House News

REPRESSED !!
(part 2 of 3) 'Ritual Chants' is a stellar earthbound and outer space odyssey spanning 3 chapters, respectfully embellishing Psychemagik's taste and passion for the wonderful, the sublime and very often unusual.

Ritual Chants skilfully shows insights into applying retro finds into a contemporary setting, much of the material acquired via world tours and capturing the excitement of finding lost jewels and sharing them to crowds across the planet.

Compiled by Danny McLewin, the renowned record digger of the duo, the compilation is carefully programmed and sequenced into 3 themes: Beach, Love & Dance, all of which tenderly demonstrate curious ears with a respectful nod to the past and the future.

On part 2 (Love) the semi discordant funk of Zru Vogue's 'Do the Zru', reminiscent of a later era Can, laced with thumb piano and an addictive head nod groove finds its place alongside the Gallic seduction of 'L'Amour Joue Au Violon' by Jeanette, a real string-swept lost masterpiece reminiscent of 'Melody Nelson' era Serge Gainsbourg. The booming drum machine mechanics of 'Hangin' Out In Space' by Tony Wilson does exactly what it says: a galactic deep fried boogie which will have even robots shaking their metalware into the long wee hours.

Psychemagik are unique in their perspective, not only is their ability to seek out rare musical treasures from the worldwide musical domain astounding, but there's also a supernatural nature to their curation. They are a duo as infamous for their production technique as their DJ skills, their prolific edits laced with subtle studio production re-interpreting vintage gems and giving them a contemporary bounce. Mixmag named them their 'Stars Of 2012' and their remix output includes Bryan Ferry, Roisin Murphy, Noel Gallagher, Haim, Azari & III, Wang Chung, Paul Weller and Metronomy, with FACT mag summing up their skills best when they observed their "ear for mind-expanding dance floor mysticism".

REPRESED !!
(part 3 of 3) 'Ritual Chants' is a stellar earthbound and outer space odyssey spanning 3 chapters, respectfully embellishing Psychemagik's taste and passion for the wonderful, the sublime and very often unusual.

Ritual Chants skilfully shows insights into applying retro finds into a contemporary setting, much of the material acquired via world tours and capturing the excitement of finding lost jewels and sharing them to crowds across the planet.

Compiled by Danny McLewin, the renowned record digger of the duo, the compilation is carefully programmed and sequenced into 3 themes: Beach, Love & Dance, all of which tenderly demonstrate curious ears with a respectful nod to the past and the future.

Part 3 (Dance) opens the door to the thick of the night, with phenomenal and unknown cuts such as 'Love and Happiness' by Mansour Sallas and Ennio Morricone's disco infused hybrid cut 'Dance On' adding magic and mysticism to this bountiful line, and high quality floor polishers such as Popcorn Makers 'Nothing', a sweaty gyrating slice of European sleaze bringing the delightful 3 course meal of 'Ritual Chants' to a close.

Psychemagik are unique in their perspective, not only is their ability to seek out rare musical treasures from the worldwide musical domain astounding, but there's also a supernatural nature to their curation. They are a duo as infamous for their production technique as their DJ skills, their prolific edits laced with subtle studio production re-interpreting vintage gems and giving them a contemporary bounce. Mixmag named them their 'Stars Of 2012' and their remix output includes Bryan Ferry, Roisin Murphy, Noel Gallagher, Haim, Azari & III, Wang Chung, Paul Weller and Metronomy, with FACT mag summing up their skills best when they observed their "ear for mind-expanding dance floor mysticism".

In 2013, we released the debut album from The Beat Broker. It went down a storm with both the disco buying public and critics alike. Fast forward to 2017 and we are just as pleased to welcome the second album from the San Francisco resident. He is here to share his sunshine once more.

The Beat Broker or Ryan Bishop (to his buds) was born and raised in southern California. With early production partner Ryan Fitzgerald they recorded as Broker/Dealer and released on sought after labels like Spectral, Traum and Sentrall. They ran a longstanding club night in SF called POP so Ryan began to make edits, new productions and remixes to integrate into the night. Starting out with slower sleazy cosmic jams for the beginning of the night, then up tempo synthesizer crowd pleasers for the early morning. These productions found their way onto records via labels like Flexx, Disques Sinthomme and more recently Adult Contemporary. Ryan also runs a well respected blog called Dream Chimney.

