House News

Disk 2/5 Black-Silk Screen Jacket

EP compilation of essential UK house cuts recorded between 1987 - 1990. TIP!


Before British house and techno found its’ distinctive groove at the turn of the 1990s, one act led the way: Bang The Party, a trio who emerged from London’s vibrant underground party scene in the mid 1980s and proved, beyond any doubt, that UK producers could make music every bit as magical as the pioneering productions put forward by their counterparts in Chicago, Detroit and New York.

By the time long-running DJs and party promoters Kid Batchelor and Leslie Lawrence joined forces with trained engineer Keith Franklin at legendary North-West London reggae studio Addis Ababa in 1987, they’d spent years as DIY dance music activists in Britain’s capital city. They channelled these experiences and their love of imported house and techno sounds into a new project, Bang The Party, in the process becoming the first British act to appear on Transmat, a reflection of the quality and authenticity of their music.

The latest Rush Hour Reissue Series release offers a snapshot of some of the numerous gems nestled in the Bang The Party catalogue, delivering a much-deserved celebration of one of Britain’s most significant early acid house collectives. It features four fully remastered cuts recorded and released between 1987 and 1990 – on-point and far-sighted club workouts that sound as fresh and timeless now as they did when Britain was sweltering under its infamous ‘second summer of love’.

Fittingly, the EP begins with ‘I Feel Good All Over’, the group’s ground-breaking debut single. Dedicated to their home city and one of the earliest UK interpretations of house music, the track exists in the grey area between Chicago house and New York ‘garage house’ – all jaunty organ stabs, jacking Windy City beats, restless bass and soulful vocalizations. ‘Jacques Theme’, which follows, originally nestled on the B-side of that single release. An early, acid-flecked expression of hip-house with a British twist, breakdance-friendly bongo patterns and a dose of Larry Heard-inspired deep house dreaminess, the track remains an under-appreciated classic whose rap verses reflect the popularity of hip-hop in London at the time.

1988’s ‘Release Your Body’, Bang The Party’s most celebrated early release, was reissued in the United States by Transmat, reflecting the strong working relationship between Derrick May and Kool Kat Records’ Neil Rushton. A hypnotising affair propelled forwards by sweat-soaked drum machine beats, jacking fills and an addictive bassline, the track offers another near perfect distillation of the band’s Black American musical influences while delivering something genuinely new and fresh.

Rounding off the EP is a choice cut from Bang The Party’s sought after 1990 album Back To Prison. Doused in the star-lit synth sounds of the Motor City with jaunty organ stabs inspired by the kind of New Jersey jams championed at East Orange institution Club Zanzibar, ‘Let It Rip’ is a superb slice of deep house soul featuring a lead vocal every bit as emotive as anything laid down by Robert Owens. Like the rest of Bang The Party’s output, it has stood the time better than anything laid down by their London contemporaries.

Virtual Zone is a true icon when you talk about Belgian quality trance music. After "Virtual Zone" and "Heaven" there were other cool tracks. This 3rd EP bundles their other hits.

We honour the artist with this release on 180 gr. 12" red vinyl, played on 45RPM, to have the best sound experience. A true classic, which can not be missing from the collection of every true dance & trance lover!

NDATL continues with a release from Detroit soldier Norm Talley (Upstairz Asylum) Right out the gate Norm deep aggressive sound comes across loud & clear on "Gonna Be". Then down deep in the sound of "Power" where spoken words give insight.

Side B "The Bounce" should have dancefloors worldwide doing just that. "The Truth" no longer needed to be sought cause here it is in musical form. And a stray away from the usual Norm Talley we get the softer side "Dearly Beloved" ft Jerald Dameyon.

Back In Stock!

Time Won't Wait is the track that marks the return on the scenes of Alex Farolfi.

A pillar of "Deejay Chiama Italia", one of the most famous italian radio programs, Alex is also an established producer and remixer best known for being among the producers of "Feel It" by The Tamperer feat. Maya, an iconic track that topped the charts halfway around the world.

