House News

AUF TOGO is Sasa Crnobrnja (In Flagranti, Mytron & Ofofo) and Clement Cachot-Coulom (The Fabulous Penetrators, Big Girls). Their combined sound is one of vintage recording equipment and instruments, coupled with the tweaks and blends from the modern studio.
BECKER & MUKAI is Jean-Gabriel Becker (Jeanga And George, Lux Prima) and Susumu Mukai (Zongamin, Floating Points). Together they present a loose, almost improvised sound that works very well within the rigid confines of house music.
A first collaborative EP aptly named AUF TOGO MEETS BECKER & MUKAI was released on SaS Recordings in 2019 to great acclaim from media and record shops.
Following the success of their first meetings, they decided to meet up again in 2020 for further sonic adventures. This time, they invited Anita Cualega to place her lovely voice on Aeroplane, a Balearic ode to world travel and the quartet's first foray into song.
Steel drums legend Fimber Bravo (Moshi Moshi) also popped into the studio to add his magic touch to “Inside The Human Mind”, the quartet's most psychedelic track to date.
These two outfits getting together in the studio was a match made in heaven, so one long improvised take gave way to another, each protagonist picking up a different instrument each time, recording hooks and beats and dub effects, and ultimately they joined their production skills to create these four gems.

New mutant offshoot from the Talking Drums crew...
You know how it goes at the after party, over indulge and you end up hogging the conversation. So, in the interest of better dancefloor discourse allow us to present Drum Chums, a new series of edits by percussion pals from across the globe.

This inaugural edition comes from our good buddy Basso, a Hamburg homie whose digging expertise is rivalled only by his scalpel skills and superb silliness.
Dipping into the darkest corners of his ever-Growing Bins, Basso shines up a quartet of rediscovered delights for an edit EP which oozes grooves and off balance moves.

On an uptempo A-side, the German luxuriates in the spectral arps, glistening licks and uplifting chords of fusion boogie winner 'Do Stay For Breakfast', before serving the steamy, sultry and seductive vampire disco jam 'Soft Choppers'
Things take a turn for the Balearic on the B-side thanks to the Afro-tropical pop of 'Simple Stroll', all electroid bass, chugging percussion and playful guitar, and finally the cosmic cool of 'Breaking Bread', a spaced out bossa for heads and feet.

We kick off 7’s Clash as we mean to continue, keeping things concise with 4-5 minute chunky chuggers made for the more laidback dancefloors and kitchen DJ sessions.

Disco Dub wizard Pete Herbert delivers a bottom heavy edit of an old classic, and on the flip we get a wonky slice of pan-asian exotica in a dub-chug style with shaman poetry and vintage balearico show tunes added for extra garnish.

Top-Kollaborationsalbum des französischen Produzenten Rone mit zahlreichen befreundeten Vokalisten. Basierend auf unveröffentlichtem Material, Alternative-Versionen seines 2020er Albums "Room With A View" sowie seines "La Nuit Venue" Soundtracks (nominiert für den César Award 2021 als Beste Filmmusik), entstanden 12 Tracks mit französischen und internationalen Vertretern des modernen Pop wie der Britin Georgia, Casper Clausen (Efterklang), Jenny Beth (Savages), der iranischstämmigen Archive-Vokalistin Roya Arab, der französischen Ambient-Produzentin Malibu, sowie den französischen Interpret:innen Yael Naim, Dominique A und Flavien Berger. Ein Livekonzert mit allen Beteilgten im Pariser Chatelet Theatre wird im April von ARTE TV weltweit übertragen.

Villete aka Amsterdam based producer Anne Korteweg returns to Scissor and Thread with a brilliant new EP. Her debut 12″ ‘Girl Next Door’ was released on Scissor and Thread in the fall of 2016 and sold out quickly. Now here with the new EP Dawn is Mine, we are treated to seven tracks of understated, floating beauty. On her new release she explores the more abstract sides of electronic music. Using a variety of synthesizers, she creates rich and lush sounding structures that continuously bend and flow loosely. She finds inspiration from listening to Pauline Anna Strom, Takashi Kokubo and Actress. Opener Penrose Stairs sets the tone with gentle arpeggiated synths creating a warm, fuzzy atmosphere - a combination further explored in Midnight Arp later into the mini-album. The title track Dawn Is Mine uncovers a low bass throb mixed with dubbed out effects and textures, while Lilac emits an ethereal, woozy atmosphere, with lush pads, choral textures and blissful melodic motifs. Myst also luxuriates in hazy pads before a slo-mo groove emerges to carry the track towards the edge of the dancefloor. If Myst flirts with the idea of dancing, Show Me dives right in - an exquisite slice of deep, outsider house with a psychedelic twist. Winding the release down with Wild Things - a beat-less vignette of synths engaged in an melodic interplay of chimes and tones.

Coyote bring us a new mini LP. A creative burst during lockdown and a longing for missed trips to the white Isle and beyond have inspired the new tracks. Return to life is a melodic sunrise reflection. Green shoots and hopefulness. Save Me sees Coyote team up with Woolfy for a chuggy plaintive longing love song. The Eagle and the Snake close s side 1 -the eternal battle between good and evil. Shimmering expanses of Cap Neget coastlines and cold canas. Wonderful see another collaboration with Woolfy. A quirky balearic shuffling ode to music. Finally as we slowly return to life Cafe con Leche guides us through a typically Coyote ambient percussive soundscape. When all this is over I plan to head north...Indeed

Digging deep through old and new, Basso captures arcane woodland fusion, serene electronic suites and wide eyed Balearic bliss on this first Growing Bin compilation.