Ryan returns with his trademark fusion sounds. Disco, meets emotional electronic meets early 80s electro meets contemporary synth groove. But, as ever, all presented with a sheen of positivity and optimism. The album opens up with the ponderous but solid "Night Drive", a track that surely describes itself too well. "Groove Glide" gets things swinging with its driving drum machine, darting synth and luxurious arp riff.

"Living On The Edge" is next. This summer filled track. Here Ryan partners with fellow Bay area resident and all around Sultan of Chill Sorcerer (aka Dan Judd). Its swooning synth and sun-drenched Sorcerer guitar all the way. Next is "Flexxibility". Here the synths get chunky and the beats bigger for this dance fest. "New Business" is angular and mysterious and "After Touch" is bold and powerful. "Mystic Moods" swings high and slick. The LP rounds off with the dreamy, laid back synthfest that is "Infinite Wave" and housey bonus beats of "Make Your Move"

So LP2, the business is done and you have been Brokered!

Next up on Aficionado, is something a little bit different...
Bendith are a collaborative Welsh four piece, comprising of Carwyn Ellis from Colorama (who recorded Hapus for 'nado back in 2012) and Elan, Marged and Gwilym Rhys from Plu.
Following the folk-pop vein of Bendith's album released in October 2016, the EP includes 3 brand new tracks and two tracks - 'Dinas' and 'Mis Mehifin' from the self-titled album.
Two of the new songs include Welsh language adaptations of old classics; 'Can Am Gariad' is a version of the Lesley Duncan tune, 'Love Song', specially requested by Aficionado Recordings' Moonboots, who obsessively collects versions of this song.
'Hwiangerdd Takeda' is a version of the traditional Japanese song, 'Takeda Lullaby' and is inspired by the 1969 rendition by Akai Tori, the vocal folk group from Japan. Bookending the EP is 'Dan Glo', a lovely and mystical music-box demo instrumental.
All tracks retain the stunning vocal harmonies and instrumental arrangements which have marked out Bendith as a unique and very special musical prospect.
Officially Aficionado

Chromatics formed in the Pacific Northwest as a rickety no-wave band more than a decade ago, but re-emerged in the mid-2000s with a revamped lineup and a new sound that nicely coincided with a resurgence of interest in the slow, dreamy, not-always-Italian dance-pop subgenre known as Italo disco. As with other acts on New Jersey-based Italians Do It Better, a label co-founded by group mastermind Johnny Jewel, Chromatics didn't just incorporate the vocoders and vintage synth arpeggios of the turn-of-the-1980s originals, they added the brittle guitars, dubby reverb, and urban dread of post-punk.

Kill for Love, Chromatics' first album since Night Drive, finally gives this loosely associated, prematurely decayed musical aesthetic its magnum opus-- and brilliantly transcends it.
After delivering Symmetry's "Theme For An Imaginary Film" LP earlier in the year, Johnny Jewel makes no bones about this 90 minute long player's tour-de-force ambitions from the opening track, a synth-draped cover of Neil Young's"Hey Hey, My My (Into the Black)".In a recent interview Jewel reveals some of the secrets behind the album, 'We began working on "Kill For Love" two months after "Night Drive" was released in the summer of 2007. The process is very slow. Working & reworking ideas in an attempt to capture what i think is the true essence of the song. I knew exactly what the record was going to look like in my mind. I say "look like" because i could see the color of it long before i could hear the sound of it.'
The album as a whole will bring out the synaesthesic qualities in anyone and in particular album highlights "Lady" and "These Streets Will Never Look The Same" paint the entire spectrum with their all encompassing soundscapes.

Limited to 500 copies. 180G Vinyl.