The idea for the production of Time Won't Wait came to Alex during a relaxing moment on vacation. The song contains elements of the song Deep fear by Sidekick and features American singer Aaron Pfeiffer as a featured artist. Time Won't Wait is a track that can win you over from the first listen.

Initially released as “Never Dull feat Crystal Waters "In My Mind (Disco Rave Edit)", mashing-up The Bucketheads’ classic “The Bomb” and Crystal Waters’ “Gypsy Woman”, this is the record that started it all and stormed the charts and radio waves!

The demand by dj’s and audience was overwhelming since day one. Clearly the cat was out of the box!

When Brazilian superstar-DJ Alok took the project on board, hired Ella Eyre for the vocals and asked legendary Kenny Dope to add his magic, it became known as Alok’s ‘Deep Down’, resulting in one of the biggest worldwide dance hits of 2022, exceeding the 75 million streams.

Now, the initial version “In My Mind” by Never Dull finally returns, as “Deep Down (Never Dull’s In My Mind remix)” and finally it's available on vinyl!

The B-side contains a unique extended version of the original “Deep Down” single version, created by Dutch veteran Ben Liebrand, resulting in the “Deep Down Extended remix”.
A pure dj-delight, which will a vinyl exclusive, only available on this unique 12” release.

Making this all together a not-to-be-missed package!

Warehouse Find!

repressed !

Hot on the heels of AUS' recent releases from Breach, Huxley and Bwana they ready their next offering from Irish duo and long term label affiliates Bicep. Aptly timed for the festival months, their 'Just' EP follows up a series of self-released titles which include collaborations with Ebony and Midland and is an impassioned bundle of broken beats, shimmering synth lines and rapturous piano chords. The title track kicks things off and suffuses a broken kick and snare combo with a poignant sequence and heart-rending synth strings. A vocal refrain drops in and out throughout a lucent breakdown before () lays a soft, filtered croon over a swelling piano motif. Tension is astutely balanced, never quite boiling over and keeping the listener pinned before () drives a tough, gravelly kick under gentle flecks of acid and rich sweeping pads.

Reissue of André Michelle‘s rare EP on Matrix which features his biggest club tune „A2“ that was also released on Marc Romboy‘s Le Petit Prince imprint.

This remastered pressing comes along with a deep and pumpin‘ Silent Breed remix by Thomas P. Heckmann plus the legendary Chicago house tracks „Binatone“ and „A1“.

The tape on the sleeve is the original DAT André used to record his classic tunes.

repressed !

A heavyweight classic! 'Don't Laugh' is one of those records, you know you've heard it, you may not who, what or where, but you know it!

The original Winx mix is a classic, often imitated, never bettered, but the real gem here is Richie Hawtin's manic, almost borderline sinister 15+ minute reworking.

Monster doesn't do it justice, tweaked out, narcotic, minimalist jacking gear. A dope combination of severe LOW end and some bracing sine waves that cut straight through. This one will surely test any club sound-system, if the venue is built for it you will know! This is one for the real heads, pure late night business oft overlooked for the more famous A-side, but trust us - Hawtin's mix will smash any dance! Oh, and there's an insane laughing acappella for those who want to mix and blend! Reissued, remastered and re-sorted for 2017 by Above Board Records with the full involvement of Nervous Records NYC.

The now 10 year old Acid Test 09 sees a special 10th Anniversary Edition repress with a new vocal mix of track “Test 3”.

The original EP saw acid nomad Tin Man team up with techno dreamweaver Donato Dozzy for three slices of deep acid and dubby, bleepy ambient.

In this special 10 Year Anniversary Edition Test 3” comes with a new vocal mix and it’s a welcome return to the mic for Tin Man. Perfectly-placed words sit among chiming bells and are layered deep into the echoes, almost like the synths themselves are speaking.

Acid Test 09 proved to be pairing in 303 paradise, but the results outclassed even Dozzy and Tin Man’s special partnership - they created simply a timeless signal that could broadcast through space ad infinitum.