This collection celebrates those precious records which land in your life on their own terms. Even the most advanced digger will admit that chance is the secret ingredient in any successful haul. Sure, it helps if you know where to look, but if you arrive a day early at that secluded second hand shop, or an hour late at the convention, you might miss out on a rare sight of sound. But there are still ways to skew the odds in your favour. Even in the most crowded urban environment, a solitary tree soon becomes a nest, and Basso's fostered an abundant garden in his Hamburg hometown. A decade on and the Growing Bin is a safe haven for those exquisite sounds crowded out of the mainstream, the rare birds with the most striking song.

'Coffee' comes right after cocoa in the bin's headquarter, though start your morning with One Tongue and be prepared for a different kind of day. A witch's brew spiced with a hint of Durian and the early bird, this 1990 composition could be the blueprint for the Teutonic trance dancers beloved by the Salon set. A more meditative magic flows through the A2, a smooth blend of fusion guitar, softly syncopated drums and counterpoint keys from one time art-rockers Inandout. This Growing Bin favourite from their '93-95' LP sounds right at home beside the majestic melodies and spheric bass of Matthias Raue's 'Brücke am schwarzen Fluss 2'. Taken from the soundtrack to a TV drama filmed in Mali, this digital homage to African rhythm shimmies in step with New Age dancers from Mkwaju Ensemble and Louis Crelier. The A-side ends with the unbridled optimism of Kosmische maverick Hardy Kukuk. The synthesist hit the studio with friends Karsten Raecke and Andreas Schneider in 86, coalescing crystalline electronics and gentle guitar into tender chord progressions suited for sun bathing beside the Sea of Tranquility.

The second side slinks into motion with the deep beauty and sincere spoken word of Frank Suchland's 'Schnee', a subtle body in a cocoon of reverb which takes Sade's 'I Never Thought I'd See The Day' to another level of placidness. Melancholic Germans Die Fische met in Cairo for the first time, and 'Conversation Of Everyday Lovers' could be the theme for that great city. Underpinned by primal percussion and a restrained groove, the track twists and turns between a trio of ineffable motifs, eternal combinations to the catacombs of Abusir. From there we go sublime, soaring skywards with a ten minute triumph from Hugh Mane. Balancing concentric sequences and space age synth riffs atop an irresistible breakbeat and bubbling bassline, the British producer finds a sensuous sweet-spot between fellow Growing Bin affiliates Krakatau and Singu.

Lucky are we who hear the Bin's sounds.
Patrick Ryder

In 2018, Sean Worsey, a successful lawyer in California, began to receive some rather surprising emails. These were not from prospective clients, or about current cases he was working on, but rather queries from record collectors. They wanted more details about a pair of obscure, largely forgotten records he’d made in the mid 1980s as part of a virtually unknown band called Passion Theatre. To say he was surprised is an understatement. “People from around the world were emailing, calling and messaging us about the music, particularly a track called ‘Vacation Day’,” he says. “Our records were rare and gaining in value, mainly because there were not many manufactured at the time. By 2019, several individuals in the music industry had emailed me about licensing tracks.”

We eventually agreed with Sean to include ‘Vacation Day’, on Charles Bals’ second compilation, Retour Au Club Meduse. Impressed with the quality of the compilation Sean approached us again to discuss whether we would be interested in reissuing both of his old EP’s in full, an idea he’d been considering for a few months already. We jumped at the idea of course and have spent the last few months putting the reissue project together. The original studio tapes were long gone but a friend of Sean’s had some mint vinyl copies which we had shipped over from California to use as the master source, restored and mastered superbly by Technology Works in London. The striking original artwork from the two EP’s has been faithfully reworked into a gatefold double vinyl LP by designer Asger Behncke Jacobsen and features extensive interview/sleeve notes by Matt Anniss.

In the words of Sean Worsey - “One of the nicest things about the renewed interest in our music is that we can now enjoy it for what it is – back then we were a bit too worried about succeeding.”

Keiko's New Edits from Finest "Nakayoshi Use Only". Super massive killer Edits of "Samba de flora" and "Slip away"

LTD Transparent Red LP

Polydans“, Roosevelts drittes Album, erscheint am 26.02.2021 und ist ein Liebesbrief an die Clubmusik als Ganzes, ein Blick zurück auf seine eigene musikalische Sozialisation und Faszination für die facettenreiche Natur des Genres aber auch ein Blick nach vorne. Inspiriert und begeistert von Musik, egal ob Yacht-Rock, Balearic, House-Euphorie oder unterkühltem Techno, setzt Marius Lauber seine Fähigkeiten und sein musikalisches Wissen ein, um als Roosevelt elektronische Musik zu schaffen, die Menschen weltweit bewegt, sowohl emotional als auch physisch. Und das ist auch das Geheimnis all seiner Veröffentlichungen, seit den ersten Singles, später dann auf dem Debütalbum „Roosevelt" (2016) und dem Nachfolger "Young Romance" (2018) ist es immer diese warme Emotionalität, die seine Musik antreibt und die Menschen auf aller Welt in seine Melodien verlieben lässt.

