EP also features the Czech Filharmony drummer Jakub Tengler, who jammed buckets, pots, pipes and any other unusual object at his reach to create the heavily percussive Bucket Tube. Norway's Fett Burger takes Bucket Tube on a ride through NYC with his 'Work Out' remix, providing the ever-astonishing impression of walking around the streets of the Big Apple. Olsvang?r remix of Enough is designed to smash the dancefloor. Heavily influenced by both the past and the present, his rework shifts between intelligence and sheer rawness. As a final touch, the release is accompanied by an acapella track that will also be found on future FM label releases. Enough EP comes in a special cardboard sleeve which can be reshaped into a vinyl display holder.

Up next to bat for the Astral Black label is Glasgow's Bushido and he looks set to hit his debut 4-track EP straight out the park. Over the past 18 months Bushido's playful, dance-hall infused take on UK club-music has built a steady reputation, with his soundcloud page showcasing a blaze of radio rips lifted from 1xtra, Rinse & NTS. His Beach Stage set at last years Outlook Festival was picked by The Daily Street as their personal highlight and his collaborations with label-mate DJ Milktray & contributions to releases from Liminal Sounds & LuckyMe's 14/15 advent calendar have picked up DJ support from the likes of Hudson Mohawke, Mssngno & Nina Las Vegas as well as press from the likes of The Fader & FACT.

On 'Grandmaster Cash', Bushido turns in 4 sweltering, hyper-tropical, club tracks - the arpeggiated cowbells & vocal chops of opener 'Palm Trees' sounding like you've hit the jackpot on a fruit machine. 'Palm Trees' has become a firm favourite in sets from the likes of Mr Mitch & Murlo and its clear to see why. The sino-centric 'Cherry Blossom' is up next, it's half-step breakdowns offering some mild respite before culminating in an arsenal of pan-flute chops & triplet hi hats. The mavado-sampling 'Just Us' rings out at the top of side B, a stripped back offering of anthemic vocal-chops, 808 kicks, sub bass and rim shots. Finally, leaving the B'more bounce of Boxed-favourite 'Jersey' to seal the deal.

A mainstay on the label, Dresden-born / Berlin-based B-boy Worf is up there with Kiat as the most consistent and prolific artist in the collective since his ‘City Of Meth’ EPs in back in 2018. Following various appearances and cameos on the imprint since, his emotional, hip-hop influenced designs are back in the form of his most accomplished release so far.

* imited quadfold 180 gram Double Mint & Electric Blue 2xLP + poster
Building on the sample-based approach of their classic albums Since I Left You and Wildflower, but stepping boldly into new terrain, We Will Always Love You is the new full length masterpiece from The Avalanches. Set for release around the galaxy on December 11. Features Ann Druyan (Director of the Voyager Golden Record Project) on the album cover, her cosmic love story with Carl Sagan inspiring this body of work.

An exploration of the vibrational relationship between light, sound and spirit, We Will Always Love You doubles as “an exploration of the human voice” and a spiritual reckoning via the big questions “who are we really? What happens when we die?’”. So says Robbie Chater, who alongside bandmate Tony DiBlasi and collaborator Andrew Szekeres has moved beyond the party-up exuberance of The Avalanches’s youthful music to a tender, reflective sound infused with hard-earned life wisdom.

If there’s a single spark for We Will Always Love You it’s the story of the love affair between Ann Druyan and Carl Sagan: “science communicators” whose writings and TV programs brought the ever-deepening mysteries of astronomy and astrophysics to the mass audience. Chater was profoundly moved by the fact that the couple’s romance was captured and carried into space, thanks to the Voyager Interstellar Message Project. Druyan served as Creative Director in charge of curating the Golden Record: earthling music and assorted terrestrial sounds gathered for the contemplation of any alien civilisations that might be out there and be advanced enough to construct a playback system.
Originally, Druyan was set to be a presence on We Will Always Love You: a studio was booked to record her telling her own story. That never transpired, but Druyan “gave us permission to use her photo on the album cover,” says Chater. “We photographed it off a static-y television set and ran it through a spectograph to make the cover image. So that was a beautiful way that Ann could still be part of the record. We turned her into sound and back again”

No Cover

The Four Owls swarm into 2020 by announcing the long-awaited news of their third studio album Nocturnal Instinct dropping via High Focus Records on 17th April 2020. Since their inception in ‘11, The Four Owls have become best known for their thought-provoking, emotive and undiluted lyricism. They’ve never shied away from delving deep within and in doing so have carved a unique space for themselves within the Hip-Hop landscape.

With the collective comprising of Leaf Dog, Fliptrix, Verb T & BVA the foursome perfectly demonstrate the age-old idea that you can’t choose your family but you can choose your friends, The Four Owls have fabricated an honest bond of brotherhood that spills out into their music which can only be described as Hip-Hop in its purest form. At the production helm, Leaf Dog is responsible for creating not only the entire album but The Owls signature sound which they have become so infamous for.