Mastered and recut by Rashad.

Reissue of this italo rarity from 1983. Comes with Flemming Dalum remixes.

UK house icon Mr. G makes his FUSE debut alongside longtime friend and collaborator Duncan Forbes, with the two partnering for their excellent ‘Time To Dip’ EP.

An artist truly regarded as one of UK house music’s greats, Colin McBean, aka Mr. G, stands today as an individual at the pinnacle of the genre as his trademark sound and legendary live sets continue to tantalise crowds across the globe. A special guest at FUSE’s final show at London’s iconic Printworks in March, the event that went on to influence the EP’s curation, the UK mainstay heads to Enzo Siragusa’s globally renowned imprint for the very first time this September as he delivers his ‘Time To Dip’ EP alongside longstanding friend and regular collaborator, Duncan Forbes. Friends for many years, having known one another since Forbes’ Animated project, their collaborations on Phoenix G and 49North and recent LP have seen the duo uncover a selection of high- quality cuts from across the house spectrum - and here they showcase their innate chemistry across four tracks loaded with quality.

“Gotta say, this EP really is born outta standing on the stage before my set at FUSE at Printworks and listening to what was being played. When I got back I said to D that I wanted do something based around what I had heard, never really thinking Enzo or FUSE would get it, but how wrong we were. It’s another fab meeting of minds with D, which makes this joint EP so different yet special... I feel it covers many different bases and tempos, a real gem. Looking forward to see what folk make of it.” - Mr. G.

Title track ‘Time To Dip’ is classy house music that packs a punch typical of that trademark sound we’ve come to know and love. It’s heavy and tough yet stripped back and unquestionably dancefloor focused, all softened by hooky female vocals and hazy textures. Duncan’s ‘Sherbert Dip’ mix highlights the vocal and brings it to the fore as shuffling drums and sweeping melodies build around the elements. The flip welcomes ‘All Night’, a delightfully vibrant track pairing rich rhodes, swirling leads and sharp hats with an abundance of subtle jazzy textures, before Forbes’ ‘In The Zone’ remix delivers an immersive, heady and dubby late-night voyage for a mesmerising final ride.

repressed !

Re-release of Armani's classic 'Arrow' originally released on Dance Mania in 1997 with the hard-to-find 'Poison Mind' by Alvin Carr as a bonus track! Essential Chicago house/techno.

An Italo Disco rarity from 1985 now available again on color 12“ Maxi Single:
Karl Olivas - Follow Me ...!!!

Side A contains the rare original version and as a highlight we proudly present two new and exclusive remixes by Flemming Dalum and F. Ricci on side B.

Reissue of Terrence Parker's fantastic EP from 95' on his own Intangible label remastered and sounding fresh as ever.

Classic Detroit house music that is both timeless and essential!

Demon Music are happy to present – Electribe 101 - ‘Electribal Memories’, this stunning half-speed master vinyl edition cut from the original tapes by Barry Grint at Air Studios. Formed when Hamburg-born / London-based, sometimes S’ Express member Billie Ray Martin hooked up with four musician / producers from Birmingham, Electribe 101 instantly hit upon a sound heavily influenced by the de rigueur deep house sounds of Chicago and Detroit but with a distinctive European twist. With Billie Ray up front, with a voice like ice on fire and looking as if she’d stepped forward in time from a circa-1966 Mary Quant catwalk, the band were instantly snapped up by Mercury Records, and taken under the wing of Pet Shop Boys manager Tom Watkins. The band released five singles in the UK, and all featured on their debut album ‘Electribal Memories’ – ‘Tell Me When The Fever Ended’, ‘Talking With Myself’, ‘You’re Walking’, ‘Lipstick On My Lover’ and an incredible cover of Odyssey’s deep soul classic ‘Inside Out’. When the album arrived in 1990, it was an instant hit with critics – immaculately produced, poised, luxurious and soulful, it was difficult to believe it was a debut record at all. After ‘Electribal Memories’, Electribe 101 called it a day. Since then, the album’s reputation has grown in stature and many of its’ singles’ attendant remixes have become sought-after rarities. The cultural earthquake prompted by the late-1980s arrival on these shores of house, acid and rave prompted many a legendary club night and a generation of superstar DJ / producers. While there were a myriad of great club tracks produced in that heady period between 1988-1991, classic albums from the scene were rather more of a rarity. One towering exception was the debut by Electribe 101…

repressed !