“Balances '80s-inspired synth, disco, driving beats and cinematic textures into a musical amalgamation that simultaneously manages effervescence and heft.” - Billboard on “Sign”

“Strobe-lit and expansive cut that locks into an insistent groove and periodically explodes into bright colors.” - Stereogum on “Echoes”

LTD Edition!

Tribal Trueby / Truccy Trickserei. Pure Freude, pure Energie. Rainer Trueby und Corrado Bucci kommen gelenk und glücklich aus dem warmen tropischen Jungle. Der hat sie zu allerhand Musikfarben wie World Music, Afrodelic, Balearic und Latin angeregt, und indem sie noch ein clever gesetzten jazzigen Mittelteil einbauen, bekommt das Dickicht einen großartigen Kahlschlag mit Sonnenbeflutung.

„Für mich der beste typische Rainer Trueby seit den Trüby Trio Hits „Donaueschingen“ oder Galicia“ (Michael Reinboth)

Todsicherer Tanz. Mit Sahnehäubchen oben drauf vom Pariser, heute in Brighton lebendem Laroye, der einen pulsierenden perkussiven House Jam abliefert.

Rainer Trueby hatte gerade die wundervolle „Soulgliding“ für BBE kompiliert, und nun bereitet er sich und uns auf ein neues Kapitel (Vol. 6) seiner legendären „Glücklich“ Compilation vor, die im Sommer 2021 auf Compost rauskommt.

Tracklisting

Side A
“Kenyatta“ (Original Mix) (8:02)

Side B
“Kenyatta” (Laroye Afro Balearic Mix) (7:43)

Carl Weingarten and Multiphase Records return to Emotional Rescue with a collection of the music of Delay Tactics and their live, reel-to-reel and collaborative experimentation, that spawned two remarkable albums.

After meeting guitarist Reed Nesbit from the St. Louis new wave scene , Weingarten joined forces for a series of concerts, performing with guitars running through tape looping delay systems similar to Robert Fripp's 'Frippertronics' ideals.

Producer and engineer Walter Whitney joined to record the debut album, Out-Pop Options (1982), when it became clear his skills were a perfect addition. Recording to 4-track analog tape, the sound developed from drone based to proto-techno pop. Digital technology, drum machines, guitar pedals and digital effects offered creative freedom that resulted in rhythmic, kraut inspired pieces.

These Kosmiche leanings retain a unique US aesthetic and continued after Nesbit's departure. When guitarist David Udell joined for Any Questions? (1984), greater explorations - now recorded to 8 track - pushed the envelope to a wider sound.

In an age of endless holy grails, the work of Delay Tactics has a resonance, spanning Eno to Ashra but with a place and sense beyond Europe and towards to new age and fourth world leanings of Laraaji, Hassel and Karma.

Stuck at home with nothing to do for days, starved of culture and community? Now you know how Bjørn Torske felt in the Tromsø of the late 80s. Just like you, he found solace in sound, teaming up with his nearest and dearest to lay the foundations of Norwegian dance music.

Fitting then, that this should be the man to take you on a journey though the special sounds of Hell Yeah Recordings with this C90 masterpiece. Playful yet poetic, Bjørn’s easy style offers immersive groove with a personal twist; maybe a drastic pitch shift, sudden switch of intensity or effortless balance of opposing arpeggios.

Gliding from Calm’s celestial cool through cosmic funk curios from the likes of Juan Moretti to frantic acid gargle or off-kilter post-filter disco, the Norwegian pioneer pays homage to the diversity and quality of the Italian label with an undeniable affection. And hey, the feeling’s mutual - Bjørn is Marco Gallerani’s #1 DJ hero. The adventurous sounds of Hell Yeah Recordings, blended with gusto by Bjørn Torske and dressed to impress in a collectible Fett Burger sleeve.

Limited to 500 , hand numbered

One Million Eyes was born out of a need to start again. As the duo previously known as Tempelhof - where they worked alongside musicians such as Gigi Masin - Luciano Ermondi and Paolo Mazzacani experienced a pivotal and personal moment in their lives which inspired a reset in their approach and the need for a new musical outlet. It would be easy to try and describe such a transition in terms of wanting a new music style or a new ambition, but simply put, they wanted to get back to enjoying making music again. As they explored the instruments amassed in their studio and drew upon their upbringing amongst new-wave and rock, any ties to their previous output were forgotten and inhibitions were lost. Brama, their first album as One Million Eyes, was born. With this newfound freedom of artistic expression clearly evident, Paolo and Luciano created a classic Balearic record, reminiscent of that energy, storied mysticism and longing to return to a place full of good memories. As the sun disappears below the horizon and the final track closes out the afternoon's haze, you're left wondering whether this trip ever happened or was ever quite what it first seemed.

It was Memorial Day Weekend 2016, and the sun shined bright over the Detroit River. Pontchartrain stepped up to the decks at the Red Bull stage at Movement Electronic Music Festival donning his infamous "Detroit vs. Itself" t-shirt. His first song through the Rane rotary mixer was a dubplate made specifically for his set: “Afterlife”. It’s a brilliantly executed balearic daytime disco rework that warrants the praise of summer anthem that it’s earning.

On the flip is “Pool”, an equally sunny slomo beatdown rework from Blair French. It's a delightful blend of cerebral and soulful, and is finally getting a release after being originally championed by Peter Croce on his Le Mellotron Paris set back in early 2018.

This 7" is pressed heavy and cut loud at 33.3 RPM with a normal non-dinked hole.

