House News

Reissue number three for Heels & Souls Recordings combines the Balearic bliss of Paprika Soul’s, ‘Come With Me’, with Soft Sugar’s dream house gem ‘Métro’ and an unreleased version of the tripped-out groover ‘Swampin'. A cherry picking of the best of three rare and sought after ‘90s EPs from the minds of High Wycombe’s Alan Barnes, Andrew Spiller and Andrew Hughes.

As anthemic as they get, Paprika Soul's 'Come With Me (Sea Breeze)' is an otherworldly electronic interpretation of Tania Maria’s beloved Brazilian jazz funk classic from '83. Vocalist Sarah Newell's unique delivery combines with a euphoric blend of Barnes’ and Spiller’s crisp drum machine programming and cosmic synthwork. Complete with crashing waves and Balearic birds, it’s a timeless, endorphin-tingling track that feels even more relevant than ever. The A-side also features the brilliant street soul flavoured ‘The Chill’ mix and the ‘Bossa Mix’, the most true in form to the original.

On the flip you’ll find Soft Sugar’s dream house flavoured ‘Métro (Funk Mix)’, Barnes and Andrew Hughes’ homage to time spent cruising the Parisian train system. Barnes’ favourite of their joint-productions, it blends that riviera feel of classic M1 stabs and sweeping pads with a dreamy bassline and stuttering breaks. Flying under the radar at the time, it’s since become hot property for the eagle-eyed digger out there.

Closing out the B, an unreleased, alternate version of Soft Sugar’s slung-back ‘Swampin’ from their Basement Records House Department EP. Mesmerizingly smooth, the 110bpm house-groover busts the brain with wigged out chants and intoxicating arpeggiations.

Fully licensed from Alan Barnes and remastered by Cicely Balston, 20% of profits from Heels & Souls Recordings and Prime Direct Distribution will be donated to Zaatari Radio – a humanitarian collective working with war-affected communities around the world.

DJ Support:

Moxie, Charlie Bones, Jamie Tiller, Millos Kaiser, Mr Mendel, Paula Tape, Raphael Top Secret, Ari Goldman, Joe Delon, Zakia, Invisible City Editions, John Gomez, Lorem Ipsum, Marco Weibel, Mike Who, Xica Soul, Max Essa, Aradea Barandana, Gee Dee, Toshiki Ohta, Moving Still

For the second chapter of his odyssey, we find again Le Commandant Couche Tôt in the middle of the Amazon River, escaping from drones and wildfires in a hovercraft.
Une Histoire d’Amour Brésilienne (A brazilian love story) shares a dystopian vision widely inspired by the environmental issues of 2020 and 2021, which illustrates a form of anxiety toward the future.
Its soundtrack however is purposely the antithesis of the story: a very optimistic tribute to space-disco and brazilian funk. A “good vibe” pill to give hope for a new beginning.

Willie Graf & DJ Pippi drop an EP of muy balear edits.

COLORE VIVO is a concept album with an atypical genesis: the idea was born from a sequence of images, as the soundtrack for a movie (never made) on the exploration of the uses and customs of archaic and mysterious populations. The soundscape he paints shows an extraordinary coherence in this. Bjondo is an artisan, as in the tradition of the great masters of the Italian Mondo Films, and it’s precisely to that manual knowledge, to that exploration and to those sounds that the disc is most recalled. The artist's research and his eclecticism translate into the wise use of rudimentary tools (bamboo, pieces of wood, stones, vases, necklaces and even a sort of self-made berimbau) to obtain unique and unclassifiable exotic sounds. His research on the evocative skills of primordial sounds breaks with the

narrowness of the genre and opens up to total experimentation. Each listening opens the window of imagination on other worlds. A dizzying look at the lost memory that is hidden inside each of us. A continuous (re) discovery!

Synth-buoyant euphoria coming through on the maiden
Coymix release. This 4-tracker from South African producer
Biodive is complex and straight-to-the-point, dreamy yet direct.
A journey into all things blissful. The Halcyon days are not
over.

Long time Is It Balearic collaborator Max Essa brings his usual finesse to the label delivering 2 sublime island grooves.After hearing both tracks the dude that is Eddie C decided he'd be up for remixing both. This heavyweight sound clash 12 is the result.Jigsaw moon is a lively shuffling euro disco groover. Post sunset poolside head nodder. Eddie's remix goes into the realms of acid house to both excite and hypnotise whilst dubbing out the OG version. Jule Y Cnythia is one of those tracks that only comes around so often. Deeply emotional and joyous in equal amounts. Truly Balearic and perfect for an end of night hugfest. Reminiscent of The Cure with a touch of Joy Division maybe. Eddie C turns up the Balearometer to !1 wraps up a draw and lets go.A nod to the pictures of you remix but remaining uniquely IIB. This is a one off 12 grab it quick

180g Vinyl x 300 copies

Coyote drop their 7th album The Mystery Light.A double 12 LP. Copacetic is a mellow disco shuffler. Don’t Run It Extra Ordinary is a percussive soft acid groove lamenting the material world. Woosh is Coyotes personal understated reflective tribute to Pete Woosh. Simpsons Sky has touches of Krautrocker about it. Fridays Child hits peak Balearic retro poolside euro chug. Mint Tea is the post breakfast view over the shimmering ocean. Bougainvillea is a moment of calm. Cami de Sa Veleta is an homage to a fav Ibiza road trip for lunch and music. The Outsider is an uplifting reminder to all that you don’t have to play the game and to always remember the Guv

Here at Faze Action HQ we have dived deep into the vaults to unearth some of our more Balearic sounds, with lost B sides and overlooked 2nd tracks. Showcasing the warmer and more melodic side to the label, we’ve included some chilled, poolside dance moments to accompany the summer ahead. Starting off with Faze Action and Zeke Manyika's “Chiiko”, which is rich in melody, as acoustic guitars and sweeping string arrangements fuse with Zeke's stunning vocal, sung in his native Shona. From here we move onto some Mediterranean Jazz Funk Vibes courtesy of Rudy's Midnight Machine, as the compilation criss crosses between more poolside dance floor friendly tracks, like Micky Milan's "C'est Une Bombe”, and more intimate and laid back sunset moments, such as the unreleased extended version of “Wind chimes", which appears on this compilation for the first time. We hope you enjoy the selection and the summer vibes.

