Playlists 

he voice of the 1983 soul smash “Love Town” features on these two songs recorded in 1995 but only released now for the first time. Booker Newberry III was an original member of 70s soul group Sweet Thunder (“Everybody’s Singin’ Love Songs”). Mike Stevens is the UK sax player who in the early 90s collaborated and played on productions for Wag ‘Ya’ Tail (a version of “Expansions” released as ‘Xpand Ya Mind’) and Dreaming A Dream (a version of “Mister Magic” with Solar DJ Louie Martin) before joining Take That as a regular musician and Music Director.
In 1995 Booker was visiting the UK and worked on sessions which remained unreleased until now. A cassette of the songs was given to soul DJ Richard Searling in the early 2000s, and his plays over the years has lead to an insatiable appetite for them to come up. “Just Can’t Give You Up” was originally by Mystic Merlin, “I Can’t Forget About You” a soul gem Ronn Matlock first released in 1979, now both given the powerful Booker Newberry III vocal treatment only he could give.

For the first time in its 27-year history, Defected compile its greatest hits, underground anthems and bonafide house music classics into a five volume triple vinyl collectors series.

Volume One collects twelve of Defected’s most established and sought after releases.
Featuring arguably ‘the' Defected anthem; Kings of Tomorrow ‘Finally’ alongside Solomon’s huge Noir & Haze remix, Ibiza anthems ‘Guitarra G’, ‘At Night’ and ‘Coma Cat’ plus productions and remixes from Louie Vega, Dennis Ferrer and Dimitri From Paris.

An essential addition to your record collection.

DJ Support: Danny Krivit, Brian Tappert, John Morales, Craig Charles, Dr packer and more

Italian producer Corrado Alunni returns to the 7-inch format with a high-caliber double-sider. The A-side, 'Black Pearl', is a masterclass in jazz-funk-house elegance, weaving warm Fender Rhodes melodies with vibrant flute and trumpet solos over a sophisticated, sun-drenched groove. On the flip, 'Turn It On' keeps the energy high with Alunni’s signature blend of infectious Rhodes riffs, chunky basslines, and dancefloor-ready drums. A must-have addition for fans of soulful house and nu-disco lovers alike.

Certain realities are hard to ignore. Slow-burning dancefloor pressure rises in Part Four. Act fast!

Broc Recordz is proud to present “Two Tales For The Mind Vol. 3” by by Igor Zhukovsky & The Lords of Bosphorus, a deep dive into Anatolian psychedelic rock, where Middle Eastern grooves meet raw funk and mind-bending psych textures.
Two sides. Two journeys. One trip for the mind.
A limited run, crafted for collectors and seekers of rare sounds.
Expect hypnotic riffs, dusty funk breaks and cosmic vibes straight out of the Bosphorus

For the second edition of cloudbeats, Sweden’s finest garage outlet Bob G delivers an EP with enough bounce and groove to feed the entire family.

Luscious chords and classy vocals meet impossibly fat sub-lines plus and extra crispy drum patterns.

Secret weapons, ready to be unleashed…

Underground legend Orlando Voorn joins Craigie Knowes for his label debut EP ‘Navigate’. Quintessential Orlando Voorn house journeys on the A-side accompanied by 2 slappin’ house trax on the B-Side. A rounded EP of tracks for DJs in need of something to get the party started or to trip the dancefloor out when space for breathing is required.

Madrid's Jose Cabrera lines up a fresh EP of dreamy Chicago/Detroit-inspired house cuts, featuring a remix from none other than Detroit legend Omar S. TIP!!!

Man nehme eine Prise Rock, füge ein paar Hip-Hop-Einflüsse hinzu und kröne das Ganze mit starken Texten. Man denke an Nu-Metal mit viel weniger Metal und einer funkigeren Note. So klingen die 90er-Jahre-Legenden Senser. Wenn du diesen Sound magst, wirst du die Neuauflage 2023 ihres Debütalbums »Stacked Up« lieben, die das ursprüngliche, neu gemasterte Album plus ungehörte Bonustracks auf zwei Discs enthält.

