House News

White Vinyl

Shall Not Fade's Season Series imprint hosts Brighton-based DJ and producer Gavinco (Joe Newham) for its first long-play release - Dumont LP; a mellow yet rhythmic collection of jazz house explorations. This is his second LP in a year, and blends organic instrumentation with clubby samples.

Dumont is a polished piece of work, smoothly produced and flowing from song to song imperceptibly like the pianist improvising to entertain punters in an uptown jazz bar. The title track is all swinging, dusty sax scattered with sharp natural keys, although the rough and ready undercurrent suggests something clubbier. It prepares you for the harder "Electronic Feeling" that takes similar jazz stylization but ups the house beat; a bassiness builds into the end of the A-side with "Transit" centering around saxophone loops and elevated percussion that gets hips moving. This is stripped right back for wistful guitar and soulful female vocals in "Sweetness" - "Carry On" acts as a meeting point between this and the danceable rest of the record, summer vibes passing through it as the pulse of house influence builds. Newham plays with Herbie Hancock-style flute trills during "Fusion", vintage funk guitar rising hazily from the rhythm like a mirage. If "Fusion" evokes sun-baked Balearic beaches, "Devouee" is the gentle tide cooling them, fading chord stabs mirroring placid sax.

Digital bonus track "Estrella" carries a layered brass section, building to a euphoric drop - though taking a sound palette from candlelit jazz clubs, this is sunshine music.

“A house mix?” Not a chance. To take a tune as big as Back To Life and a genre as broad as house, one mix by itself was never going to cut it.

Once we started exploring the possibilities of Soul II Soul inna house music style, it took four unique approaches to properly capture the essence of house music on the sound systems as they moved their crowds through different moods. First up, Zepherin Saint’s Thunder, eases into its take on the classic as the layers build up underneath a blissful floating trumpet. Booker T Kings of Soul Satta mix steps up the intensity with each crescendo of that famous chorus, Then the first of two DJ Fen mixes is a cheerfully skittery garage dub, celebrating the dance as it hits a peak. After that Back To Life hits the chillout space, as Fen’s second mix is so laid back it’s almost horizontal, giving pause to contemplate what just happened.

Four mixes, four vibes, one Funki Dred landmark.

LIMITED MARBLED 10" / HAND-NUMBERED / VINYL ONLY / NO REPRESS

Dear people from all 4 Pulp Corners of the globe,

Our main facility has been raided by international secret services. Following their stupefying findings, governments were forced to temporarily suspend all Untitled B jungle disturbance acts.

We now introduce a new adapted Pulp Corn specimen equipped with:
- Untitled A aka Discorn Ball Haze
- Untitled AA aka Pulp Budha Kush

SB EDITZ hits its 5th instalment with four more choice cuts from four different artists around the globe.

Classic looped up disco house reworks and a lo slung 80's boogie funk jam.

Hot second-line street funk from the legendary SBB.

Written and produced by Robin Scholz; Mastering my Lopazz,

The first Studio Barnhus compilation, Studio Barnhus Volym 1, is coming out at the end of August.

The 19-track release will feature music from the Stockholm label's three founders—Axel Boman, Kornél Kovács, Petter Nordkvist—plus various associates, ranging from local newcomers to superstar friends of the label like DJ Koze, John Talabot and Superpitcher.

It'll be available on triple-pack vinyl, double CD and in all digital formats from August 31st.

Lyon beatsmith Saint Paul made an impressive full debut in 2017 with his Introspection EP on Moonrise Hill Material (which he co-runs with his boys Folamour, Ethyène and Kaffe Crème). After tasty contributions to V/As on the likes of Apparel Wax and FHUO, the Frenchman is back with another solo record on DC's Better Listen Records.

The Naturist Behavior EP is a tastefully balanced, warm-weather oriented four tracker. The title track and the A2, "A Hawaiian Trip", explore playful and jazzy territories. Meanwhile, the flip hosts moodier ventures via the bittersweet boogie of "Tell Me" and the ice cold late night jam, "Feels Good".