The two Dons that dominated many club nights in the early 90's with their club orientated techno tracks that were loaded with funk, raw energy, and fresh sounds never heard before!! Blake Baxter and Orlando Voorn also known as the Ghetto Brothers

Repress.

A timeless classic created and arranged by GLENN UNDERGROUND originally released in the mid-90s on a BOO WILLIAMS' EP. The track took Europe by storm and now on a special 1-sided 12" from STRICTLY JAZ UNIT MUZIC it's available again. CLOUD BURST' is the ultimate peak time Chicago warehouse sound from the innovator GLENN UNDERGROUND. Grab this low end heavy, snappn', uplifting groove. A Chicago jacking anthem. Mastering by the Gorilla Oven Studio.

2022 OFFICIAL REISSUE

Demon Records presents a new collection of 24 UK garage anthems, brought together on vinyl for the first time, exploring the very best of the UK garage scene and packed full of classic floor-fillers.

Across the two 140g vinyl, highlights include tracks such as - Craig David ‘Fill Me In’, The Streets ‘Has It Come To This?’, Artful Dodger and Romina Johnson ‘Moving Too Fast’, Shanks & Bigfoot ‘Sweet Like Chocolate’, T2 ‘Heartbroken’ plus 19 other massive tracks.

• Pressed on two 140g vinyl, housed in printed inner sleeves.

• An essential collection for any UK garage fan!

With the Underground Collection , rediscover all the gems of the Underground Electro. One volume dedicated to House and one to Techno on two nice double vinyls. All tracks in their long original edit remastered. Featuring : Carl Cox - laurent garnier - Louie Vega - Robert Zrmani - Dj GregOry - Kings Of Tomorrow - Julien Jabre - Dj Deep - Oxia - Vitalic - Kerri Chandler - Coeo...

With the Underground Collection , rediscover all the gems of the Underground Electro. One volume dedicated to House and one to Techno on two nice double vinyls. All tracks in their long original edit remastered. Featuring : Carl Cox - laurent garnier - Louie Vega - Robert Zrmani - Dj GregOry - Kings Of Tomorrow - Julien Jabre - Dj Deep - Oxia - Vitalic - Kerri Chandler - Coeo...

Repress!

Dutch duo Lars Dales and Maarten Smeets, better known as Dam Swindle, are the latest in a line of decorated contemporary producers taking on rework duties for legendary New York disco label, Salsoul Records. Comprised of four tracks split into two volumes, the pair provide fresh takes on a number of Salsoul hits, including the classic ‘Let No Man Put Asunder’ by First Choice and Double Exposure’s ‘Everyman’. There’s some funky edits of tracks by Kebekelektrik and Kongas, wrapping up an essential Reworks package courtesy of one dance music’s premier acts.

London's vibrant music scene in the 1990s marked a transformative period for UK dance and electronic music. It was a time of unparalleled innovation, giving birth to groundbreaking genres like drum & bass, jungle, trip-hop, IDM, and UK garage. Within this dynamic landscape, "The Beginning Or The End" takes listeners on an enthralling journey - Curated by the acclaimed UK producer, remixer, and DJ Matthew 'Bushwacka!' Benjamin - into what would later become known as the 'Tech-House' sound.

"The Beginning Or The End" spotlights tracks that reverberated through London's dance floors, originating from legendary parties such as Heart & Soul, Release, The Drop, Vapour Space, and iconic venues like Heaven and The End. Visionary DJs like Bushwacka!, Mr C, Femi B, and Terry Francis skillfully blended elements from various house and techno sub-genres, placing particular emphasis on the skippy garage dubs and raw drum-tools that defined the New York house sound.