Artwork by Gino

Chiaia Lovers a new esoteric electronic label raised from Napoli is proud to present “Prince Ozay: La Struttura della Magia” a delicious 12” four track ep that pays tribute to Maestro Gurdjieff and his musical alter ego. A side open up with “Sarmoung” an intricate idmish breakbeat over a intense bassline that drives to an incredibile piano jazz progression, while “Ultima Caccia” explore an hypnotic percussive pattern filled with a sun kisssed piano rhodes chords like a modern library; on the flip side “Stelle Marine” digs into ambient/new age territories with some Krautrock flavoured arpeggios and “Portinatx” drop a balearic guitar textures with reminiscence of Neapolitan 80’s melodies.

Klasse Wrecks' sub-label GRAFITI TAPES is back for its 12th instalment and features music and artwork from one of the most important and formative writers in early UK graffiti history, in fact Coma (or Richard Sen as he's also known) has the accolade of being one of the first ever writers to paint the London Underground system in the mid 1980s. His iconic 'Bottleneck' style train panel (which features on the sleeve artwork of this release) caused quite a storm in the national press and served as a landmark for the countless writers that came after him. Richard put down the spraycans in 1988 and has since had a flourishing and long career in music as a DJ and talented producer, his productions sonically capturing the 'boilingpot catch-all' style of Hip Hop culture. Richard's release for GRAFITI TAPES comes on two formats (vinyl and tape cassette) and serves up a total of 6 tracks. Included within is a melange of post-punk basslines, clattering breakbeats, trancey pads and a unique atmosphere that many writers will recognise from a legacy of graffiti video soundtracks, dusty 45s and boombox funk.

When your roots have a broad geographical diversity, it’s very likely this will resonate in the music you make. This is certainly the case with Alma Negra and their new release on Heist. It seems they have embraced all their cultural influences more than ever in their new ‘Dakar Disco EP’. The whole record oozes class and musicality and feels like a carefree collage of the rich musical lives they live. The three originals on this EP vary in tempo and energy, giving you something for each moment of the day or night. They are accompanied by a remix from none other than the Japanese master of cosmic funk: Kuniyuki.

The EP kicks off with the title track ‘Dakar Disco’; an island style mid-tempo burner, rich with filtered guitars, bells and bleeps. Soothing chords and synth melodies are introduced for a lovely build up, but it’s the live horn section that takes centre stage. Here, the track really comes to full fruition, with a squeaky lead accompanying the horns for an electronic twist to what is above all a lovely summer jam.

‘Contra’ ups the pace and moves more into dance floor territory with loose claps, spacey pads and faraway chants. This track really gets to you with the live percussion and extremely catchy lead running throughout the track. This is afro house just the way we like it.

We’re very proud to have Kuniyuki remixing ‘Dakar disco’. This master of his craft has done an outstanding job with his cosmic take on ‘Dakar disco’. He lays down a great riff on bass guitar, while playing around with all the live elements and adds a serious bit of reverb for a stunning effect. This track is a perfect example of Kuniyuki’s musical skills and we can almost see him jamming this out, eyes closed and directed towards a distant point in space only he can see.

The EP’s closing track ‘Back in town’, is perhaps the clubbiest track of the set. A friendly acid line squeaks over tribal drums & chants and you immediately get pulled in by a great balafon hook. You can really hear how the guys feel at ease combining these worldly elements with modern electronics and ‘Back in town’ is a great example on how to blend these sonic worlds.

So there we are. A taste of the Alma Negra summer with a healthy dose of Japanese funk. Enjoy!

Yours sincerely,

Maarten & Lars

Following last year’s ‘Monster Skies’ comes another 6 track mini-lp of original works from label head Jura Soundsystem. Once again the EP aims to bring together the melting pot of influences that also inspire the label, Dub, Ambient House, Leftfield Disco and Balearica. The EP was made with the Roland classics, the Juno 106, SH101, D-05, TR 707 & 727 and includes guitar and sax work to balance the electronic sound palette. Mastering By Matt Colton.

Repress!

The final 6 track reissue EP of Munich's mid-90s Afro-Cosmic project, The New Morning, completes the archival while expanding their sound of heavy African / Brazilian influenced sampling and percussion to include Balearic, House and Trance.

Again a trip to the Cosmic wonderlands of Global Rhythm Records, Riddims 3 brings this collection of DJ Otti and Jay Pee's, plus support from DJ Thilo and DJ Fred, vision to a close.

More eclectic than cohorts like Tribal Italia out of Cesana or Stefan Eggers' Sound Station Records, The New Morning enwraps world beat music for the eclectic, post-hippie generation. Monotonous beats, deep bass, memorable melodies, sampled in a tribal mystic.

Included here, the previously unreleased Kongo Bina points to a fuller sound, where heavy samples are overridden by analogue machines. As found across the 3 EPs, the collage of sounds, laced with live percussion, make the party.

From the weekly gatherings across north Italy into Austrian and on to Munich, some twenties years pass but the journey from the original Cosmic club to now fits. Time for an "Afro Funky" discovery.

Green Marbled Vinyl
Polifonic Records is the melodic balance between antagonistic vibrations, spirits and energiesthat inhabit the land of Puglia since the dawn of time.
An harmonic exploration into colorful, vibrant sunrise atmospheres and emotional, introspectivesunset sensations. One Body. Many Souls.