Artificial Go’s new 7” for Carpark Records signals the next chapter in the band’s gentle-but-rapid evolution. The Cincinnati-based rock ‘n’ roll combo dials in to their distinct sound while opening the doors wide to newness. In just two songs, they share joyous expression, frustrated anger, and curious exploration.
The 7” follows two beloved albums and loads of talked-about touring. The excitement is easy to connect with as 7” A-side “Triple Ones” spools out its coiled, bouncy lead guitar with a bass part worth following through the kitchen conga line and into the living room dancefloor. On the flipside, “Jane Ate The Apple Seed” provides a mysterious atmosphere and chorus of unusual trance.
The band’s live configuration is often so: lead vocalist Angie Willcutt, drummer Cole G Patrick, guitarist Ryan Sennett, and bassist Micah Wu. But on record, the members swap instruments and play whatever part necessary. For example, Sennett is drumming on “Jane Ate The Apple Seed,” with Patrick playing guitar, Wu on bass, and Willcutt playing an autoharp with a bow.
While the music is undeniably fun and mesmerizing, lead singer Angie Willcutt’s lyrics center serious matters. The story told in “Triple Ones” refers to a person undercut by those running the show. Willcutt calls it “the most blatantly upset Artificial Go song.” “Explain to me your delusional behavior,” she sings. “The world dealt me the cards of presumption/ I’ll play them right and use it to my advantage.” It might be groovy music, but Willcutt says, “When writing that song, I was just pissed off.”
Three of the bandmates live in the same house in Cincinnati. They practice in the basement, record in the haunted attic, and live in between. “Jane Ate The Apple Seed” started as a jam in that basement. The landlord came over to do maintenance and stayed to watch the jam become a song. Its lyrics tell the hidden story behind a well-known tale: “Jane ate the apple seed/ Johnny nowhere to be seen.”

Straddling an intriguing intersection of Drum & Bass, Jazz, Fusion and unidentifiable electronica, ‘You Won't Find Your Way From Here’ is the debut album from Jhauk.

An extremely talented multi-instrumentalist from Sheffield, UK, Jhauk came to Blu Mar Ten’s attention when, in 2017, he created a wild prog-rock inflected remix of BMT’s track ‘Titans’
Further conversations with Jhauk revealed the depth of his unorthodox approach to electronic music and unearthed a treasure trove of production skills, culminating in the album before you.

Oscillating between the late-night, moody calm of late 50s Miles Davis, John Coltrane & Bill Evans, the riotous 70s instrumentation of Weather Report, the modern cool stylings of Matthew Halsall and the gritty edges of modern D&B production, it’s scarcely believable that this collection of tracks came from one person working alone in their studio. With tempos and time signatures skittering all over the place, Jhauk uses genres as catalysts rather than containers, he finds the interesting stuff in the hinterlands of their structural relationships and tensions. 

Talking about the album, Jhauk has strong opinions:

“Drum & Bass emerged as club music, and club music comes with its own logic. Specific structures, specific build-ups, a formula that supports that context. 
That's fair enough, but almost 40 years later, why is 99% of D&B still made the exact same way when 99% of the time it's never heard in a club? The same structure, the same formula, barely any development beyond the core idea. Tracks where you can hear 10 seconds of the drop and know almost beat-for-beat how the next 5 minutes sound. No real musical depth or exploration. People regurgitating the same material ad-nauseum but never actually saying anything for themselves. 
This period of composition for me was about taking what I love about D&B, the rhythmic energy and potential for creative freedom it presents and really stretching it to its limits. Of taking drum & bass as a starting point and seeing where it ends up without an idea of what that destination might be. Most people would probably never call a lot of the results D&B, but that's okay because it was never the point.”

 
Dripping with melancholy, euphoria, longing and pure urgency ‘You Won't Find Your Way From Here’ is unlike anything else you’ll hear this year. The sound of an artist entirely unconcerned with impressing peers or performing on ‘socials’; you're hearing a true musician at work, expressing ideas through the skill of his hands, mind and ears. The album’s secrets aren’t revealed with a single play-through, but bears (or even requires) multiple listens to expose its layers.
In previous times, they called this ‘art'.

180gm marble vinyl.
Baratro was born when Fede (Council of Rats) and Dave (Unsane) met at a show in legendary Milan squat Cox18 and started to trade riffs and song ideas. After a while they decided to shape these experiments into a proper band and got Luca (Marnero) behind the drumkit to complete the line up.
After a few months of practice and a couple of shows in Italy, the band recorded their very first six songs in the empty concert hall of Cox18, which were later released as the “Terms and conditions” EP via Sangue Dischi records (July 2021).
Given the worldwide shutdown of live performances through 2020/2021 the band focused on writing new music, and in August 2021 they started tracking down their first full length effort, “The Sweet Smell of Unrest”, which was released February 2024 via Improved Sequence.
In 2024 Baratro joined forces with cellist Matteo Bennici to experiment as a quartet, both for composition and live. With this new formation and new found chemistry, the band simply let the dynamics and trust in each other shape the outcome of the music.This new creative process led, about a year later, to the recording sessions of their second full-length “No comply”, to be released by Supernatural Cat.

BARATRO are:
Dave Curran – bass, vocals Federico Hartridge – guitar, vocals Luca Antonozzi – drums Matteo Bennici – cello

Zero Idea makes a resounding debut on AnalyticTrail with The Rush, a sprawling six-track EP (plus digital bonus) that captures the high-velocity spirit of the modern underground. Following in the footsteps of the label's Neapolitan heritage, this release is a masterclass in tension and groove, blending raw analog energy with sophisticated, peak-time precision.