Edizioni Mondo presents Serie Due! While the first chapter with four releases dedicated to seascapes ended with the compilation Collezione, we are now delving into a new part of Edizioni Mondo's world that presents new views and also artists. Niagara, the first release, anticipates the L.u.c.a. album and contains 3 different versions of the same track: one from Rotla, one from Polysick and a L.u.c.a.'s own quirky version that is surprisingly dancefloor-friendly. The name MONDO has its roots in MONDO MOVIES' is inspired by libarary music and has the goal to produce music that is descriptive of concepts, images and environments. Good listening!

Lindstrøm returns with a brand new 12" of his trademark epics! Tensions is classic Lindstrom. 
On the flip a remix by DJ Sprinkles collaborator and Comatonse artists Will Long who delivered one of last years best albums with Long Trax. This is Will Long's first ever remix.

Midnight Dicers are a trio from Tel-Aviv. They comprise of Sabo aka Obas Nenor (Mahogani Music / Strictly Rhythm), Ariel Klachkin and Eliezer Perez. They are a steady fixture in the city's nightlife, as DJ's and owners of underground clubs/bars. The collaboration with Samy Birnbach aka Dj Morpheus came naturally as they are longtime fans of his work with Minimal Compact the legendary group from the 80´s and as Dj Morpheus A&R & Compiler (Freezone series) for SSR/Crammed Discs in Brussels and his weekly Radio show the Lysergic Factory. Also featuring on the track is berry sakharof, one of minimal compact's guitarist. Icing on the cake comes in form of a dub version plus remixes from Smagghe & Cross and head honcho Prins Thomas

Copenhagen based Music For Dreams release the debut album of Mackrory and Collier.
Nick Mackrory & Harry Collier's musical partnership dates all the way back to the 90's, when they were both deeply invested in the musical boom in the UK that followed acid house, the rave scene, and the Ibiza experience. Nick went from drumsticks to turntables to studio wizardry; while Harry honed in on his golden voice - which led him to a stint as a singer for Faithless. They found their way back to each other in 2014 and have since developed a sound together that is fresh but not too polished. With touches of 60's chanson coupled with sundazed electronics, their songs linger on like the feeling of a long day spent outdoors in summer.
This album collects their previously released singles for Music For Dreams along with exclusive new material and a number of remixes, edits and alternate versions that together form a mesmerizing listening experience.
The lazy guitar grooves and samba rhythms of "Tu Sonrisa" that so faithfully revisits the original sound of the White Isle in its hippie days, are here present on melancholic chansons like "The Other Side" and sleepy instrumentals such as "Inside You". They also prove a suitable framing on their cover of the Jimmy Webb-penned classic "Wichita Lineman".
But in contrast to their folky fuzzy side, we also get some rather funky explorations into balearic beat with a dub version of "Pen-A-Maen" that bubbles along on a heavy bassline and some wonderful synth strings. "Blue Bird" picks up the pace somewhere between the warm proto-house soul of Maze and the deep house meditations of Larry Heard, with Collier letting his scope as a singer come to full fruition in some rather trippy turns. Other highlights include the rather special version of the classic "Aranjuez" and a new string update of "Elle Dit".
On remix duties we get Music For Dreams labelmate 55 Cancri e, who sprinkles her dreamy night time dust all over "Elle Dit" and creates an astonishingly unified blend of their two musical universes. Also lending a hand to transform "Elle Dit" is veteran duo Seahawks, who gently layer it in their cosmic-aquatic color palette. Andi Hanley steps in to re-structure "Lucky Charm" into a jazz beat treat by numbers.

If you do not have a turntable, please note that this disc can also be used as a tabletop.
Found in a holiday home by the ocean, the table utensil that serves as a cover for this pop collection is a beach souvenir from another era that can not be clearly dated. The illustration depicts a pair of deckchairs in a naïve and cordial decoration: the perfect place to listen to his musical accompaniment, taking the form of a voyage to the crossroads and library music, the original French soundtracks of the 70's And a handmade electronic funk.
Blown by the air of time or diving suddenly, this collection of titles without age gives sunburns in winter, chills in summer and sows the Zizanie in the head of the one who tries to talk about it
We have concluded that there are really no more seasons and we let ourselves be distracted by the words of "L'Imparfaite" slipped in the midst of fluid melodies like orange juice.
It is now on the table, next to the underside of the dish and we are already dreaming of being elsewhere, as this touch has everything carefree who plays with his musical references to imagine the possibility of another future.