Melodies seem to sprout from the hands of Reinhard Vanbergen. This Friday, the multi-instrumentalist releases his bundle of no less than three new albums. Has he been seized by some kind of spirit, channeling higher creative forces through his body? Or does everything he plays around with just seem to work? Whatever it is, we’re digging it.

The first album, Presents For Friends, consists of piano pieces, Stringworx is string pieces and Ubuntu dives into the world of the computer, as a mode of production and instrument in itself.

A release that resists categorizing. It flies from bliss to whim, flirts with the sensational and the silly. An immersion and a playdate, with beautiful melodies, masterful harmonic shifts, eccentric fusions and little moments genius scattered throughout.

Emotional Rescue reaches its 100th reissue in its 10th year with a landmark, a collection of previously unreleased songs from Brenda Ray. Encouraged and cajoled since the label's inception, Brenda Ray's (Kenny) music has gone from cult curio to cult status in that time, as her mix of DIY/post punk, dub reggae, jazz and pop transcends reached admiring audiences.

Following the completion of Naafi Sandwich in 1985 and the subsequent recordings as Brenda And The Beach Balls - the sought after Volume 1 LP in 1986 and three singles on Siren/Virgin in 1987/88 - her releases might of stopped for almost two decades but she never stopped recording.

The 10 songs show not only continuous activity in her North-West home studio, but to be consistently creative, moving forward and relevant. Hip-Hop, Street Soul and House all feature alongside Brenda's unmistakeable Be-Pop-Dub-Pop song writing. Working as always with partner Gerry Kenny aka Sir Freddie Viadukt, plus a cohort of friends joining across the sphere.

Starting with 'Universal Purpose', poet and friend Eugene Lange delivers a lanquid breakbeat-dub sermon on struggle and love, as Brenda's vocals accompany. 'Spirit's So High' captures House music's dawning optimism to perfection, a swirling, uplifting 4.30 minutes as you'll ever hear. The doo-wop shuffle of 'MMMMoon Warp' experiments with Coldcut-lite sampledlica cut ups, alongside Brenda's unmistakable breathing-singing delivery, before 'Love's The Most' and 'Hope' are classic Ray love sentimental paeans, backed with latter day Balearic musicality.

Eugene Lange returns with the rap attack of 'Dancehall Exocet'. A conscious poetic stream over "Minister of Noise" industrial beats with backing and counter from Brenda, shows the breadth she was exploring at this time. Crude synth bass and chiming 4/4 percussion follow on 'This Was No Dream' with soft, humming vocals encapsulating some proto-house romantic escapism, before Eastern influences mix with flute, strings, bells and a doo-wop skiffle on the aptly named 'Tequila Sam'.

The album closes with a nod to what's gone before, in 'Return Of The Theme From A Tall Dark Stranger', an update on her "Volume 1" classic, all is replayed, overlayed and "mad"-mixed, Brenda's studio mastery shining through. An acoustic return of 'Love's The Most' bring the album to completion, but this is by no means the end but hopefully, the start of more undiscovered and discovered mini-masterpieces from Brenda Ray and friends to see the light of day.

French multi-instrumentalist, DJ and producer Jean-Philippe Altier has yet to have his moment in the sun – as Jpye at least. While no newcomer, he’s mainly spent the last few years writing and recording music as Twonk alongside good friends Leonidas, Rob Donelly and Renato Tonini.

We have a feeling that the spotlight could be heading his way soon, though, thanks to his debut album on Claremont 56, a gorgeous set of deliciously summery, laidback and ear-catching Balearic pop gems that will delight all those who dig for dusty, mid-1980s European records that combine sparkling synthesizers and woozy, afternoon-fresh vocals with vintage drum machine beats, glistening guitars and warm, intoxicating bass.

Fittingly, both of Jpye’s regular studio buddies Leonidas and Renato Tonini both feature on a number of tracks, alongside vocalist e11e, and keys-players Michael Tainturier and Rob Donnelly.

The album gets off to a stunning start via a trio of delightfully languid, life-affirming, e11e-voiced gems: ‘Samba With You’, a gently Latin-tinged Balearic pop number built around shuffling beats, rising and falling synthesizer lines and bubbly bass; the breezy and blissful ‘Downside Up World’, a slap-bass-sporting chunk of horizontal, mid-‘80s Riviera pop that boasts some stunningly jazzy guitar solos; and Leonidas co-production ‘Oui Non’, where squiggly TB-303 acid lines weave in and out of Pat Metheny style guitars and glassy-eyed synth sounds.

Leonidas also features on another of the album’s most memorable moments, ‘Let The Record Spin’, where tumbling synthesizer lead-lines, synthetic vocals, echoing synth sounds, more bubbly acid lines and Renato Tonini’s fluid hand percussion rumba ride a hybrid electro/dub-disco groove.

Tonini becomes the headline attraction on another trio of killer cuts, where he handles lead vocals. On recent single ‘Cosa Ti Va?’ and the crunchier, more-up-tempo ‘Non Ci Pensare’, Tonini delivers rhythmic, spoken word verses over typically colourful and authentically ‘80s backing tracks; as a result, both tracks recall classic Italian Balearic disco cuts such as Radio Band’s ‘Radio Rap’ and Tullio de Piscopo’s ‘Stop Bajon (Primavera)’. The quality of Tonini’s sweet and emotive singing voice comes to the fore on ‘Don’t Stop (Tiddidam Dub)’, a drowsy, warming and glassy-eyed affair that’s as tactile, groovy and dreamy as they come.

The second half of the album is dedicated to DJ-friendly dub revisions and instrumental takes. It’s on these that the quality of Jpye’s production and arrangement comes to the fore. Highlights include a chunkier and more bass-heavy take on the album’s opening song with added synthesizer flourishes and echoing electronics; the previously released ‘Dub’ of ‘Cosa Ti Va?’, and a fine dub-style revision of ‘Non Ci Pensare’ from label boss Paul ‘Mudd’ Murphy, who wisely lets Jpye’s instrumentation do the talking whilst adding echoing effects to selected snippets of guitar and synthesizer.