As AnalyticTrail continues its relentless evolution, The Rush serves as a bridge between the classic warehouse aesthetic and the future of the genre. Zero Idea delivers a versatile toolkit for the dancefloor, further bolstered by two high-profile reinterpretations that elevate the EP into an essential piece of wax for the 2026 season.

The A-side opens with the title track, The Rush, a driving, percussion-led anthem designed for maximum impact. Italian duo Fireground take the reins for the A2, injecting their signature soulful yet industrial flair into a masterful rework, followed by the syncopated, high-energy rhythms of Funk Is Back.
On the flip, On Sight plunges into deeper, hypnotic territory before Mezer The Architect provides a sophisticated, architectural remix that reconstructs the original into a brooding, late-night weapon. The vinyl journey concludes with Body Language, a rhythmic workout of sharp hi-hats and undulating bass, while the digital-exclusive Go Higher offers a final, soaring peak-time moment.

A comprehensive exploration of modern techno, The Rush is a definitive statement from Zero Idea and a powerful addition to the AnalyticTrail legacy.

Kätte returns with their second vinyl release with 4 industrial bangers. The project runned by C-System, Nöle and NX1 joins forces to provide a highly intense musical journey.

Mastering by Paul Mac

Minimalist and Sci-fi sounds with dub touches EP

Matterwave Records is an electronic music label and project focused in techno sounds, biting subgenres.
Influenced by philosophy, literature, science, photography and painting.
Thought by three minds in the south of Madrid. Started in 2019.

Thirty years. That is how long it has been since 1996, when European electronic music was
overwhelmed and reshaped by a wave of melody, melancholy, and rhythm. At the center of that
big bang was Roberto Concina, known ar1s1cally as Robert Miles—a visionary capable of bringing
Dream Trance to the global stage. Today, to celebrate three decades of pure sonic magic, "Fable"
returns to the turntable in a splendid celebratory reissue that stands as a well-deserved act of love
for an ar1st who passed away far too soon.
If Children was the programma1c manifesto of that era, Fable was its emo1onal evolu1on—the
track that proved dance music could touch in1mate and cinema1c chords. Listening to it today,
remastered for vinyl, is an experience that goes way beyond a simple nostalgia trip. This 30th-anniversary reissue splits into two versions to sa1sfy both purist DJs and avid collectors,
offering two excep1onal vinyl op1ons:

 The Standard Edi3on (Black Vinyl): Perfect for audiophiles and DJs who want to spin this
track in their sets without the fear of wearing out a museum piece. The warmth of the
black groove enhances the dynamics of the famous piano line and the depth of the
enveloping bass.

 The Limited Edi3on (Transparent Blue Vinyl - Limited & Numbered): The true crown jewel
of this release. Visually stunning, the transparent blue vinyl seems to evoke the dreamlike,
liquid, and suspended atmosphere of the track itself. The fact that it is a limited, handnumbered edi1on instantly makes it a grail for collectors worldwide.

Phosphor returns with its fifth release and a new chapter for the label’s founders, Blue Vision. As their second EP on the imprint, Machines Will Transform Us (PHP005) confirms the project’s direction: a precise balance between club-driven tech house and more immersive, hypnotic electro textures.

Across the EP, Blue Vision asks a simple question: after spending our days connected to algorithms and modern machines, can repetitive rhythms and mechanical grooves on the dancefloor turn us into machines once again, or instead help us reconnect with ourselves?

Machines Will Transform Us (A1) opens the EP with a driving Italo bassline and tight, tech-driven drums. Melodic 80s synths contrast with sharper electro elements, gradually building tension before a final drop designed for peak-time impact. The track sets the tone for the release: machines transform us as much as we transform them.

Then comes Just a Game (A2), blending spacious 90s progressive and synthwave influences over a rock-solid club bassline and crisp drums. Playing with atmosphere and emotion, the track explores the feeling that we are never too far from a simulation, that maybe everything is just a game. Perfectly suited for introspective yet intense moments, it acts as an ideal bridge between harder tracks in a set.

On the flip side, I Love Acid (B1) is direct, hypnotic, and designed to lock the dancefloor into a steady flow. Stripped back to punchy drums and a raw acid line, it takes a minimal approach that works equally well in early hours or late-night sets. Behind the title lies the idea of acid as both machine energy and mental escape, where repetitive sequences blur the boundary between human emotion and mechanical movement.

As a final touch, Scan Your Brain (B2) shifts into deeper, more immersive territory. Analog pad textures create a drifting atmosphere over a hypnotic bassline and electro drums. With this closing track, Blue Vision answers their initial question by imagining the dancefloor as a space to disconnect from rigid thinking. The vocal serves as a reminder that the brain is constantly overloaded, and that dancing becomes a way to let go, reset, and reconnect.