Summer is here and sees us returning with true colours, daylight all night long, and a deliberate breath of fresh air. Norwegian-Italian producer Pelifics makes disco, infused with a strong homage to 80's pop, and a little dash of 90s house. The result is melodic, inspiring, kicking, danceable music that leave the listener oscillating between sounds of youthful nostalgia and the future sound of disco. Next to the lush ultracrisp feel of the original track, full of light , warmths, thoughtful ideas it´s Chmmr and fettburger, aptly caled fett birger here to even pushing this more towards the floor. Chmmr with his fantastic translucent strings ( watch that goosebumps ;) ) and Fett Burger with a remarkable intro to a new 'beatless' approach. Full Pupp HQs Oslo/Hamburg July 2015

Retrogott is back on AVA. RECORDS! Following Funky Beats And A Green Petrol Bus, here comes Funky Beats And A Supersonic Turbojet: Fresh as usual in a hand stamped color cover!

"Letting It Rest" was originaly released in 1986 on the New York based Chapter 13 label. Frank Murillo played all the instruments and sings on this killer leftfield disco boogie cut with a heavy italo feel.

Frank Murillo was born in New York City and still lives and works there as a musician, producer and teacher. The multi-instrumentalist mensions Queen, David Bowie and Santana as his biggest musical influences. " Letting It Rest" was originaly released in 1986 on the New York based Chapter 13 label. Frank Murillo played all the instruments and sings on this killer leftfield disco boogie cut with a heavy italo feel. This very sought after gem has recently been played on Red Light Radio, NTS Radio, PBS FM, Le Mellotron , Xray FM and more by those who know. It's with great pleasure that Östra Discos presents the reissue of this awesome track!

On the back of Chip Wickham's fabulous debut album La Sombra come two quite different but equally mouthwatering remixes of two of its tunes. On the A-side, Detroit house stalwart extraordinaire Andrés grabs 'Red Planet' by the ear and drags it straight to the dance floor. And he means business: no beating around the bush with intros and the like - it's hands in the air and go from start to finish. Relentless.

The other A side, A.K.A. AA side, is for L.A.'s ambassador of avant-garde and spiritual music Carlos Niño. Rather than remixing the album's title track in the strict sense of the word, his 'Spaceways Radio Edit' adds a subtle and otherworldly flavour to it, extending the mix with some gorgeous ambient washes.

La Sombra (Lovemonk, January 2017) is Chip Wickham's first album after a 25-year career touring, recording and experimenting across three decades of jazz, funk, soul, hip-hop, Latin and electronica. It's a monumental record for Chip as it symbolises the moment he stepped out into the light as a director of his creations with freedom to explore his roots, express and tell his version of jazz, and pay testament to his heroes Roland Kirk, Yuseef Lateef & Harold McNair.

In Flagranti releasing a collaboration project with Ayakamay a contemporary conceptual artist living in New York City. Remixes by Das Komplex & Mytron.

Bruno Patchworks' Hovart is one of the top producers of today's groove music scene. After playing as a bassist and guitarist for various bands, he started producing in the mid-nineties and has kept on mixing today's technologies with the raw spirits of House, Electronic, Disco, Funk, Soul, Reggae & Jazz music's golden years since then.

Following the trail of success left by his various projects as Patchworks, and under many aliases, he's proved his musical ubiquity and unexpectedly stroke in various genres. Many House music diggers would indeed remember that before Favorite Recordings was launched in 2006, Patchworks produced many deep-house tracks on various labels.

On this new EP, he's back as Mr President with 2 new banging titles brilliantly mixing House music atmosphere, with Soul and Disco vibes. He's also teaming up again with Sabba MG on vocals, following to their great Give My Love' efforts, released on EDR Records 3 years ago. As Going to a Go Go' is a fully exclusive work reminiscent of the early House music scene from New-Jersey or Chicago, the nice Disco flavors of Night Time' also come to announce Mr President's upcoming new album in 2017.