PF001 // The Frst installment comes with four contributions by festival aliates and long timefriends - from the explorative psychedelia of Francis Inferno Orchestra and the introspectiveexotica of Simone de Kunovich, to the playful 707- ish mediterranean vibes of Jolly Mare and thebalearic uplifting arpeggios of Yanik Park.
The package represents indeed a tribute to Itria, the magic Valley placed between two seas,Adriatico and Ionio, in the earth of Regione Puglia.

*Repress*

Emotional Rescue completes its trilogy exploring the music of Vox Populi with Alternatif Realisme. Highlighting the music that followed 1989's Aither (ERC030) as they transitioned from ethno-industrial roots towards a more expressive "world" sound, until the band's dislocation in 1994.
The band's development saw original members Axel Kyrou (electronics), Mitra (vocals) and Arash Khalatbari (percussion) augmented by a number of guest musicians, bringing an energy to their spontaneous recordings sessions at their studio.
The additional vocals of Dierdre Dubous is indicative of this change. Her onomatopoeia singing features heavily, invoking songs Letsam La, Chaque Jour Est Un Bon Jour and the ethereal She Walks So Easily Across The Sky.
With this, Mitra's vocals lift Chaque Jour Est Un Bon Jour, Razaye Axel Jube Hast and closing paean Chirine, showing their best. Surrounding instrumentals - often built out of long improvisational jamming - underpin. Soleymani Dub, with its Laswell dub groove is a clear stand out, while the melodics of Vapanda's Electric Garden come like a wonderful Woo outtake.
Largely unreleased, the recordings were a step outside of the changing shift towards a more digital sound. The album captures Vox Populi!, mixing their atmospheric mastery with heartfelt arias, that have familiarity but are completely unique.

Sometimes a record comes along that is a wonderful anomaly that really is all about the music. Silver Leaf recently appeared on the radar via obscuro diggers on both sides of the Atlantic and landed with a Hey!
What is known about Silver Leaf, beyond that it was a short-lived mid-80s project out of Cincinnati, Ohio, is that it features ex-Zephyr keyboardist John Faris, working alongside the mysterious vocalist Silvia Leaf.
The difference between the blues and occasional psychedelic rock of early 70s Boulder, Colorado's Zephyr and the lo-fi recordings of Silver Leaf are striking, but in Hey! and Can We Rebuild Our City?, the power of the ballad and strong playing of John, is wrapped in mid-80s, mid-States lo fi heaven.
Whether a non-de-plume, Ms Leaf's searing, innocent vocals fly above John's keys and programming. Hey!'s repetitive exhalations act like a mantra to a party, while tom's chime in accompaniment. Here it comes!
Can We Rebuild Our City? starts with Faris' forlorn intro before crashing percussion heads to some kind of wonderful, as Leaf questions a calls to hearts.
Releasing just 3 singles, Silver Leaf's music is unique and essential, an experience and a delight to present.

Heavyweight 2LP+MP3

16 bisher unveröffentlichte Tracks von Poolside, Roosevelt, Kraak & Smaak und vielen weiteren exklusive auf dieser Compilation!

The Sunset Manifesto erscheint am 04.12.2020 auf How Do You Are? und versammelt eine eklektische Gang von der Westküste der USA bis nach Norwegen und allem was dazwischen liegt- mit einer gemeinsamen goldenen Wurzel: Diese warme, akustische, aus Laurel Canyon Leuten und LA Session Göttern bestehende Clique, ausgestattet mit einer zeitgenössischen, elektronischen Sensibilität. All diese Acts berühren den zurückgelehnten, Daytime Disco-Style, der als Balearic in die Musikgeschichtsbücher eingegangen ist. Aber es liegt etwas Neues in der Luft. Die Künstler*innen auf The Sun Manifesto versuchen nicht einfach die Vergangenheit neu aufzurollen. Nein, das hier ist mehr „Parallel Pop“- und damit der Soundtrack für eine herrliche, imaginäre, aber dennoch zeitgenössische Welt jenseits von Retro-Kitsch. 16 anspruchsvollste, AOR- und Dance-orientierte, zeitgenössische Popsongs aus dem Too Slow to Disco-Universum. Wie ein Detektiv hat DJ Supermarkt die Künstler*innen auf dieser Compilation lange beobachtet, ihr Schaffen verfolgt und dann im richtigen Moment Nägel mit Köpfen gemacht. Worauf wir dieses Mal ganz besonders stolz sind: Alle Tracks auf The Sunset Manifesto sind exklusiv und unreleased und wurden teilweise extra für unsere Compilation gschrieben, was für eine Ehre!

Who is Harvey Couture? Some say he’s a survivor of French pop music’s sun-soaked synth-pop era of the early 1980s, others that he’s a more suave and stylish Serge Gainsbourg for the nu-Balearic era. There were even rumours circulating that he’s a musical mobster from the Cote D’Azure: a shadowy member of the mafia who deals in synths, drum machines and fretless bass guitars rather than guns, money and drugs. In truth, not even Leng Records knows much about the man behind the moniker, though his vividly kaleidoscopic, retro-futurist debut album, Scellé En Cristal, does offer a number of crafty clues. Whether listeners will make the necessary deductions to solve the mystery remains to be seen; regardless, it’s the music that matters, and on that score Scellé En Cristal simply cannot be faulted.