DJ Tennis's Life And Death welcomes electronic innovator Moscoman for a label debut that superbly showcases his broad array of club-ready but widescreen sounds. Moscoman is based in Berlin but brings plenty of worldly influences to his music, not least from his homeland of Israel. Next to musical explorations on his own Disco Halal label, he has served up everything from raw and rugged machine disco to melodic techno via wonky house on ESP Institute, Diynamic and I'm A Cliché. He is someone who embraces whatever takes his fancy and has a wilfully random approach to making music that results in never less than thrilling and original tracks. That is the case again here: right from the off 'Wave Rave' is an unusual but effective offering that pairs hands-in-the-air, trance-inducing chords with more reflective melodies and rugged drums. After that one packs a truly emotional punch, 'Dinner For One' is downright dirty. Wild, detuned synths spray about over 'Spastilk'-era snares and rolling drums and the whole thing works you into a lather. On the flip the mood changes again. This time, '550' is a dreamy and zoned out house track with a gorgeous and acoustic lead melody that encourages your mind to wander as you drift along in the warming groove. Last of all, 'Space Comfort' is playful number with sci-fi keys bleeping up and down the scale while harmonic keys and withering retro synth chords bring a sense of spookiness to the fore.

Not much is known about the German session musician ensemble Studiogruppe 1 from the ‘70s and ‘80s. It’s believed that the grandfather of one member, known only as V.S., originally soundtracked silent films in theatres - although that hasn’t been proved. Studiogruppe1 never rose to prominence in the heyday of studio groups and library records, but it certainly wasn’t due to lack of trying.

Although it’s unknown who the individual members of Studiogruppe1 were, it’s clear they could find a groove within the machines. It appears the sessions were also engineered by V.S., and there’s plenty of space between the notes, which lends a heady atmosphere of anticipation to the music. Just close your eyes and you will find that the music triggers many scenes from the movies in your mind.

Take the opener Dunkler Sonnenaufgang, for example. Waves lap on the shore line of an alternate Coney Island, while the sound system of an abandoned amusement park plays arpeggios in the distance. Errinungen could complement expansive panoramic time-lapses of natural cycles and rolling clouds. The track Wenn Der Tiefe Schlaf Kommt, might accompany a documentary on REM dream cycles and flotation tanks. Sonnentanz raises the temperature, as act III in every movie narrative should, as protagonists rush to overcome their challenges. Ein Neuer Anfang would perfectly soundtrack the plot twist of any number of thrillers, film noirs, or sci-fi mysteries. Album closer War Alles Nur Ein Traum could supplement slow-motion shots of dawning realization, foreshadowing a betrayal or a cliffhanger.

V.S. and Studiogruppe1 have condensed the evocative sounds of the ’80s into something of an art form. Bringing to mind the lilting melodies and melancholy chord movements of Tangerine Dream, Vangelis or Manuel Göttsching, Studiogruppe1 manage to capture widescreen emotional flash points without the need for celluloid, or barely any visual aid, for that matter. These tracks work just as well in the furnace of your imagination or a dark room filled with dry ice and lasers.

First Word Records is very pleased to welcome back Quiet Dawn with a brand new EP entitled 'Movements'.

Parisian multi-instrumentalist Will Galland has been with First Word since late 2014, providing several releases for us over the years, from his acclaimed debut album 'The First Day' to his last EP release, the organic opus 'Human Being - The Short Story Of The Reed'. Collaborations have included Makaya McCraven, Oddisee, Miles Bonny and First Word crew such as Eric Lau, Bastien Keb and Sarah Williams White, who he teamed up with on his classic remix of the track 'Hum' and most recently on the track 'One By One' which appeared on the compilation EP 'A Family Affair' at the start of 2021.

For his latest project, 'Movements' sits firmly in the realms of broken beat, after being heavily inspired at First Word's infamous 14th birthday party at Total Refreshment Centre, where he played alongside label-mates such as Kaidi Tatham and Children of Zeus. This delectable six-track EP encompasses a series of deeply percussive grooves and squelchy synths. This is a predominantly instrumental affair, though does feature the supremely soulful vocals of Oliver Night on the track 'Change Must Come', following on from Oliver's work with the CoOp Presents crew amongst others.

Quiet Dawn says "after the birth of my son, I took the time to get back to making new music.

And when I started to work on new tracks, I wanted to compose something without concept, unlike my previous records, just because time is precious and I wanted to find pleasure again when I composeand not be fixed to a concept, or a story.



These new tracks are instinctive; made with my main instruments, rhodes & piano, synths, percussions, vocals, bass and guitars. They are naturally oriented towards my big musical crush, BRUK, along with different rhythms, vibes and grooves. For me, it's definitely a record for the dancers. For this reason, the new EP is called 'Movements'. Aside from the dancer's element, the title relates to everything that is happening in the world at the moment, working on this record over the pandemic. Affecting people in all countries, friendship, mutual aid, solidarity and movements in many instances are very important to me, my family and my musical family, First Word.'



The influences on this particular EP come largely from the West London music scene; DKD, Bugz, Neon Phusion, 2000Black, Domu, IG Culture, Jazztronik, MdCL, the First Word fam and many many more artists. There are also heavy vibes inspired by 70's jazz, funk, disco, latin & african music."

'Movements' by Quiet Dawn is released on First Word Records on vinyl & digital in late 2021.

TLM025 kicks off with Erik Escobar and his cover version of Memories by Caruso. Erik is from Campinas in Brazil and a very well respected and talented musician. Taking the track into a completely different direction to the original this cover version is written for the dancefloor. Onto the AA side and Cormac Fulton (one half of Caruso) gives us a very deep track called Perplexed, a very moody affair with Matt Cox and Steve Conry on production duties. Next up is Time Machine from Detroit's Lorenzo Dewberry, another deep journey taking influences from the cities sound for another dancefloor piece. Lastly Gee W finishes off the EP with his track MarshMellow, a very nice laid back deep house track from the UK based multi-instrumentalist.
4 artists to watch over the coming years.

REPRESS

Acid bass, slow funk and cosmic energy make for a mind expanding trip in the Liquid Canoe.
Load up on edibles, make it a macro-dose and let the music lead the way.

Whether you’re hard at work on a Hamburg allotment, basking in the heat of a Balinese beach or enjoying the cool waters of the Salish Sea, remember that the same sky stretches over all of us.
And if you forget your finger for a minute and soak in the heavenly beauty instead, you might just catch the cosmic vibrations of Liquid Canoe, the latest members of the Growing Bin family.