*Repress*

To celebrate 25 years of Ten Lovers Music, Patrick Gibin and Caruso deliver 2 tracks for a special double sided 7" pressed on sky blue vinyl.
On Side A, ‘Flash Point’ is another example of Patrick’s boogie aesthetic which oozes groove and positive melodies. A soon to be collector’s item for all the boogie funk connoisseurs.
On the flip "Archive" from Caruso, which as the name suggests is an unreleased Deep House track from 2002, still standing the test of time.

Elegant and heavy drum-machine-disco doublesider from Leoparden!

The Dutch icon Orlando Voorn is releasing a fresh new sound on Deeptrax Records sublabel Contrafact! Having started his career in the early 80s with major influences of Parliament, Kraftwerk, Motown and P funk, he is now widely recognized as an ingenious (Detroit) house and techno producer with former releases on Juan Atkins’ Metroplex records and Kevin Saunderson’s KMS. In “The Master” this album brings something special and is influenced by the deeper sounds of soul and funk. Orlando Voorn has used aliases in the past to present and release various styles of music without limiting himself and is one of the most versatile producers out there. We are proud to team up with Voorn and release this album that captures soulful jazz, funk rhythms and perfectly fused with passionate vocals in a real jazzy Detroit vein.

Released in 2019 in a limited edition of 50 cassettes, 'Planetary Exploration' by Ogawa & Tokoro is a handcrafted synthesizer dream sequence. Looking through an ancient oriental telescope, let us seek the future of music and Zen in this new era. When the time comes to abandon our planet, we still will be the ancestors of all humankind. Pressed to vinyl for the first time, remastered by Kuniyuki Takahashi!

A true king of the disco revival, JN is back with a 2019 sampler featuring his reworks of songs by TAMIKO JONES, THE TRAMMPS, and PATTI LABELLE. (Z RECORDS)

And.rea (Melliflow, LMML, Yay) reveals a serious playfulness on this new three-piece ensemble for Lisbon’s Welt Discos. With a craftsman's hand he weaves house into funk and breaks into jazz, all held together by a subtle harmonic thread. These tracks feel both
au courant and singular, bringing together the best of vintage Random Factor and Herbert with a deft musicality that And.rea has made all his own.

Marcel Vogel aka Em Yee joins the RNT roster with a 4-pack of unsurprisingly heavy edits.

The Lumberjacks In Hell label boss takes us on a little trip through one of his own eclectic sets, starting with the oddball boogie of You Move Me and then moving on to the hands-in-the-air positivity of Spreading Energy.

On the flip it's the up-tempo afro burner Don't Be Sabi Say, with the 12' concluding on the whimsically catchy I Wish I Knew The Words. Tried and tested and found true!

Carrying on after the previous release in this series and letting the music speak.

Gently trimmed from their original forms to be reimagined for future ears.

Limited quantities with no represses. Take what you need & leave the rest.

Just What The World Needs…

Essential repress of stunning 1977 Disco-soul rarity, written, produced and arranged by the incredible team of Norman Connors, Reggie Lucas and James Mtume. Vitamin E, a a short-lived group that yielded only 2 singles and one long player during their time certainly knew who to work with in the studio. 'Kiss Away' is an absolute belter, raw and raunchy Funk riffing gives way to some ultra smooth, grown-up stepping Soul awash with some stellar string arrangements. This one is definitely for the dancers, it simply glides along with the utmost class and sophistication, an incredibly uplifting and funky cut that features here in it's 1977 special disco version guise as per the original Buddah Records release. On the flip is a cool cover of Neil Sedaka's 1974 hit 'Laughter In The Rain' - a sweet version, no doubt, but the real winner is the stellar A-side. Reissued, remastered and re-presented for 2018 by Above Board distribution - 100% legit and licensed.

There are few who can breathe new life into old Polish songs as well as the Warsaw duo Holiday 80.
Their new versions of forgotten Polish songs are always incredibly danceable, featuring great production quality.

This spring the duo will finally release their self-titled EP for The Very Polish Cut-Outs - the cult label from Poland.
This recording also marks the start of a new series of samplers, which will fully showcase the production artistry of individual Polish producers.