Rich in humid, afternoon-bright musical delights, the set sees our publicity-shy hero mix and mangle a multitude of musical influences – think proto-Balearic European synth-pop, Prince style purple funk, immersive ambient, early INXS style synth-rock, the electronic end of zouk and much more besides – with constantly colourful and imaginative results. Couture is most at home adding his variously seductive, sexy and sleazy vocals to bubbly, upbeat and mid-tempo numbers that combine delay-laden drum machine beats with surging synths, fluid bass, stylish guitars, lashings of leftfield pop nouse and plenty of tongue-in-cheek Gallic flair.

For proof, check the throbbing, off-kilter alien-funk throb of ‘Les Portes De La Perception’, the bustling, percussion-laden cheeriness of ‘Crème Solaire’ and the loose-limbed, toe-tapping brilliance of ‘Je Nes Peux Pas’, where chiming, steel pan style melodies and pots-and-pans percussion hits jostle for position with sliding fretless bass notes and flash-fried guitars. Check to ‘Passion’, a swaggering slab of bustling electrofunk/synth-rock fusion rich in ‘Rockit’-style scratches and restless synth-bass. The influence of languid, sunset-ready European pop records of the 1980s – those cuts that would later become sought-after amongst dusty-fingered collectors of Mediterranean music – is another recurring feature of Couture’s cultured but joyous debut album. It can be heard amongst the drowsy guitars, yawning bass and tumbling lead lines of ‘Look Within’, the pleasingly laidback ‘Invincible Line’, the elastic bass, fluorescent synth sounds and stuttering machine drums of ‘Marche’.

Yet Couture is no one-trick pony. Horizontal and loved-up moments of a more downtempo hue can be found scattered across the album, with the enveloping ambient awe of ‘Les Portes’ – all swelling chords, gentle melodies and atmospheric field recordings – and slowly unfurling ‘Whale Song’ both lingering long in the memory. Harvey Couture may not be ready to step out of the shadows just yet, but his music most certainly is. We have a feeling that Scellé En Cristal is just the start of the mystery monsieur’s musical journey.

Label head Cosmic Garden returns to mothership with 4 subtle lushy cuts of pure Italo/Balearic deepness.

New album from the Parisian producer.

Label say:
Because, at La Creme Garcia Club, a private circle of discerning smokers in Barcelona, Blundetto was in heavy rotation in the playlists. So heavy that these people of good taste for legal activity on this side of the Pyrenees yet prohibited from profits, had the idea of becoming the privileged partners of a new album. Without scrutiny, without intervention in the artistic, but with a single watchword: let Blundetto return to his first love of world sound.

The result is a stereo trip illustrated by Mossy Giant's artwork. A trip around the world without leaving your couch.
An offer that cannot be refused.

Ten years had passed since Bad Bad Things; it was the occasion to celebrate this decade by reviving its state of mind. The one who mixes collaborations, atmospheres, and styles. Exiled to the green, in musical autarky from several albums, Blundetto has therefore returned to the rhythm of city life and studios. He has changed his way of operating, opened his repertoire, and invited friends to new titles that he had written for them.

The circle of intimates already present on Bad Bad Things (Hindi Zahra, General Electric, Chico Mann) has widened to include regular accomplices (Biga Ranx) and to extend to artists with whom Blundetto felt an obvious connection (Crime Apple, Leonardo Marques). Guided by this roadmap written by Blundetto, all succeeded in painting with their colors and spreading their musical soul in the project, either taking the rhythmic direction of Brazil, Africa, or Latin America, getting dizzy in Jamaican fumes or chopping at the salient angles of hip hop.

Dive into the new openings of Clément Petit’s arrangements, now more sophisticated than those on which Blundetto evolved, and now capable of bringing an orchestral dimension made of strings and brass, creating a direct opening on the emotions, an automatic generator of images to accompany the soundtrack by the producer Blackjoy.

Whatever the orientation, each guest becomes a unique and essential part while Blundetto remains the common thread, the cement and the final varnish of a musical mosaic called Good Good Things.

Jean Claude Garvi returns for another three-track journey of beach-ready Balearic gold on his own EBO Records.

‘Nite Dubbin’ kicks off proceedings - a piano laden, rapturous slammer laced in acidic arps and bongo goodness. Take to the flip for a slo-mo boogie reinterpretation, ‘Interview By The Pool’ perfect for those beachside lounges and poolside shenanigans, with an unreleased 12 inch mix of atmospheric synth-pop swellings, ‘Last In The Bin’, to close out the EP.

Coming soon...

Ralph Heidel is one of the young musicians that represent the spirit of Berlin’s new musical ecleticism better than others. He is part of the avantgarde circles that mix modern jazz and contemporary classical music with elements of new electronica and experimental ambient music. This is the vibe of Germany's next generation.

Heidel creates a sonic universe that is unique. He takes the listener into a deep, atmospheric travel that stimulates emotions and feelings on a different level. Heidel brings together two worlds: what he learned at Musikhochschule München, Germany’s leading academy for classical music where he studied saxophon and composition and the moods happening in Germany's new electronic circles.

On „Relief“ Heidel created six songs. Except one, all of them are instrumental music. Partly composed and often improvised these sounds take the listener into Heidel's specific sonic universe. Raw beat structures, emotive horn lines, strong harmonical tensions and dramatic build ups. Heidel’s signature sound.
In fact Heidel is a multiple influenced artist with a strong personality that absorbs whats around him, connects it with his own wide artistic knowledge and fullfills it into magical musical moments.