A loose ensemble, Liquid Canoe is the brainchild of Wolfgang Matthes, a lost Angelino who’s swapped the rush and push of a mega city for the space of the Pacific Northwest - and listening to this eight track offering, you’ll realise that space is the place. Armed with an array of vintage synths and programmed rhythms, Wolfgang sketched out a slew of inter dimensional transmissions, inspired by the commune electronics and space rock of 70s Germany and inhabited by the spirit of the boogie. Inviting friends to drop by and lend their own instrumental skill, Wolfgang quickly turned Liquid Canoe into a true collaboration. Finalised in a converted stable on Galiano Island, the LP is a perfect marriage of the electronic and organic, shimmering arps and spheric synth bass intertwined with American primitive guitar, nuanced hand percussion and glassy chimes. As this mind expanding collection stretches out towards infinity, you’ll hear Floyd-ian funk, cosmic dub, tangerine daydreams and micro-dosed ambience, all imbued with the memories of New York lofts, Bay Area warehouses, skyscraping pines or the world wide web of fungi. Liquid Canoe taking you on an oarsome trip.

PETROS KLAMPANIS is a Greek bass player and when we heard his track “Chroma “on Bandcamp we had instantly the idea of a remix or working with him. The original track being live gives a sort of spontaneous vibe that really caught Alex ‘s attention and had the “edit / version” idea already in his head.

Without the shadow of a doubt this track was perfect to be remixed by a real musician who can understand complex jazz arrangement, so Jon Dixon came up. Jon loved the track too and did his thing. Two versions here for you to dive deep into jazz and electronic music. We hope you dig the sound of this project and enjoy the listening and maybe the dance experience with us. We will keep pushing forward the various styles and soulful grooves with an open mind and expand our visions.

Alex and Stephane Attias

With the success of The Vendetta Suite’s critically acclaimed debut album ‘The Kempe Stone Portal’ - Hell Yeah Recordings proudly present the remixes, featuring long-time friends and collaborators David Holmes and Timmy Stewart.

The 90s in Belfast spawned friendships and connections made across the barricades; a time credited with some of the most important and significant cultural moments in the history of the city. Club-nights including the Art college, regularly played by David Holmes and Iain McCready helped to spawn a new generation of musicians and DJs looking to make their mark; Including both Gary Irwin (The Vendetta Suite) & Timmy Stewart.

Afriquoi are back with their Time is a Gift Which We Share All the Time EP. Taken from a line from the track “Ndeko Solo”, the title is a reminder of the blessedness of being alive and the intimate connection of all things. This is the first EVER Afriquoi release where the whole band has gone into the studio to record a full live-band sound, playing together at Octagon Studios, putting down songs that were written collaboratively and honed over years on live stages. It was recorded with the assistance of Tom Excell (Nubiyan Twist, Onipa) to help capture the right live sound. This EP showcases the live band sound that has thrilled audiences on festival stages from
Glastonbury West Holts to WOMAD to Dimensions Festival: Jally Kebba Susso’s exquisite kora playing, Fiston Lusambo’s intricate Congolese guitar, uplifting vocals from Andre Espeut, crisp percussion from André Marmot, tasteful chords from Nico Bentley and beats from Oli Cole. More than any of Afriquoi’s previous releases, this EP allows each member’s individual sound and talent to shine. Guitarist Fiston Lusambo explains: “we wanted to create a style of music which does not exist yet by combining Congolese guitar, Gambian kora, African Djembe and mixing them with European music… this EP is a result of our work where each of us has put his talent in it, we think we have now something which is what we wanted”. Parisian label Mawimbi are the perfect match for the band, having established themselves as champions of afro-tinged electronic music, through their long-running nights in Paris, their DJ sets,
their label releases and their own productions and remixes for the likes of Oumou Sangaré, Femi Kuti, Cerrone & more.

Puckered kizomba zingers from PT Musik - the grown-up alias of Puto Tito - marking a supremely classy progression from his 2019 debut double album with a sparkling trio of romantic pearls for Princípe

Marking the vital Lisbon label’s 10th anniversary year, ’Não Sou Perfeito’ is one of the sweetest treats in its decade long (and ongoing) reign, exemplifying the rich soul at the heart of its sound. The artist’s name change signifies a clear advance in his already emotive style of composition, as showcased in his teenaged productions on the ‘Carregando A Vida Atrás Das Costas’ set. The style of spare, grimy, chamber-like melodies in his formative early work is now found embellished with warmer pads and more nuanced rhythmic inflections to express a heightened grasp of slow jam romance that blends his native Atlantic coast breeze with a decidedly Californian G-funk lean to gorgeous effect. It’s a west coast thing, baby.

‘Aplausos’ is the outstanding A-side, drizzling syrupy G-funk-alike soul leads on a lilting kizomba rhythm and deliciously woozy chords bound to soundtrack embraced bodies and loved-up eyes scanning the dance. ‘Its Mine’ follows to dial up the forlorn ‘80s FM synth soul with an instrumental flair worthy of a Sade vocal (perhaps that’s her not replying to the ansafone motifs?), and ’Tudo Acabou’ bring this brief daydream of an EP to its closing strokes with a come-to-bed sashay of dry iced synth haze and slow-motion hip work.

All eyes are on Islandman, an interplanetary musical trio from Istanbul who release their long anticipated, third album Godless Ceremony on September 10 via Danish imprint and long-time home of the band, Music for Dreams.

Islandman makes an incendiary, uplifting and psychedelic slew of music drawn from a world of make-believe, rooted in Anatolia. These 10 tracks (+ 3 additional exclusives on the vinyl) – all of which flirt with balearic, house, down-tempo and electronica with a global gaze - are awash with acid drenched electronic motifs and stuttering electronic drum machine syncopations. The group effortlessly sail the globe, dropping into the tropics of Ecuador (AmarnosAhora),to Mali visiting North African desert blues masters Tamikrest (TarhamanineAssinegh) and North India (Drums Of Colca) whilst never forgetting the music and poetry from the band's spiritual home, Anatolia (Kara Toprak).

In Godless Ceremony we are withdrawn from time and place, delivered to a fantasy zone, dreamt up in the sea, gazing at the stars. It's a musical storyboard, that whilst conceived in Istanbul by producer, singer and multi instrumentalistTolgaBöyük, journeys to far off places, real and imagined.