The Very Holiday 80 Sampler EP features four new edits that are perfect for both the clubs (once they've opened of course) and home.
The release opens with "Byles, Jestes, Bedziesz Moj" ("You were, you are, you will be mine") - an electro funk interpretation of Krystyna Pronko's 1987 song which is beefed up with some straight forward drums and lots of new effects.
The next track on the same side, the Holiday 80's version of Tubylcy Betonu track "Ye Ye Ye" will prove to you that the Poles felt the Manchester groove no less than the crazies from Happy Mondays.
Yet the real gem in this set is the B-side opener "Zaopiekuj sie mna", a synth-wave, dark-italo style take on the 1985 hit track by Rezerwat that was on top of Polish favourite lists of the era.

The release closes with an edit of "Centrum Wynalazkow", one of the best examples of Polish new wave electronic music of the late 1980s. The forgotten recording by Formacja Niezywych Schabuff has been cut with a skill worthy of the tailors of London's Saville Row.

The Stone Tape EP is the fourth record in Session Victim’s Pen & Paper series and sees Matthias Reiling’s first solo outing for the vinyl only imprint. Three original cuts betray Reiling’s fascination with the mystic and occult, elevating the listener’s perception and sending dancers into a spiritual and physical seance. Fellow Sorcerer Leafar Legov’s coproduction and Erobique’s enchanting Melodica on Tarot Nouveau and Ouija Dub add more layers of depth and an extra set of black magic spells to the whole. On top of that, italian beatsmith Broke One stuns everyone at Pen & Paper with his remix of the title track “Vibrate", boosting the original with an intense rhythm section and finally lighting up it’s dark path with warm and hopeful harmonies. Vital Sales Points: Matthias Reiling is one half of Session Victim and has released his solo material under his own name on labels such as Giegling, Retreat and XK.

Collecting orders for repress

The second record on Pen & Paper contains two Session Victim original tunes, demonstrating the duo's trademark taste for sublime sample composition.
Smile is dominated by a heavy drum set that paves the way for an assortment of smaller and bigger funk loops, eventually joined by a vibrant lofi chord.
Mourn sees a moody blues sample float on top of the creamiest synthpad, echoing in and out while telling it's dark, old story.

Various Artists From The Four Corners Of France, The Project Great Raw 002 Is The Second Vinyl Release Of The Label Grand Cru Paris. 4 Tracks , 4 Artists, Coming From Different Horizons, Gathering Under The Banner Of House Music."

The name Hugo Mari might not ring a bell just yet, but we've got a feeling this is about to change real soon. He's released a handful of EP's under his former alias Books on Omena and XVI including his own edit series on the latter label (check out his killer track 'in the groove or his jazzy deep house collaboration with Zodiac called 'Feel it in my Bones'). Considering he's also remixed well known artists like afrobeat legend Dele Sosimi and grime master Trim, you might share our view of this amazingly talented and versatile producer. His 'Change ur ways' EP for Heist is soulful, jazzy, deep and energetic with three varied originals and a classic soulful house remix by man of the moment, NDATL label head Kai Alcé.

'Get Loose' features the silky-smooth vocals of Zodiac, some lovely solo work on the Rhodes and a 'free jazz' vibe on the horns. There's a constant funk bassline looping throughout the track to keep the energy going while the loose arrangement as well as the drum programming give the track that care-free feeling of a never-ending live jam. With that, 'Get Loose' is a great club track that crosses the boundaries between funk, jazz and house.

The title track still has that jazzy feeling but moves towards a quirkier territory with some 'Frits Wentink' style harmonization, detuned piano's and loosely chopped samples. There's a definite gospel feel to the track, thanks to the choice in vocal chops, which is complemented perfectly by a filtered disco bassline. The percussion layer and rhythmic elements are full of energy without ever crossing the line where of subtlety that makes this track so catchy.

On the flip, there's 'Feel ur senses', the most straightforward deep house track of the release, that gets its mood from an ongoing tremolo on the Rhodes pads. Space bleeps, bells, a hidden arp and 'reverbed-out' hits give the track an almost balaeric sound that will certainly put a smile on your face.