Nocturnal Instinct is set to become a cult classic and features artists you rarely see collaborate with musicians on this side of the pond. Super-producer DJ Premier, who only ever works with The Owls in the UK, lends his golden era beats to single ‘100%’ - with his signature scratched chorus proclaiming The Owls as 'kings of their throne' - the follow up to their first monumental collaboration, ‘Think Twice’.

Also gracing the project is RA The Rugged Man, an artist has also worked with the likes of Notorious B.I.G, Mobb Deep, & Wu-Tang Clan, now welcomes The Owls into his hall of fame. RA chops it up on ‘Air Strike’ and brings his own East Coast style and fast-paced flow. Up next is arguably one of the biggest names to come from the underground in recent years, Roc Marciano. Marciano lures you into a meditative state in ‘Dark Days’ by carefully finding his place within The Owls unmatched beats. Nocturnal Instinct is a series of hand-picked tracks designed to challenge the status quo and educate.

The Owls continue to school throughout the entire album with
other appearances from the likes of Smellington Piff, Kool G Rap,
as well as Masta Killa (Wu-Tang).

oralle startet ins neue Jahr mit dem Release seines zweiten Albums „Fonografie“.

2020 gleichte einer Achterbahn für den italienischen Beatmaker Koralle. Seine Heimat Bologna wurde schwer COVID-19 getroffen. Währenddessen war Koralle jedoch produktiver denn je und veröffentlichte bereits acht Singles von „Fonografie“, darunter Kollabos mit Kölner Beatschmied Twit One, Londoner MC & Aktivistin Isatta Sheriff, Houston Rapper Anti Lilly und Turt von den Summers Sons. Die Singles waren ein großer Erfolg und konnten bis dato insgesamt über 2,5 Millionen Streams generieren.

„Fonografie“ besteht aus 16 Tracks mit weiteren Features und wird als digitales Album und auf Vinyl erhältlich sein.

Latest solo release by legendary Grammy nominated producer Salaam Remi that reflects his perspective of what it means to be "Black on Purpose", with features from Nas, Busta Rhymes, Jennifer Hudson, Super Cat, Common and more.

With this release on La Fête Recording, Yann Polewka wanted to honour a very punchy house that will transport you directly under the palm trees and the summer sun, enough to prolong this summer period so special
this year.
Going from a smooth Grover Washington Jr. atmosphere with a jazz/hip hop beat on "UFO" to more dancefloor-scratching sounds like "The Ghetto" or "You got it" and his shattering vocal, Yann reveals the extent of his talents which is not limited to house with this record.
On the second side, we find the track "Dressed Like A Fella" in its original version along with a remix by Ethyène, founder of the french label Moonrise Hill Material, who once again illustrates his own style.

New LP from French beat-makers La Fine Equipe featuring Illa J, T3, 20Syl, Mr J Medeiros, Georgia Anne Muldrow, Fakear ...

Let's be clear: La Fine Equipe is a band. The numerous hats wore by its four members are so various that it could mislead one's. Indeed, surrounding Blanka, oOgo, Chomsky and Mr. Gib, there are recording studios, collaborations, lives, side-projects... There is also and especially a whole universe built during the past ten years around their passion for beatmaking, embodied by the release of « 5th Season », new album.
So yes, La Fine Equipe is a band, but it's also much more than that.

Since their creation in 2006 and their first album « La Boulangerie » two years later, the four producers became inevitable when you think about a new scene breaking the barriers between musical genders. Hip Hop is at the heart of their craft, corner stone of their musical background and inspirations where the paths of J Dilla, Madlib, Flying Lotus, Kaytranada and the turntablists A-Trak, C2C and Birdy Nam Nam are crossing ways. Two things gather La Fine Equipe and those big names, the constant need of collaboration with other artists, and this thirst of discovery, main feature of the digger.

From 2008 to 2014, La Fine Equipe mastered its craft with the « Boulangerie », compilation gathering 34 beatmakers on 113 tracks. They also work on the creation of the label Nowadays Records (Fakear, Skence, Unno, Clément Bazin, Leska, Douchka...) and released more than 75 EPs and LPs in five years.
With an outrageous number of shows across the world, tour in Asia, South America, collaborations with several international artists... Their success changed the game: Whereas many producers coming from this environment where isolated, La Fine Equipe federated a growing scene and became its reference.
After years spent paving the way for other artists and creating a structure that could support the growth of a musical scene, they decided to go further and launch a new era with « 5th Season ».