Hindustani tablas, Tibetan flutes, flamenco guitars, Anatolian Saz and Balinese (Bhasa) vocals all mesh within a concept (and coping mechanism) that contemplates daily routine as beautiful and meditative and as Tolga has appreciated over a testing two years in which he lost his father,"You can take part in a religious ceremony, search for supernatural powers, but sometimes you need to find happiness in small, everyday things".

The record's tracklisting and flow, like it's production ambition and aesthetic, peaks and troughs and arguably perculates at the Underworld-esque title track Godless Ceremony, where Tolga takes front of stage delivering the lead vocal and playing the Saz, an Anatolian stringed guitar-like instrument.

Previously released as a single is Kara Toprak, originally a folk song by AşikVeysel from Anatolia and exceptionally popular in Turkey, it’s a collaboration with Danish guitarist Jacob Gurevitsch. Tolga trips to Bali (singing Bhasa) in Aku Membawa, a house groove (already played on Pete Tong's BBC Radio show) which was produced in collaboration with DJ DIVO, OliO& Music for Dreams label boss, Kenneth Bager. TarhamanineAssinegh is a co-production between North African desert blues protagonists Tamikrest and Islandman, with Islandman reconstructing the song, perfectly fitting with their mission as contemporary cartographers. Drums of Colca splices the tabla and Hindustani tradition from India (it's actually two separate tabla recordings mixed together) with electronic accents whilst incorporating the mouth harp from Mongolia and Tibetan flutes. The guest collaborators are Troels Hammer & Ole Theill. Istanbul Lockdown was originally recorded for dance music giant Boiler Room, as an exclusive as part of a lockdown broadcast. Made in Istanbul, with live strings and Turkish clarinet, it brings back difficult memories for Tolga, having lost his father around the same time.

The core members of Islandman are multi-instrumentalist & producer, TolgaBöyük and EralpGüven (percussion) and ErdemBaşer (guitars). Islandman have become known for their live performances, as anyone who has witnessed their live streams from Istanbul for the London Jazz Festival and Boiler Room can attest to.

Islandman simply avoids boundaries and Godless Ceremony is ultimately their most open-minded work to date. The subtleties and deft electronic touches bewilder and their clear appreciation of music on a global level is an education for us all.

On 'Made of Wood', his ninth full-length album since 2007, Oliver Koletzki embodies the seasoned craftsman, carving out his deeply personal sonic sculptures with a confident, learned hand, while experimenting with a broad range of thrilling ideas and fresh textures. The result is an organically flowing, yet decisively shaped work of art, that naturally concludes a trilogy of albums Koletzki embarked on releasing with 'The Arc of Tension' and followed with 'Fire in the Jungle'.

Initially written in Tulum, Mexico, during the pre-pandemic winter of 2019, 'Made of Wood' is physically entwined with the primeval forests that continue to inspire its maker: In the subsequent year it took to complete the album in Berlin, Oliver, aided by numerous live musicians and vocalists, brought his sketches to life with a focus on wooden instruments like djembes, marimbas, santoors or duduks, sculpting a natural sound that's warm in timbre, rich in groove and literally made of wood.

Thanks to the imperfection of the human hand, the album sings with a bold vibrance that stretches from the LP's slow carnivalesque opener 'Caravana De Los Elefantitos' to the blue horns and Wennink's lamenting coos on the concluding ballad 'Turn'. Intermediately, Koletzki's rhythmic explorations take the shape of mythic odes ('Dear Mexican Jungle'), boisterous tribal dances ('La Veleta'), floor-focussed shakers ('Copal'), handpan-driven epics ('Cryptozoology' feat. Walter Scalzone) or subdued oriental belters ('Serpiente Del Ritmo' feat. ELIH) – emphasising his control over light and dark tonalities, over organic and synthetic sounds alike. Most strikingly, Oliver slowly breaks away from the album's natural feel in the mid-section, in which the disorienting, abstract stunner 'Picture' (with Niko Schwind & Judith Ahrends) rubs shoulders with the synth-crescendos of the bouncy 'Made of Cashmere', while the 14-minute long meditation 'A Starseed's Journey' makes for a powerful penultimate breather later on.

Next to the meticulous attention to instrumentation and his instinctive touch, these twists and turns underline that Koletzki feels entirely at ease on 'Made of Wood' – like the true artisan he is.

Yellow transparent - 100 hand numbered

Recorded in September 2020 using the historic synth Korg M1 and the fm module YAMAHA TX81Z is the latest output on WATAJ Recordings as the latest project by DJ SCM who with this release explores for the very first time the forgotten 90s balearic club house culture.
It depicts the desire to get lost and then find each other again, the desire to letting go and get out of the avalanche of rules and restrictions in which we are in today's life, only for a night, only for a moment.. only for an instant..
A tribute to the nightlife, to its dreams, to its nuances, to its intangible magic.
Three banger versions of “Estoy Totalmente Loca” ft the sexy voices from Mariella Novanta and Nino
Parrucca .

Play and dance <3

My Friend Dario is back on Hell Yeah this August with more of his low tempo, high-temperature dance floor bombs.

Dario has been carefully nurtured by label head Marco over the course of a few fresh EPs in the last year. Just before this EP lands he will release on Nu Northern Soul, and earlier in the year he served up a stunning live set at the foot of iconic volcano Etna, so is very much part of the current wave of Balearic tastemakers.

Opener 'Desertico' has already been caned by ALFOS chief Sean Johnston who recognises the power of its heavyweight chug. Over the course of nearly ten minutes and two epic breakdowns, the tune builds on supple techno pulses, with tense synth phrases keeping you in suspense before the drop brings a sense of tropical rain and thunder.

'Sunset Outro' was the last track from his live set and gets your heady amongst the clouds. The churning drums, wooden hits and lush chords are dreamy yet heavy and have an effortlessly hypnotic effect that will lock in any dance floor.

These two tunes prove My Friend Dario can do no wrong right now.