Vactrol Park is an honest outpouring of thematic obsession, a celebration of championed studio components and the mastery of their nuance, an avant garde collaboration between Kyle Martin (Land of Light, Spectral Empire) and Guido Zen (Gamers in Exile, Brain Machine). Simply entitled "I" (the first of a 2 part series), this debut EP opens the door to a world of ebb and flow, layers of oscillation falling in and out of sync, keeping us on the brink of vertigo and, as cliché as it may sound, we find solace in its chaos. This homogeneous release plays with the notions of systems as beautifully symbolized Mario Hugo's capsule of cardiology—yet another visually arresting module in the ESP Institute catalogue. Some music is made for drugs, some is made on drugs, these tracks simply are drugs.

For their first release of 2017 and third edition of the series, the Parisian crew, Discomatin, dug harder than ever to propose edits still in the spirit of the afterparty they organize.
The EP is composed by four tracks, finely picked and slightly edited by the DJs of the crew. They cover a wide range of genres, from French boogie, to cosmic disco, through West-Indies or new-wave influenced lyrics. There is definitely something for all tastes on this EP. It's fresh, it's French, so don't sleep on it!

Stilove4music regulars Al Kent & Devin Dare met in NYC a few years ago for a very exclusive Disco party celebrating the birthday of one of their biggest disco Heroes.

'Waltered States' is the fruit of this meeting in the Big Apple.
It just needed to come out on wax.

27. The Gap Band - Burn Rubber On Me
28. Phyllis Hyman- You Know How To Love Me
29. Roy Ayers - Cant You See Me
30. Prince - I Wanna Be Your Lover
31. Sharon Brown 'I Specialize In Love
32. Freeez - I.O.U.
33. Hot Streak - Body Work
34. Chic - I Want Your Love
35. Melba Moore - This Is It
36. A Taste Of Honey - Boogie Oogie Oogie
37. Freeez - Southern Freeez
38. Atmosfear - Dancing In Outer Space

DISCO ALERT ! Franz vu Lëtzebuerg and the talented singer songwriter Baskerville Jones are back on Big Box Recordings and provide us with a unique and irresistible spoken words disco swagger called "Chameleon". Close your eyes, courtesy of Baskerville's slick vocals and Franz tight production, you are back to the end of the 70's area on the dancefloor of the most infamous clubs and this will be an amazing journey!

This highly anticipated reissue should need almost no introduction: Plustwo's 'Melody' / 'Stop Fantasy' 12' (and even 7' version) have long been sought after by both italo-disco and disco/boogie collectors and command high prices on both discogs and ebay.
Both tracks represent some of the peak musical achievements of the vibrant Italian music scene during the early 80s, skilled performance from talented musicians, tastefully arranged with perfect and unmistakeable vocals from Belen Thomas.
This reissue is the result of a dedicated effort by Hysteric and Mothball Record to make this record available to a wider audience in cooperation with the band.

One of the best selectors of Reggea, Soul, Disco and all their derivates delivers a strong release on the Bochum based Label Kalakuta Soul Records that has found its way to the record bags of all disco DJs around the globe. A fine selection of Jamaican, french and US relates bangers meticulously edited and mastered to blow both all dancers' hips and minds away.

After constant ID requests all year, Doc Daneeka finally drops these two new powerhouse jams fresh for summer - vinyl only, for the heads.

Ketiov is a new project from Voitek Taranczuk.

Some songs come along that you seem to know the moment you hear it, even though it's for the first time. In the case of Spark The Universe it had exactly that impact. A mixture of late-60s psychedelic homage, early 80s new wave, white boy soul, plus a good dose of dub, all wrapped around a killer hook and super tight production and a hit was surely made.

The fact there are many deserving records that don't become a hit doesn't mean some are better than others and in fact, the joy in collecting and reissuing is finding amazing songs and bringing them back.

Increasingly heard in the sets of the more discerning DJs, Spark The Universe has become a cult play and with second hand prices now in three figures, a reissue is timely. As the label oft says, no one owns this music other than the writers, musicians and producers and their craft deserves to be appreciated.