Drawing inspiration from the lessons of Detroit techno and the inventive approaches of New York garage and Chicago house, this compilation embraces deep emotion and funk without resorting to cheap tricks. It seamlessly merges these influences, incorporating techno's futuristic aesthetic with the abstract sound palette and rebellious attitude of acid house and rave. The result is a collection of tracks that defied conventions and left an indelible impact on the emerging underground scene, a legacy that continues to resonate today.

"The Beginning Or The End" transcends the boundaries of a traditional compilation; it stands as a testament to the ever-evolving landscape of UK dance and electronic music. Each meticulously selected track embodies the spirit of an era while paving the way for new genres and trends. Embark on this extraordinary sonic journey into the heart of London's underground scene and witness the power of music to shape and inspire.

First released over 30 years ago, this EP is where The Future Sound Of London started before “Papua New Guinea” later in 1991. All four tracks were instrumental in establishing a new genre of electronica within dance music. They were ahead of their time and extremely progressive, and here three decades later they are making an impression. “Pulse State” has been described as the ‘best bleep track ever made’, and at the time dominated the airwaves on London pirate stations.

FSOL present the final instalment in the Environments Trilogy. “7.003” goes deeper and darker than the previous two albums, the flavour here harping back with memories of the group’s 90’s sounding pre “Dead Cities” album. On this release we have swamp laden electronics dripping from cavernous breakbeats weaving in and out of otherworldly chords and strings firmly back in the driving seat.

FSOL deliver not only the final piece of the jigsaw but a clever jaw-droppingly sensorium.

• Following on from the highly successful first two editions of
Dance Masters featuring the classics mixes from maestros
Shep Pettibone and Arthur Baker, the spotlight turns to
another remix legend, John Luongo.

• Boston born, John is one of the truly legendary DJ's and
remixers of the Disco era. John got his break at Epic by
overdubbing percussion from salt shakers and spoons onto a
promo and then passing them back the tape. This resulted in
him being flown to New York, and put in a studio (of his
choice) to mix and produce Melba Moore`s “You Stepped
Into My Life”. From this point everything he touched was a
hit. He went onto remix Disco classics by Jackie Moore –
“This Time Baby”, Dan Hartman “Vertigo / Relight My Fire”
and Patti Labelle “Music Is My Way Of Life”.

• However, John was not afraid of remixing artists that didn’t
fit into the disco genre and this attitude is borne out by the
tracklisting of this compilation, on which Gladys Knight and
The Pips rub shoulders with Fine Young Cannibals and
Billy Idol, and Baltimora appears alongside Banararama
and Serge Ponsar.

• “…if you played this whole thing, just put it on and didn’t
tell anyone it was me, they’d say ‘boy, what a great group of
songs this is!’” - John Luongo

• This cut down 16 track essential edition in pressed on 140g
black vinyl and features foreword by Arthur Baker and an indepth essay written by Alexis Petridis (Rock and Pop
reviewer for The Guardian).

• All tracks remastered by Nick Robbins at Sound
Mastering

Leftism is the debut studio album by English electronic music duo (now solo project) Leftfield, originally released in 1995 on Columbia Records. It contained a mixture of new tracks along with reworked versions of previous Leftfield singles. The album contains guest spots from musicians not associated with dance music at the time such as John Lydon from Public Image Ltd. (and formerly of Sex Pistols) and Toni Halliday from Curve.

The album was described as progressive house, although some journalists found that label too limiting, suggesting the album incorporated many genres.

On its release, the album was well received from the British press with positive reviews from the NME and Q. The album was nominated for the Mercury Prize in 1995. Critics have praised the album as one of the major album-length works of dance music, with Q referring to it as "the first truly complete album experience to be created by house musicians and the first quintessentially British one".