Coyote release a new 12” single. The A side Will We Ever Dance Again is an unashamedly celebratory Balearic house track. Subtle acidhouse grooving leads to a big smiley piano drop. Made for the return of life and fun. The B side As Above is a mid tempo houser inspired by 90s Italy dreaming and memories of heads down piano chuggers. We will dance again

After " Shin Sekai ", Para One, whose real name is Jean-Baptiste de Laubier, releases " Alpes " the second extract from the upcoming SPECTRE: Machines of Loving Grace. The musical field circles the artist's most famous dance outings, coated in aerial textures and a gentle tempo, giving a wide and enlightened feel to the piece.
" Alpes " remixes bring together two sides of the German electronic music, with Superpitcher fleshing out the track in his typical generous and enthusiastic way and Ricardo Villalobos invoking San Pedro in Chile by stretching the piece, bringing a subtle light to every change, building an ever-evolving tower of sounds. Para One himself gave a new version of his work, drawing inspiration in Manchester's Summer of Love.

With their first LP in over three years, Californian psych-dub duo Peaking Lights offer an outlet from the mundane with a kaleidoscopic collection of lo-fi, escapist-electronic pop. Over their illustrious twelve-year-plus career, the husband and wife duo of Aaron Coyes and Indra Dunis have set themselves apart with their characteristic dreamy, and melancholic sound that blends together elements of dub, and delicate-but-quirky electronics. E S C A P E, Peaking Light’s sixth album, and first for Dekmantel, finds them at their finest, replete with atmospheric landscapes crafted out of homemade-percussive loops, that sit alongside wondrous electronic pop and krautrock-like hooks, all tied together by Indra Dunis’ composed and hypnotic vocal charm.

Now based out in Amsterdam, and having firmly established themselves on Dekmantel with their 2018 EP Sea of Sand, Coyes and Dunis’ unique brand of indie-synthwave yet further explores their ongoing delve into transcendental, psychedelic music. With E S C A P E, the production duo illustrate their pragmatic use of instrumentation and dubbing to create more heady and celestial avant-pop. From the very outset on opening track ‘Dharma’, the band’s iconic retro-dub aesthetic kicks in, before being accompanied by a litany of drum machines, sweeping compressed effects, and Dunis’ hypnotic serene vocals. Coyes, somewhat of a connoisseur and collector of varying studio gear adopts his steadfast dynamic approach to production, playing with new mixing techniques, tape loops, compression and effects throughout. It’s this freedom to indulge, and create new instruments, processes and sounds that have made Peaking Lights unique; an ever-present industriousness that characterises E S C A P E, whether it be on the deep textures of ‘Change Always Comes’, to the cathartic 80s pre-rave-wave of ‘The Damned’.

E S C A P E is a vibrant moment full of multi-spectral melodies crafted in an aesthetic the group have excelled in and made their own; a style exemplified by their breakout 2011 LP 936. And throughout E S C A P E, whether it’s on the esoteric ‘Eyes Alive’ to the mesmerising beach rhythms of ‘Dreams’, Peaking Lights’ rich and reverberated sonic palette shines through. For both dreamers and dancers alike, the latest offering to Peaking Lights’ illustrious catalogue is a true mind-expanding and fantastical listen full of passion and catharsis.

Russian Producer Volta Cab presents himself i n MM Discos with Balearic Balsam EP, a record that explores the borders of the sound that was born i n the white i sland, blending i t with a “new-wave” oriented vibe.
On the A side, Saint Petersburg based producer, shows us what he l ikes the most partying obscure rhythms with summery-soothing atmospheres. “Shujumi'' plays along with more ethnic and oriental sounds while “Balearic Balsam” gets highly influenced by t he 80’s new wave.
On the B side, the talented Greek producer “Anatolian Weapons” takes over the control by remixing Shujumi, he twists the original track and adds different acid elements building a perfect 4x4 killer straight to your brain. Volta Cab finishes the EP with “Vedic Space Vehicle”, getting a l ittle darker than the previous tracks on the
A side but without changing the vibe, delivering an excellent new-age-elektro rooted anthem.

Keeping his carbon footprint at a minimum, Santilli sails from Sydney to Hamburg via ten textured vignettes delicately drawn with guitar, bass and organic percussion. Relaxing, reflective and endlessly
beautiful, ‘Tidal’ explores elemental inspiration through a humanistic gaze.
Whether you know Max Santilli through Ken Oath duo Angophora, previous releases ‘Surface’ and ‘In Circles’, or this is your first time making his acquaintance, you’ll agree he’s right at home on the
Growing Bin. The multi-instrumentalist crafts exquisite acoustic music in tune with the finer moments of Windham Hill and ECM; a perfect fusion of talent, balance and the emotion shared by each release on the Hamburg label.

As befits its inspiration ‘Tidal’ is an organic affair, related through bright acoustic guitar, hazy chimes and hand played percussion. Where the Australian draws you in with hypnotic repetition, the subtlety, warmth and tonal variation serve as a welcome reminder we’re living off grid. Though expert fretwork
often takes centre stage, especially on the delicate B1 ‘Warm You Give’, it’s the blend of kalimba, woodblock, hand drums and shaker which truly transport the listener through open waters; a rhythmic
breeze carrying us through the maritime drones and bowed squall. At times the salt air is spiced with cardamom and cloves (‘Sea’) or lemongrass and galangal (‘Valleys’), as we skirt the Indian Ocean or
the Java Sea. ‘Lapse’ provides subtle hints of fourth world jazz as mallets take the lead, leaving the guitar to provide its own shimmering texture.

Clear your mind, clear your schedule and make some time for ‘Tidal’, an opportunity to breathe in time with the planet