Before going on to carve a successful career in 'electronica' project, Euphoria, Toronto's Ken Ramm had shown his considerable writing and playing ability with the 1981 debut LP Dragon and this 1983 follow up, known simply as Ramm.

Coming together through a meeting with a then relatively unknown producer, Daniel Lanois, via a mutual interest in tape loops and dubbing, it was the suggestion to bring in local vocalist Lorraine Segato that Ramm formed.

Recording at Lanois' Grant Avenue Studios, his interest in mixing past and present technology, with multiple digital delay units, harmonizers and other effect processors allowed Ramm and Lanois to explore using the studio as an instrument alongside real musicianship.

Backwards guitars, tremolo bar dives and guitar harmonics are incorporated with the vocals and percussion to perfection. With a 'Dance' and alternative 'Dub', the song's hypnotic and dreamy feel superimposed over beats pin-pointed to the later Euphoria project and with the addition of a latter day 'Discomix', from the labels' own Chuggy, Spark The Universe deserves it's place on contemporary dancefloors.

Ron Bacardi joins RNT with a 4-track inferno of disco edit heat! The A-side races out of the gate with the galloping 'Back For More,' followed by the soulful bounce of 'Circles,' which loops a gritty guitar-driven hook to perfection. The B side kicks off with 'Music Play,' an easy-breezy synth-string, electric piano, and horn-laden affair. Swirling percussion and soaring falsettos take us home on 'Never Dance,'but don't get it twisted: with Señor Bacardi at the controls, dance you WILL!

Diggin' Disco Deep expands its roster! Sebb Junior, Slync, Vhyce and Marsupials got the call to lift the weight of this fourth project of the label. Following the DDD recipe, they keep it disco as the basis of their tracks, building upon deep, soulful and disco-house material. Don't miss!

French disco prodigy Stephane Deschezeaux (Springbok Records) charms it up a w/a funky, shiny, 80's disco remix of Spiltmilk & Toffa's "On The Dot". Spiltmilk & Zel get heavier on the flip w/the pump-your-fist disco-break anthem "Let's Go!"

Ben Gomori's Monologues Records brings two of its most popular releases to vinyl after a long wait. Laurence Guy's 'Les Mur' EP signalled the start of a great run for the London producer, with releases following on Church, Dirt Crew Recordings and Fort Romeau's Cin Cin. The title track is a graceful, deep piano roller, while 'Sunlite' goes into chuggier, synthier territory.


Young French talent Leon Revol has released on Apersonal and Kolour LTD with some very fine sample-heavy grooves, but 'Clear Definition (Dub Mix)' shows he's not short on his own ideas - with a tinge of the early Herbert sound to it. 'Eulogy For Hip-Hop' takes some lush disco strings and whirls them into a romantic slice of early doors class.

Support: Move D, Dusky, Satoshi Tomiie, Adam Port, Ben Pearce, Moon Boots, Sasse, Jacques Renault, Emika, Atjazz, Tensnake, Waze & Odyssey, Shiba San, Bill Brewster, Steve Mac, Mia Dora, Golf Clap, Moodymanc, Debukas, Jamie Trench, Small Pyramids, Sean Brosnan, Steve Selador, Meggy, Manuel Sahagun, Ranacat, Schnee, Severino, Danvers, Rancido, Tyree Cooper, JEPE, Christophe, Anil Chawla, Tayo, Anna Wall

The unpredictable nature of life for a band with members scattered around the globe have forced Guts to give his line-up a shake to start their various tours in the best possible conditions.

A Brand New Revolution!

So Leron Thomas gave way to Wolfgang Volburn, who is also lead vocalist of The Ephemerals. Mary May climbed onto Lorine Chia's throne. Beat Assailant plucked a mic from the air that was still burning from the flow of Von Pea. While Florian Pellissier remains riveted to the keyboards, versatile Greg F. on the bass and Nico Rajao on drums, Guts has gobbled up the miles and bestrode stage after stage at the head of a revitalised live band.

New recruits had kept enhancing the well-practised repertoire with their vibes, redefining some of the contours, adding a bit more soul here or a lightness of touch there. Their impact was so great, in fact, that changing line-ups have become part of the band's identity.