The B side is complemented with a vocal and instrumental remix of 'Get Loose' by Kai Alcé, who has been throwing out one killer tune after the other, remixing Volcov's Isoul8 project (one of our favorites of the year), as well as kicking out releases on his own NDATL label. Kai goes for a full-on soulful house vibe, giving his own chord progression center stage along with a set of rimshots. He chooses to leave the horns out, and instead work the vocal, Rhodes, and cowbells from the original to great effect, adding a little solo work of his own on a bell-like piano where he freestyles happily throughout the track and copies the vocal for added harmonies.
The instrumental version is perfect for those moments where you're done with all the vocals and just want a tight soulful groove.

We couldn't be happier with this release so play it loud and get loose!

Yours Sincerely,

Maarten & Lars

'Sceptic' is the first EP from the French label Suborder, featuring 3 tracks produced by Electro producer NGA. With this first release, NGA wants to put France on the Electro Map. Each track mixes classic 808 drums and Electro basslines with melancholic keyboards patterns.

The main track 'Sceptic' is a retro-futuristic ballad surrounded by birds chirping like C64 computers. It can be played with its original BPM but can be over accelerated to be mixed as Detroit Electro superheroes.

'Unlimited Power' explores a darker side of NGA's mind. It sounds like a movie soundtrack with a melody that invites the listener to focus on himself for a moment.

'The Treatment' introduces what's coming next on Suborder. Funky vibes are coming in a more dancefloor-oriented mood. This will be clarified with Suborder upcoming releases.

The First Various Artist Compilation Series Shows Different Views And Heartfelt Stances On House Music From Clæp Visions Artists Around Label Head Ion Vulcan. Track A1 Kicks It Off With The Hypnotic Tribal Influenced House Stomper- sonor By The Producer And Professional Drummer Sischke. Its Textures Of Soothing African Voices In The Back And A Brilliant Sounding Dub Chord Making It Perfect Tool Track. - i Don't Sample (a2) Is From Ion Vulcan, A Berlin Dj And Producer. This Musical Gem Is Based On An Interview Fragment From Prince And Is Ironically Hinting At The Idea Of Sampling Music. The Funky House Chords Underline A Fresh Detroit/chicago Feeling. Arrived At The B-side (b1) Yot Nams Little Crowdpleaser - for You Awaits You. These Housy Chords Are Working Well As A Main Theme. Electrically Generated, They Evoke Juvenile Ease While Pushin' It Relentlessly With A Soulful Vocal, Which Provides The Necessary Thrill For The Dancefloor. B2 - missing My Old Room Is From Producer, Dj And Musician Jesus Moses. The Shuffling Beat, With Its Blooming Arp Sounds And Melancholic Choir Is A Musical Beauty, Inherits A Deep Desire And Alludes To Different Aspects Of House Music.

Repress!

Hand-Stamped - Vinyl Only

Kartel is delighted to announce the 18th March release on Soundway Records of Magical Thinking by Antibalas multi-instrumentalist, Chico Mann. Tipping a genre-bending wink at 80's funk, boogie and electro stylings, with just a hint of Afrobeat spicing the mix, Chico effortlessly merges a downtempo groove with timeless pop sensibility to create a contemporary dancefloor classic. UK/European dates for March/April will be announced shortly.

Jamwax, in conjunction with Happy Milf Records, are proud to re-release the Nigerian boogie / synth-funk bomb, Hotline's 'You Are Mine'. This six-shooter packs no duds.

Exclusively licensed from the band. 'You Are Mine' was recorded at Decca studios in Lagos, in 1986. This edition is remastered and comes with liner notes and exclusive photos from Hotline's personal archive.

Originally released in 2005 to coincide with the release of Ghana Soundz vol 2: Afro-Beat, Funk and Fusion in 70s Ghana, this 12' vinyl sees two tracks from that release re-edited and re-mixed by Brighton based Natural Self. Joe Mensah's 'Africa Is Home' is subjected to a re-edit, stretching the groove for added dance floor pleasure. Side B, Oscar Sulley's lively Afro-beat number 'Olufeme' is remixed with baritone sax and flute added to the mix.