Because the band works with eight hands and four brains, there's nothing surprising in the fact that the album sounds like a condensed of each and everyone inspirations and experiences, from hip hop and sampling, to electronica, jazz and Latinas inspirations. If homogeneity is the new trend, La Fine Equipe isn't ready to sacrifice its wishes to fit the mould.

« 5th Season » is also a glance at the world looking over our planet's current state, the cosmos, the vegetal and these things that are greater and stronger than us, and the things and behaviour that could led to our loss.
It's an almost apocalyptic vision of our future, but full of optimism at the same time. There is something solar and cinematographic in this album, a format that goes beyond the one chosen before, closer to playlist and compilations such as the three Boulangerie opuses remind us.

Loyal to their status of ambassadors, the four beatmakers keep on inviting other artists to complete their universe. Illa J and T3, respectively brother and partner (Slum Village) of the late J. Dilla, make the connection between a glorious past and the future embodied by La Fine Equipe on the track « The Source ». With « Aurora », it's the solemn and mystical voice of Madjo that take this electro-pop track to another level. The American rapper Mr. J. Medeiros on the boom bap anthem « What Eva », the Montrealer ZeFire on « Typical », each and every artists brings its stone to the edifice of « 5th Season », giving to the album a limitless and freed musical richness.

But to release an album isn't enough. In parallel, each member of La Fine Equipe continues to fulfil its multiples tasks and work on a new concept live show bringing a scenic and visual show in addition to their music. It is what the artists looking toward the future do, and La Fine Equipe is looking straight ahead.

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TRACK BY TRACK

AURORA (Ft. Madjo)
Already remixed by the quatuor on the beautiful track « Choose The Heart », it's Madjo's turn to be invited by La Fine Equipe for a collaboration. Her mystical voice, which fragility paradoxically seems to strengthen its power, turns the track into an epic pop anthem.

NOBU (Ft. Grems & 20syl)
The association of these three names seems obvious, like a family reunion. Grems did the visual of the anniversary box of La Boulangerie, 20syl (C2C, Hocus Pocus) was one of the beatmakers who took part in the project.
This time, the two big brothers are side by side behind the mic, for the first French speaking collaboration of La Fine Equipe.
On this trapy/footwork beat, the two rappers ring the alarm before it's too late to save our house, the earth.

THE SOURCE (Ft. T3 & Illa J)
In the family of Hip Hop jewels of 5th Season, here is one coming from the USA. Fans of J Dilla and Slum Village since the first hour, La Fine Equipe pays its respects to its influences by inviting T3 and Illa J. Respectively member of Slum Village and brother of the legendary Detroit producer, these two MCs build a bridge between the eras and let their sharpened flows confuse our perception of time.

5TH SEASON (Ft. Fakear)
A second collaboration with their little brother from the Nowadays Family, Fakear. Eponymous title, it represents the universe of both entities, true road trip through Fakearians melodies and La Fine Equipe's funk declined in five seasons.

TYPICAL BOY (Ft. ZeFire)
With « Typical Boy », La Fine Equipe express its love for House music with chopped rhythms and a heavy but swaying bass line. The freed track oscillate between power and lightness. A beat that quickly becomes ZeFire's playground. The Montreal singer, already heard on Her's tracks, brings a missing r'n'b touch to create the perfect chemistry.

We’ll get to the vocal content in a second, but first it’s time to acknowledge what a patchwork tapestry of genius ‘Peace is not the word to play’ is in terms of production. Large Professor being a prodigy on the SP-1200 is well established, but the way he flips parts of MFSB’s ‘TLC’ and Milly and Silly’s obscure ‘Gettin’ Down for Xmas’ with a sprinkling of Lyn Collins here establishes his credentials in the top tier.

Lyrically, it’s a tour de force, with Main Source taking exception with the misuse of the word ‘peace’ by the hip-hop fraternity. With even the most homicidal of gangster rappers dropping it at the end of tracks at the time, time was overdue for some regulation.

The album version makes its point pithily in a single verse, while the remix, included on the flip of this first ever 7” release, expands on the topic with new verses and some new samples too. It’s a welcome reminder of the time when remixes were remixes – not just the identical track with the latest hot rappers joining in.
Most of all, Main Source once again walk the fine line between lyrical lecture and head-nodding banger – the rare example of a track with a point to make that can still fill a dancefloor and get necks snapping.

• Samples MFSB’s ‘TLC’; Milly and Silly’s obscure ‘Gettin’ Down for Xmas’ and Lyn Collins

• First ever 7” release of the Remix

When the film ‘White Men Can’t Jump’ was released in 1992, an EP of music from the film was dropped almost simultaneously. That EP, cheekily titled ‘White Men Can’t Rap’, featured a couple of exclusive gems, notably Gang Starr’s ‘Now You’re Mine’ and a cut from Main Source called ‘Fakin’ the Funk’.