Galvanized by this new alchemy, Guts and his new-look live band stopped off in the studio to compose and record some new tracks which he has brought together on "Stop the Violence", a five-track record that's more like a mini-album than a simple EP.

High on this regenerating juice, energy levels spiking into the red, "Ain't Perfect", "Pick Me Up", "Everybody Wants to Be a Star", "Drummer's Delight" and the title track light up boxes marked soul, afro, disco and jazz, brighten a groove carpeted with retro-funky keyboards and the brass of Cotonete, Heavenly Sweetness's resident jazz-funk specialists. Two birds with one stone, since Guts and his live band will obviously use "Stop the Violence" to set the stage ablaze after burning up people's decks.

The unpredictable nature of life for a band with members scattered around the globe have forced Guts to give his line-up a shake to start their various tours in the best possible conditions.

A Brand New Revolution!

So Leron Thomas gave way to Wolfgang Volburn, who is also lead vocalist of The Ephemerals. Mary May climbed onto Lorine Chia's throne. Beat Assailant plucked a mic from the air that was still burning from the flow of Von Pea. While Florian Pellissier remains riveted to the keyboards, versatile Greg F. on the bass and Nico Rajao on drums, Guts has gobbled up the miles and bestrode stage after stage at the head of a revitalised live band.

New recruits had kept enhancing the well-practised repertoire with their vibes, redefining some of the contours, adding a bit more soul here or a lightness of touch there. Their impact was so great, in fact, that changing line-ups have become part of the band's identity.

Galvanized by this new alchemy, Guts and his new-look live band stopped off in the studio to compose and record some new tracks which he has brought together on "Stop the Violence", a five-track record that's more like a mini-album than a simple EP.

High on this regenerating juice, energy levels spiking into the red, "Ain't Perfect", "Pick Me Up", "Everybody Wants to Be a Star", "Drummer's Delight" and the title track light up boxes marked soul, afro, disco and jazz, brighten a groove carpeted with retro-funky keyboards and the brass of Cotonete, Heavenly Sweetness's resident jazz-funk specialists. Two birds with one stone, since Guts and his live band will obviously use "Stop the Violence" to set the stage ablaze after burning up people's decks.

Stefan Vincent brings the heat with his first solo EP for Anagram, titled 'A Way Out'. The EP opens with 'She Will Keep An Eye Out On Catastrophe': a stunning modernist take on classically composed ambient music. The title track is a melancholic and building track with a healthy dose of four-to-the-floor power. We continue on the flip side with 'Join Us In The Waves': a percussive and swingy acid workout. The last track on ANAGRAM009 is Vincent's 'Everything I See Returns To You Somehow' and it shows the more electro-oriented side of Stefan Vincent's productions with a subtle wink to 90s IDM. Although his approach regarding this track stands on its own, the same profound atmospheric vibe the rest of the tracks have echoes through this layout as well. It's that same echo that stays with us as one of the highlights of our discography comes to an end. Stefan approached this release as a multidisciplinary composition, in which he explores both his musical talent as well as his talent for visual design and painting. The cover artwork of 'A Way Out' was painted by Stefan himself with his music for this release in mind, giving the EP a true Gesamtkunstwerk feeling. This is Anagram number 9, get on it.

REPRESSED !
They could do weird edits or make eastern influenced dance music, collect gear and sit home or adapt library music for the dance floors.
Or they could get together and make The Secret Weapon.
It doesn't really matter who they are and it doesn't really matter that it's just a demo, luckily rescued on a USB stick before their HD failed, what does matter is that it always rocks the party.

Edits for the common man, that's 4 Edits covering the Leftfield side of Disco Music, limited to 275 hand-stamped pieces.

First there's Norway's very own Ivan Elster nodding his head to the late Walter Gibbons with his take on a devastating Gospel Disco tune. Then we've got Frank Music's Johannes Albert fusin' two Hi-Energy bangers and Mr. Fonk serving a "Disco not Disco" hymn to all the guys that crushed your toes senselessly. And last but not least: balearic blogging boy wonder FRWCTRL coming up with a nice slice of Middle East meets Eurodisco.