Favorite Recordings and Jazzy Couscous proudly present a series of three EP's A La French (1987-1992) The Balearic Sessions with early
remixes works for french artists by the one and only Dimitri from Paris.
This project is a long overdue reminder and tribute of Dimitri’s career's beginnings, a selection of less-known works with a balearic style and a
distinctive French flair. It tells the story of an 80's kid who, through his love of music and remix culture, helped put together the first pieces of what
would later become the French House scene by spreading his love for Garage House and Club Music in general. All tracks have been remastered
from the tapes and will be available as a series of three 12" Vinyl with Printed Innersleeve.
The year is 1986. There is close to no remix culture in France and only a handful of pioneers are into this new club sound coming mostly from
USA. At the time, Dimitri starts experimenting with homemade remixes, done by cutting tape, inspired by New York producers Tony Humpries and
Shep Pettibone. Dimitri starts playing his remixes at radio and his work gets noticed. Starting his own radioshow "NRJ Club - The Sound of New
York", Dimitri's audience quickly became bigger. His remix style starts to settle, and the requests start piling up: Stephanie De Monaco, Gerard
Blanc, Elsa, Etienne Daho, Marc Lavoine…Many French pop stars come knocking on Dimitri's door to get a club remix of their latest hit. At this
time, Dimitri often works with the same sound engineer: Jean-Philippe Bonichon aka JPB. Together, they will shape the club remix sound of the
late 80's France unlike anyone else, heavily influenced by superstar remixers like François K, Shep Pettibone, Larry Levan, Frankie Knuckles, or
even Stock, Aitken & Waterman. In the early 90’s, the remixes he produces are infused with Garage House, Balearic vibes & a modern Rare Groove
vibe popularized by UK remixers such as Coldcut or CJ Mackintosh, something quite unique in the French musical output at the time.
In 1992, Dimitri made this wonderful remix for Claudia Philips "Donne Moi Du Feu", based on a sample from “I Was Born This Way ”by Carl
Bean. The track is deep, groovy, with a real bass & organ, and is blessed by an incredible piano solo from the one and only Olivier Masselot.
Andres Roé, a French rumba/flamenco guitar player, released his first album in 1990. This album includes some prestigious guests such as
David Gilmour & Mory Kante, and was mixed by young Philippe Cerboneschi, who would later be known as Philippe Zdar. In this album we find
Roe's spanish adaptation of "I'm Not Alone". The song, called "Soledad", in its original version, became a minor international hit in 1990, right after
the second summer of love. The "Philly Mix" here is produced by a young Dimitri with the help of Olivier Masselot on keys, and mixed by an even
younger Philippe Zdar as engineer. It was previously only available on a maxi CD. This version has aged really well, Dimitri himself has dug it out
again to play it in some of his sets in the recent years.
Daughter of famous 70's fashion designer Emmanuelle Khanh, Atlantique attracted media attention around 89/90 with her one hit wonder
"Poussée Par Le Vent". Her very distinctive voice and nonchalant style allowed her to enter France's Top 50 in 1990. Dimitri tackled this one with a
very jazzy and downtempo vibe essentially thanks to the jazz flute he threw in the mix. His long extended version is a wonderful piece of music.
In 1990, Dimitri is embracing the sound coming from a new wave of UK remixers such as Coldcut or Blacksmith, mixing jazz, hiphop, garage
& breakbeat influences altogether. We find traces of that in the way he starts naming his remixes. This "Mr. Jazzy Mix" is a literal as well as musical
nod to Grover Washington Jr. rare groove classic "Mr Magic". Slow House, Downtempo, breakbeat vibes, Dimitri included the full package in this
remix he did for Art Mengo on "Où Trouver Les Violons". The track starts on those infamous rhodes chords, and progresses into very nice latin
jazz vibes, with background congas, and the subtle acoustic guitar from the original. The peak comes around 3:45 with an authentic rhodes solo,
played by Nicolas Neidhart which takes us on an uplifting soulful journey. Truly beautiful. Art Mengo had a few hits around the early 90s in France,
but was never considered as a major artist, despite the high standards of his productions.
Through his radio and remix work, Dimitri unknowingly laid down the fundamentals and planted the seeds for what would later be
known as the "French Touch" scene. There is indeed a straight filiation between some of the artists representing the French Touch from
1995/1996, and Dimitri. He ultimately showed France had nothing to be ashamed of, and in the process, helped to spread a historic U.S. club sound
and to consolidate its associated culture in his country.

Vinyl Only

Limited - 150 copies

New York deep house, Riviera after-hour emotions, Balearic waves, wooden dance- floor powder...bass tone, an arrangement that flows. The Italian Stallion, indeed! Limited edition 150 copies hand stamped one side!

Baia Club is a new collaboration born in the Really Swing headquarters L’Amaro Studio, between Quiroga, Whodamanny and Dario Bass. "Shine On" is an italo funk groove with an incredible vocal by Whodamanny, while on the flip side the instrumental version is an homage to the Italian house golden era.

The Kempe Stone Portal is the long awaited debut album from long time musical adventurer The Vendetta Suite. It arrives on Hell Yeah Recordings on June 18th, and spans over 20 years of diverse musical experiments. In the words of label boss Marco, 'it's a nice ride.'

Gary Irwin started dancing in 1990, when he was drawn to the dubbed out and psychedelic sounds of Andrew Weatherall and The Orb, at the same time falling for the forward looking house and techno played by David Holmes and Iain McCready at their regular nights at Belfast's Art College. After studying music technology and performing arts, Irwin gave Holmes a cassette of bedroom produced techno and it started a long and fruitful relationship that has continued to this day.

In the intervening years, Irwin has been the in-house engineer at Holmes' Exploding Plastic Inevitable studio and label, has engineered and remixed with him, released on his labels and written music for his Holy Pictures album, all while picking up credits on labels like NovaMute, Sabrettes, 13Amp and many more. As time passed, Irwin explored non-dance sounds such as krautrock, library music, synth and 80s b-sides before more recently circling back to acid house, downtempo and Balearic. All of this and more informs this panoramic 12 track album, which is a testament to a life spent submerged in many different sound worlds.

The Kempe Stone Portal opens on the ‘Neon Secrets’, which along with tracks like ‘Morning Star’ and ‘I Am The Ghost In My House’ betray Irwin’s love of wonky, shimmering experimental synth-pop musik. They are glistening tracks with heavenly harmonies that are truly life-affirming in their richness. Elsewhere, ‘Purple Haze, Yellow Sunrise’ is an homage to his early experiences of Balearic acid house music from the late eighties and early nineties with a not too subtle reference to the narcotics of the time. ‘Who Do You Love’ was Irwin’s first non-dance music production in 1998, a cover of The Jesus and Mary Chain's version of the Bo Diddly classic, with guitar feedback and distortion drawing you into a murky world of fuzzy sonics.