Relief is the next step in what could become a longtime artistic career.
After a (very composed) debut album for string quartet and rhythm section for Kryptox (Moments of Resonance 2019), it was important for Heidel, to process current feelings of daily life.
Not just his cultural learnings, but also emotions connected to the hard COVID times and a lot of personal experiences.

Relief are six abstract, distorted patterns. Long deep transitions that lead into euphoric parts of sonic greatness. Heidel's sense for sound design and the soft tone of his saxophone phrases, add a personal note that is somehow alone in the current music scenario. Sampling his saxophone (reeds, keys etc.) to create very organic beats is one of the many techniques to create that special „Heidel“ sound. Also his calm and wide harmonies over disquiet, rough drums are part of his unique ambivalent, disrupted moods.

Most of this EP has been played by Heidel alone. For a few parts he was joined by musicians from the local scene. In fact besides his albums on Kryptox Ralph Heidel is very connected in Berlin’s current cultural playground: He creates music for underground performance art happenings in Neukölln as well as for new German theater (Volksbühne, Berliner Ensemble). Also German rapper Tarek from K.I.Z heard about Heidels string debut album, so they collaborated for an album, where Heidel reworked his record for stringquartet, piano, drums and bass.

Since first emerging as part of Crazy P in the late 1990s, James Baron has released a lot of great music. However, he’s previously put out very little quite like the Falling That You Know EP, his first solo outing as JIM on NuNorthern Soul.

The Falling That You Know EP sees Baron exploring an explicitly stripped-back, sensatory and soft-focus sound. It features a quartet of hazy home recordings created using little more than an acoustic guitar, piano, keyboard and some toy instruments belonging to his children. The music stretched across the EP is warming, wide-eyed and picturesque, with Baron showcasing his rarely heard singing voice as well as a finger-picking guitar style he’s spent the best part of 18 months perfecting.

Those with a wide-ranging musical palette will spot subtle sonic references to some of Baron’s lesser-known musical inspirations, including singer-songwriters Ned Doheny and Nick Drake. There’s a folksy, homespun charm to the camp-fire-ready bliss of loved-up opener ‘Falling That You Know’, where Baron delivers his own thoughtful lyrics atop shuffling shaker percussion, layered acoustic guitar, smooth bass, synth-strings and sustained piano chords.

Arguably even more impressive is ‘Phoenix’, a swelling, simmering and sweeping semi-acoustic cover of The Cult track of the same name featuring backing vocals from Crazy P chanteuse Danielle Moore producing a stunning, sunset-ready take on the classic.

Baron’s dedication to the finger-picking style long associated with British and American folk music comes to the fore on ‘Whisper in the Wind’, a future early evening singalong that gently builds across six spellbinding minutes.

Then there’s closing cut ‘You Know What To Say’, an effortlessly emotive, tactile and atmospheric affair that cannily distils all that is good about Baron’s latest solo venture into three magical minutes. It offers a near perfect end to an EP of rare pastoral beauty.

Updated Press / PR:

Jim interviewed on BBC London Robert Elms show discussing the EP (2hr:39)

Expositions is a one-man (Reuben Vaun Smith) band that’s been slowly gaining force as a wave ready to hit every Balearic beach and beyond. Yellow Haze hits the Forest Jams label with four complete burners of tunes, so hot you can smell the sun-block melting away. Smith along with the mysterious “Hannah” lay down some serious laid back vibes with their vocals that fit the backing of “Get With You” just perfectly.

Rollerskaters is an instrumental that has us up off the beach and onto the boardwalk for a freestyle rollerskating dance session. Sun Shine Down has Smith back on vocals and the title speaks for itself. Walk along the water of the Pacific has the sun is going down to this one for full effect. Holding On closes out what you’d wish to be an endless summer. Look out for more from the man soon!

Vinyl Only!

The story, the myth, la leyenda. It was summer, my amigos said “you have to come, you won’t believe it!”. It was decided, vamos a España! Time to exchange the grey skies f or a little bit of Mar y Sol! We
landed, uno cerveza por favor! Days spent recharging on the playa or by the pool. Nights in discotheques dancing under the stars as anonymous f reestyle DJ’s supplied the most exciting eclectic musica. Together in harmony with the chicest chicos and chicas I had ever seen. I was in a dream. My lif e f orever transf ormed. I’d f allen in love. I never looked back...This is where I belong.
El Guiri Discos. Long forgotten Spanish UnClassics, hand picked con amor f rom dusty bargain bins, respectfully re-touched and re-shaped for the most open minded, modern Balearic Beat selector.

Clear Vinyl


It is the year 2020, a year that addresses our awareness of diversity, tolerance and sustainability in an assorted, socio-cultural way. We translate this demand into music. "Nuthin' But A She Thang" focuses on a marginalised view of instrumental beat music.

This sampler, reflects a cross-section of the international female producer scene: 14 female artists, 8 countries, 4 continents, one language - music! The 14 instrumentals take the listener on a musical journey, which creates a tension between classic sample sound and modern current productions.

The many facets of female beat producing are presented by exclusive contributions by Ainie (DE) o Aygyul (AT) o Courtney Hawkins (US) o Da Chick (PT) o Georgia Anne Muldrow (US) o Gnarly (UK) o Jillesque (US) o Josi Miller (DE) o Julie Schatz (US) o Lisa Vazquez (US) o Sadiva (AUS) o Saltyyyy V (DE) o SOWALL (KOR) o USAGI (JP). Together with Stylefile as a cooperation-partner, we were able to persuade none other than HERA (DE). She implanted an even more artistic approach and added an exclusive artprint to this piece of music.