Terr’s debut LP 'Consciousness As A State Of Matter’ arrives on green and orange split double-vinyl, limited to a pressing of just 400 copies, housed in a sleeve of hallucinatory artwork from designer Sebastian Ofuszak.

Across eleven tracks, Terr continues a long, fulfilling journey in electronic music with a visceral, vulnerable full-length statement inspired by tireless and timeless innovators in the history of electronic music such as Giorgio Moroder, Wendy Carlos and Phil Oakey. Achieving a delicate, wide-eyed chemistry between the catharsis of the dancefloor and the ever-renewing promise of pop, 'Consciousness As A State Of Matter’ includes and expands upon the vision of singles ‘Only For Tonight’, ‘Tale of Devotion’ and ‘Layers’.

Repress!

1990 New York techno/house classic by C'hantal , written and produced by Ralphie Dee and Anthony Mannino. Features the unmistakable accapella vocal performance that launched a million raves.

Remixes by Bloody Mary (Dame Records) who fuses her trademark acid and strings with tension created by the looping vocal.

While Mr Ties from Homopatik takes on vocal duties himself with his bizarre drum assault version for the wild at heart.

Christian Quast shreds the original vocal with his captivating and relentless live 909 remix.

'The realm has returned!'

Paperback: 288 pages
Product Dimensions: 12.9 cm x 19.8 cm x 2.3 cm

• Originally published in 1989, the book went on to sell 12,000 copies in a year before going out of print and becoming an underground cult classic.
• Includes a new introduction from author Trevor Miller and a foreword by Carl Loben (DJ Magazine)
• The book’s original soundtrack by A Guy Called Gerald is also being reissued and all five tracks will be available on vinyl for the first time.

In the summer of 1989, when Trevor Miller’s Trip City was first released with a five-track cassette EP by A Guy Called Gerald, there had been no other British novel like it. This was the down and dirty side of London nightclubs, dance music and the kind of hallucinogenic drug sub-culture that hadn’t really been explored since Tom Wolfe’s The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test. Maybe this is why Trip City is still known as “the acid house novel” and an underground literary landmark.

But for 2021, Trip City is back and the original soundtrack by A Guy Called Gerald is also being reissued and all five tracks will be available on vinyl for the first time. The Trip City soundtrack on vinyl is only available as a bundle with the book in a special Trip City tote bag.

“I remember back in the 80s, in my hometown, Tony Wilson (of Factory Records fame) was fond of calling Shaun Ryder the WB Yeats of his day. In that vein, whether or not I like to see myself in the canon of Anthony Burgess and Clockwork Orange - with these five tracks, A Guy Called Gerald feels very much like the Ludwig Van to my Alex DeLarge.” Trevor Miller

Rework's classic 2002 cut 'You're So Just Just' gets fresh remixes from Troxler X Crosson and Cinthie alongside an updated version from the act themselves.

Underground mainstays Rework released this standout track on the legendary Playhouse label and it is one that established them as pioneers right from the off. It was followed by several vital albums and releases on the same label, as well as the likes of Visionquest and exlove records.

Here, they revisit their original, which features vocals from Laetitia, and update its cold minimal grooves with fresh energy. The bass rolls deep, and the drums are snappy and upright as the edgy chords keep things full of suspense. Laetitia's soulful stylings are cut up and smeared through the mix to make for a brilliantly driving and emotive track.

Visionquest co-founders and long-time techno talents Seth Troxler and Ryan Crosson also pair off for a remix. Their version is full of trippy sound designs and wiggling hooks. It's a tightly interwoven minimal groove with an afterparty feel, and the original vocals bring their own seductive vibe.

The second remix comes from much-loved Berlin native Cinthie, who runs the Elevate store and 803 Crystal Grooves label. She recently served up a fantastic mix for the legendary DJ Kicks series and brings her timeless sound to this remix. It is raw, dusty and perfect for sweaty basements, as its hypnotic loops and punchy kick patterns are draped in old-school chord vamps.

This is a great update to a dance music classic from a fine selection of scene favourites.