‘Della Notte’ came 10 years after, with rumbling toms, bubbling synths and phased Rhodes making for a psyched-out post punk dub. Seasonal sleigh bells and obvious krautrock influences abound on ‘Christmas in Cologne’ while ‘Maybe Tomorrow’ is Air meets Phil Spector on a beach at sunset. ‘Warehouse Rock’ is a dubby acid track that follows on from where 2017 track ‘Shut Up Ya Dub!’ left off, but with a more experimental approach that found the artist limiting himself to a 303, drum machine, dub effects and samples. If King Tubby were to release on Acid Trax, this is how it would sound. Shorter tracks ‘Spring Blues’ and ‘The Adult Section’ were originally made for a modern library music side project and are brilliantly suspensory pieces of lush electronics, yawning chords and gentle rhythms that empty your mind of any tension.

This is a storied album that traverses different musical worlds with style and skill. Some are old, some are new, but they add up to a long player that is both fascinating and timeless.

Leng Records has long admired Andrew Meecham’s work as the Emperor Machine. Last year, Meecham made his first appearance on the label via a fine remix of Harks & Mudd favourite ‘Susta’. 12 months on, Meecham returns to Leng with his first Emperor Machine outing of 2021, a typically eccentric, heavily electronic dancefloor outing featuring the seductive vocals of rising star Séverine Mouletin. Meecham is one of British dance music’s most experienced and lauded producers, with a packed history stretching right back to the acid house era. He first rose to fame as part of Bizarre Inc and Chicken Lips (both alongside long-term studio partner Dean Meredith), but over the last two decades has devoted far more time to solo work as The Emperor Machine. In the process, he’s developed a sparse, hypnotic, heavily electronic trademark sound that combines analogue and modular synthesizer sounds with nods to post-punk disco, new wave, trippy proto-house and the mind-altering experiments of the Radiophonic Workshop.



‘Dance Par Amour’, his first solo single on Leng, is typical of his now familiar personal sonic style, with echoing, alien-sounding synthesizer motifs (some reminiscent of those that marked out Chicken Lips’ club classic ‘He Not In’), with bubbly sequenced bass, unfussy machine drums, rubbery slap-bass riffs and flashes of post-punk disco guitars.



Sparse but weighty and pleasingly trippy, the EP-leading ‘Extended Vocal Mix’ is classic Emperor Machine: a near ten-minute workout in which Mouletin’s tender but confident vocals rise above Meecham’s stylish and note perfect backing track, which sits somewhere between early ‘80s ‘no wave’ New York disco, lo-fi European synth-pop and the trippy late night dancefloor dubs that were once a feature of American boogie and proto-house records. Meecham further explores his love of these sparse, effects-laden “synth-dubs” on the accompanying ‘Erotique Dub’, a thrillingly heavy, heads-down affair awash with echoing vocal snippets, hypnotic drums and synthesizer flourishes that attractively echo across the sound space. Like the best DJ-focused dubs of the early 1980s, the remix is propelled forwards by a strong bassline, around which other elements – guitar, bass guitar, sparkling synth sounds and mind-mangling electronics – appear, make their mark and then drift off into the ether. With key passages of Mouletin’s vocal appearing periodically to encourage people to dance, it’s the kind of delightfully wayward revision that will keep people dancing well into the early hours.

The International Feel label is back from an extended meditation. Well-rested and with a cornucopia of new ideas and records, IFeel is happy to announce the debut album from Charlie Charlie as the starting shot. „Little Things“ is the brainchild of Gabriella Borbély alias Bella Boo and Jens Resch better known as Chords. Born on a beach in Southern California instead of their hometown Stockholm, it is exactly what you would hope for such a record to be: pop music that is informed by hippie or counter culture and by a Balearic ethos (hence the International Feel address) that is free of blinkered definitions. In equal parts, the duo’s ten songs take the listener through honey dripping r&b, while respelling that certain Californian recording studio sound aesthetic, revisit vintage yacht rock and pop tropes as well as they are reflecting dance music influences in a broken, yet gold framed mirror. Most of all, it’s like a day dream that you don’t want to end. To quote our Italian friends from Edizioni Mondo: good listening experience!

Band info:
Charlie is Gabriella Borbély – also known as Stockholm's deep house virtuoso Bella Boo. Charlie is Jens Resch – also known as prodigious producer/musician Chords. The two Charlies met on a beach in Southern California and immediately decided to write a song together.
That first track was built on the sampled sounds of a rusty drainpipe. Charlie fired up a dusty ARP Odyssey and played a woozy solo over the drainpipe beats, then the other Charlie did the same, using that same legendary 70's analogue synth. When they realized the two separately recorded solos played together in perfect harmony, they knew they had to keep heading down their newly found, shared musical path.
Charlie & Charlie have since continued making music together, describing their common process as liberating, free-flowing, genre-less. "Little Things", their debut album, is made up of tracks recorded in Los Angeles and Stockholm, using that very same ARP as well as pianos, electric guitars and machines like the Prophet 6, the Juno-106 and the Syncussion SY-1. Vocal contributions come from the Charlies themselves as well as friends like Mapei and Julimar Santos.

Having further honed his craft, Reuben Vaun Smith returns to
Soundway Records with a sonic odyssey through lo-fi Balearic
and Afro-Caribbean influenced synth.
Heralded as one of the best summer releases of 2020 (Beat
Caffeine), ‘Warm Nights’ introduced his unique blend
of synth-based balearic grooves, mid-tempo lo-fi beats,
and sun-drenched sonic landscapes. A lush debut and an
inspiring story of resilience from the former football promise
that turned to music production serendipitously after an injury
halted his career.
Smith’s second album continues his exploration into
improvised live instruments and programming, while
venturing into new territories of music-making and genres
including soca, benga and trip hop. Also sliding into the mix
are organic sounds and riffs reminiscent of 2000s Villalobos
sunrise scorchers such as ‘Waiworinao’, keeping the Balearic
thread firmly present throughout the album.
Having learned to sail along the southern coast of Spain in
the last year, Smith spent a winter locked down in Yorkshire,
channeling summer memories into his music and drawing
influences from his own record collection which he would
play everyday in the studio. With a few local friends and his
brother to jam with, the result is dreamy and lo-fi, with more
guitar-led melodies, distant vocals and lush pads.
Smith’s debut album from 2020, ‘Warm Nights’, received an
array of rave reviews and support from DJs including Tom
Ravenscroft, Antal and Bill Brewster. One year later, with
‘Sounds From The Workshop’ Reuben Vaun Smith delivers
a matured, varied sound and a glimpse into his incredible
future potential.