Our latest Release DDCT003 is in the end not only a musical project, it is a statement, it is an attitude.

The second of Alma Negra's 12 Rhythms Series is dedicated to the Maloya sound from La Réunion, a tiny island where a
melting pot of cultures is reflected strongly in its music. Maloya's roots go back to the time of slavery, its quick tempo and raw
energy making it not only a popular dance music but also a powerful protest through movement.
On their Maloya EP, the Basel collective pay tribute to the hypnotic rhythms that were feared both by the Catholic Church and the French government for the musical form's subversive part in the rebellion against colonialism.
The release revolves around two contrasting Alma Negra re-workings of Lindigo's Tany Be. The first takes a classic call &
response structure in 12/8 and 6/8 rhythms, adding a driving bass line and guitar licks. A solid 909-kick locks things in step,
along with a sax flourish and FM synths. Their re-imagining of African and Tamil influences for modern dancers is a triumphant
manifestation of the music's origins.
With the main reworking focusing on a rolling dance floor groove, the Dub Mix concentrates on trance-inducing aspect of
Maloya. Using a modular set up to pick apart layers of percussion, it is a dense and heady trip into the spirit world.
The B side focuses on Christine Salem, one of today's stars of the Maloya scene. Without wanting to squeeze the soul from her
deep tones, Kabaré is slowed down a notch, with drums added sparingly. This sensitive treatment gives the track just enough
weight and tension to punch in on todays dance floors without losing the intent of the original.
The source material for this EP has been road tested from the very beginning of Alma Negra's journey. The collective have gone
to great lengths to ensure the original creators are on board with their treatment of their music and are honoured to be given the
chance to distil their own ethos into a record that is bubbling with today's dance floor drive. Their reverent treatment aims to
preserve the power and beauty of the source material, to bring uncovered gems to a new audience.

This world-travelling, MPC-busting, Gold Panda-collaborating maverick's first appearance on record was with 2018's WinWin San, a sparkly, razor sharp dance diamond which was received as one of the highlights of Studio Barnhus Volym 1, the Stockholm label's mammoth compilation released in August last year.

A self-confessed "travelling bedroom producer", Sofia started the process of writing her debut solo outing with a journey into the Amazon jungle. Stops were also made in front of a dusty Juno 106 in her Berlin bedroom and a Tokyo flea-market. We're a bit fuzzy on the details but we're pretty sure this record is full of the kind of raw energy and runaway imagination only a really strong debut.

D.Tiffany lands on Coastal Haze

It would be fair to say that Leng co-founder Paul “Mudd” Murphy is a born collaborator. Since first donning the Mudd alias at the dawn of the century, Murphy has released numerous collaborative albums and singles with regular collaborators Ben Smith (as Smith & Mudd) and Kevin Pollard (Mudd & Pollard), as well as playing a key role in “super-groups” Paqua and Bison. “Susta”, which marks his first single on Leng since 2009, sees Murphy add some new names to his growing list of collaborators. It was made in cahoots with singer/songwriter David Harks, a regular Satin Jackets collaborator who also appeared on Jack Cutter’s superb “Serpent Strut” cut on Murphy’s Claremont 56 label.

“Susta” is a bubbly, evocative and ear-pleasing chunk of mid-tempo nu-disco pop featuring lead vocals from Jaanika Leino AKA JaneLy – a former X-Factor Finland contestant whose sultry and evocative voice simply soars above Murphy and Harks’ sparkling, life-affirming instrumentation. Rich in twinkling synth solos, rich Clavinet lines, chugging arpeggio lines and eyes-closed piano, “Susta” is a strong song that will squat inside your head and stay there for days.

Our advice is to welcome it in – it’s as joyous and life-affirming a track as Leng has ever released. It’s accompanied by a predictably strong remix by British electronic music veteran Andrew Meecham (Bizarre Inc, Chicken Lips etc.), who dons the now familiar Emperor Machine alias to deliver a dub for the ages. Combining his own analogue and modular electronics with snippets of Leino’s vocal and some of the warmest instrumentation from Murphy and Harks’ original mix (think Clavinet and Rhodes for starters), Meecham offers up an epic slice of electronic dub disco that bubbles away for ten mesmerizing minutes. It’s a superb interpretation of a high quality cut.

Luxury Hits is an open-hearted love letter to possible futures. Trans-temporal projection through pop music for dancefloors. The music is about breaking through the limitations of our surroundings, not through escapism but defining a new reality on our own terms and breathing it into existence.

The record is a tropal soup of sonic utopias - balearic, acid, italo, synthpop, psychedelia - served in the mercurial bowl of HERE AND NOW.

Free Love is the latest manifestation of Scottish duo Suzanne Rodden and Lewis Cook (FKA Happy Meals) - a continuation and progression of their utopian dance pop experiments released on Night School Records and Optimo which have seen them shortlist nominated for Scottish Album of the Year and performing across the globe. Touring across Europe supporting Liars and The Flaming Lips, and with festival shows as far as Austin, Moscow and Bangalore, the band have become notorious for their sensual live ceremonies. Using a table of all-hardware electronics, Free Love harness a charismatic chaos and unpredictable energy that sets them apart as one of the most exciting artists of 2018.