British flavor for this brand new 7" from Legofunk Records with
an impressive action! Poetry edit over the epic music…

Delicate Wash returns to tease and please once again with a bright cocktail of mind-melding melodies accompanied by stiff drum machine rhythms.

Four piquant party starters pulled from the shores of a vintage future-scape where the horizon glows from a perpetual sunset, and there's just enough gravity to keep your feet bouncing on the sand.
Versatile, balanced and blendable, Delicate Wash #5 contains all the ingredients for you to build your own seductive sonic universe!

Headed up by mult-instrumentalist (and Gentleman's Dub Club member) Nick Tyson, XOA fuses golden era 1970s Afrobeat with deep grooves and contemporary electronic productons sizzling with analogue synths, guitars and percussive rhythms. Collaboraton has always been at the heart of the project, with an
emphasis on live instrumentaton, crucial to transmitng a rich energy on the tracks.
Hailing from London, Tyson has been building a keen following with his live gigs and DJ sets, including a sell-out live show at the Jazz Cafe featuring Eva Lazarus and Dele Sosimi on vocals. The new release on Soundway refects his steady progression towards sophistcated producton and collaboratve processes, as well as his ability to efortlessly cross multple genres.

New Zealand collective Flamingo Pier's debut album - serving up euphoric disco hooks, classic house choruses and forays into Latin funk, balearic and psychedelia

Auckland. Musicians from the tightly knit local scene swung through to contribute to the recording, including fellow Soundway act Julien Dyne on drums, as well as saxophonist Nathan Haines.

The self-titled album draws from the band’s wide-ranging taste, as well as what they’ve been playing in order to keep spirits up. Channelling classic emotive house, to disco, Afro and jazz funk on their debut album, Flamingo Pier cite a wide range of musical influences such as Khruangbin, Roisin Murphy, Peven Everett, house legends Masters at Work and Brazilian artist Tim Maia. This translates into an uplifting but nostalgic current running throughout the album - reflecting on last chances, soul-searching and longing for the carefree days of the dance floor.

Robin Renoir lands on Neon Finger with this excellent 7″ that many pose as an instant boogie – funk classic! With a clearly 80's sound and with fancy collaborations of Throwbakk, Roxy or Artur Uronen from Beverly Girl. Don’t miss it!

Official re-issue of a 1997 classic Dance Mania release.

Dj Nehpets, one of Chicago's hottest household dj's, give us a ghetto flavor and genuine Chicago sounds. Also includes a Paul Johnson Remix, played by Moodymann in the last few years.

Grooving booty action with this Dance Mania classic. No more words are necessary, a must have in your collection!

ILLEGAL JAZZ is the edit series by Berlin’s DELFONIC & KAPOTE. Focused on reworks of rare soul jazz and jazz funk-disco tunes from the 1970ies. Reworked for todays ecclectic dancefloors. The first volumes of this series have been sold out very fast and repressed up to 3 times. A sign that the demand for jazzy music on international dancefloors is growing. So now its time for the next issue.
In case you dont know DELFONIC & KAPOTE: KAPOTE is the creative mind behind TOY TONICS & KRYPTOX Records. The 2 Berlin labels dediciated to future disco & house and the new German Jazz scene (Kryptox). Delfonic is now working as A&R / Labelmanager for wordandsound / WPP and is in charge for many jazzy & soulful Labels. He is probably one of the best informend persons in the Berlin club scene and definitely an expert in all things related to soulful music.

Opolopo returns to GAMM and delivers his characteristic blend of soulful and jazzy dance music like never before.

Yellowjackets 'Matinee Idol' gets a supreme uptempo treatment and gives you an instant feel-good factor. Together with some very smart vocal samples from Whitney Houston this is 100% peak time material.

On the B-side Opolopo went on a deep search and found an overlooked Eddie Harris jazz-fusion jam from 1987 that comes with some amazing doo-wop scatting vocals and amazing keyboard action from Opolopo himself.
Jazzy, bumpy and very dance-friendly.

Not just edits, tweaks!