The only single borne of that six-track EP was the Main Source track, released in remixed form on Wild Pitch records the same year. No surprise, it was head and shoulders above the rest.

Opening with those unmistakable harmonies from Main Ingredient’s ‘Magic Shoes’, the intro segues into a crisp beat borrowed from Grady Tate’s frequently sampled ‘Be Black Baby’ from 1969. Throw in a sprinkle of Kool & The Gang and you’ve got a track that would fit seamlessly onto Main Source’s masterpiece of an album, ‘Breaking Atoms’.

Instead, it’s the group’s last hurrah, the final collaboration between K-Cut, Sir Scratch and Large Professor before the latter departed the trio. It’s fitting that he saves one of his best vocal performances for last, railing at sell-outs with the assistance of his long-term collaborator Neek the Exotic.

Never released before on an official 7”, it’s a track that has lost none of its appeal, and the remix is the definitive version of this classic.

• Samples Main Ingredient’s ‘Magic Shoes’ and Grady Tate’s frequently sampled ‘Be Black Baby’

• First ever 7” release of the Remix

• Also available on Limited Edition Neon Green vinyl

First EP out on Hip Dozer by very talented beat-maker saib. Since its release it has cumulated 35 Millions of streams and helped bring Saib as an emerging talent on the beatmaking scene worldwide.

"After my 100th jubilee episode on Brooklyn Radio and the accompanying "Oonops Drops"-45 i am back with this new single.

We gonna start with a funky rap-tune by The Ruffcats featuring Andy Cooper on the microphone. Slick Walk remixed "On The Run" and added hard-hitting drums and on-point-scratches to it and produced a sureshot party starter.

On the flip you'll find two jazzy instrumental joints. First one is by japanese beatproducer 6th Generation and his instrumental 7"- edit of "Remember Us". The last track is by German fingerdrumming master and beatgrinder xtraordinaire Clockwerk who works out a jazzy beats number together with Hannover based jazz combo Birdmoves on the instruments."

Oonops

a 01: On The Run (Slick Walk Remix) feat. Andy Cooper


d 04: Portisheadshop (7) [feat. Birdmoves]

Two Queensbridge classics. The A side is reconstructed from the original samples. The Don takes it back to Brooklyn with Top Bliilin drums.

Kidaf is a New York City based hip hop artist and a member of the LOAF collective.

More than just your typical rapper, Kidaf also sees himself as a musician, whose instrument of choice is his voice, though he's no singer, He says The voice is the original instrument, and the best way for me to communicate'. Kidaf began writing rhymes and songs at a young age, he is heavily influenced by the greats of the Golden Era' of Hip-Hop, but admits he listens to a little bit of everything'.

Having released his first project Adolessons' in 2013 to rave reviews, Kidaf has toured Domestically & Internationally and performed at famed venues like the Apollo Theater in New York City and the El Rey Theater in Los Angeles, he has also maintained a steady stream of releases solo and as part of the collective Loaf Muzik', with his fan base growing along with his catalog.

His debut Album "In The Air" is a masterpiece when it comes to lyrics,deepness and flow as said by some industry insiders who have already previewed the music. GRABBA the first single, has generated attention at the MTV headquarters, this track is now featured for the spring TRL campaign . The album also features fellow Loaf Muzik collective member "Shine Sinatra and uprising Brooklyn Rapper Chelsea Reject as well as one of underground hip hops finest BLU. The whole album was soley produced by Shuko (Talib Kweli, B-Real, Evidence, CL.Smooth, The Clipse) who is also taking care of the distribution on his own imprinit "For the love of it" together with "Groove Attack"

Love Me Like Cooked Food Featuring Legendary Jamaican singer and rapper Nardo Ranks. And Renualt Used Car sellsmen John FM on Secrets with Andre Foxxe on guitar.

“Semilla” ist das Kollabo-Debütalbum von Multiinstrumentalist Pachakuti und Produzent young.vishnu. Pachakuti ist ein klassisch ausgebildeter Saxophonist und Pianist mit Hang zu Jazz und lateinamerikanischer Musik. young.vishnu ist Beatmaker, Arrangeur, Sampleologist und Gründer des Nima Composition Archive. Beide lernten sich vor 5 Jahren in Hildesheim kenn und freundeten sich auf einem gemeinsammen Raod-Trip ins Baskenland an. Pachakuti und young.vishnu gründeten eine neunköpfige Band namens Soularkestra die der Ausgangspunkt für ihr neues Projekt war. Auf “Semilla” vereint das Duo Hip-Hop, Jazz, Latin, Funk und Soul mit starken Botschaften zu Politik, Identität, Globalisierung und Neokolonialismus.

Limited run of Devin Morrison's Bussin LP instrumentals... impress your freinds with your own smooth fresstyles (via Zoom)