Roulade is back, and this time, Ursule is running the show!

When Ursule and his squad hit the town, expect a proper rave and a few wild shenanigans.

Providing the soundtrack for this urban night out: P.O, the (not so) Mysterious T, Occibel, and Roulade 3000.

Come join the party - tonight we ride!

Sink your mind into this trip of free floating compositions and loopy fragments, all the way from Copenhagen. Physical copy comes with silk-screen printed cover via Adagio for Things, recycled vinyl via Ramona Records and individual labels via Beatbude Distribution.

Composed and recorded by Kristoffer Kjærskov (EOM), mastered by Maximilian Schweizer (SMS), screen-printed by Wilfred Wagner (AfT).

80 g vinyl + 60 x 60 cm poster of original Big city life artwork)

Stirring the cauldron of sound. From the acclaimed album Big City Life, artists that Smerz admire put those songs through themselves, to become a friendly mirror and or an alternative documentation.
With Yrdloop, Astrid Sonne, NEW YORK, Haloplus+, Molina, Erika de Casier, Fine, They Are Gutting a Body of Water, MIKE, Zack Sekoff, Elias Rønnenfelt, Fousheé, ML Buch, Clarissa Connelly, Cezinando, Toxe, VVTZJ and Clairo.

Telfort continues his considered run of self‑releases with a sixth outing of deep, expressive house music that captures the warmth, emotion and subtle evolution of his signature sound.
Across three cuts, he balances classic dancefloor instinct with a deft melodic touch – from driving grooves and warm, rolling low‑ends to lush, uplifting turns and hazier, introspective closes. The result is a rich, diverse yet cohesive statement from an artist still refining what makes his music resonate, further reaffirming the inimitable style that has defined Telfort’s output since the label’s first release over ten years ago.

AMBASSADE ventures into the world of Manrira - a dark, alluring feminine presence that confronts systems driven by value, profit, and power. Emerging from dystopian structures, Manrira exists in the liminal space where organic and digital forces collide, merge, and mutate. This new audiovisual work is devoted to the enchanting acoustics of the human voice and its relationship to bodies, architectures, and shifting environments. At the heart of Manrira is the human voice - alive, breathing, and full of presence. It flows like a living instrument, shaping space and emotion. Manrira explores the voice as resonance, as body, and as spatial event. Manrira moves from dynamic song compositions into extended structures, blending live bass, neo-classical elements, ethereal vocals, drum machines, breaks, and techno-driven textures. The result is an immersive experience that invites the audience to listen closely and reconsider their connection to sound, space, and their surroundings.

*** Special edition on yellow flame colored vinyl. Comes with a poster and stickers *** AMBASSADE ventures into the world of Manrira - a dark, alluring feminine presence that confronts systems driven by value, profit, and power. Emerging from dystopian structures, Manrira exists in the liminal space where organic and digital forces collide, merge, and mutate. This new audiovisual work is devoted to the enchanting acoustics of the human voice and its relationship to bodies, architectures, and shifting environments. At the heart of Manrira is the human voice - alive, breathing, and full of presence. It flows like a living instrument, shaping space and emotion. Manrira explores the voice as resonance, as body, and as spatial event. Manrira moves from dynamic song compositions into extended structures, blending live bass, neo-classical elements, ethereal vocals, drum machines, breaks, and techno-driven textures. The result is an immersive experience that invites the audience to listen closely and reconsider their connection to sound, space, and their surroundings.

ARMOR, a new alias by Pascal Pinkert (Ambassade / Dollkraut). A few years ago he visited Turkey and Lebanon to collaborate with artists such as trip-hop legend Zeid Hamdan and Egyptian singer Maii. While many of these recordings found their way into Dollkraut releases, revisiting the material sparked the need for a new outlet. With ARMOR, Pinkert dives deeper into the space between folk traditions and electronic experimentation. Hypnotic drones merge with Middle Eastern percussion, while subtle rhythmic structures fuse with immersive soundscapes.

This is not a Ben Vida, Booker Stardrum, and Will Epstein record; it’s a Play Time record. That’s a subtle but important distinction, for a couple reasons. One, the sound of Magic Object—a polymetric blend of improv and pulse minimalism for saxophone, drums, and Moog—doesn’t really sound anything like any of their many other ensembles or respective solo projects. And two, it was only while making Magic Object, their debut album, that Play Time realized they were a band at all.

Let’s back up. The roots of the trio date to 2020-21, when Will and then Booker moved to the Hudson Valley, where Ben was already living. The three got into the habit of playing together at Ben’s house, and they soon realized that their hang sessions felt fundamentally different from making music in some falling-down studio in Bushwick. Where those experiences were rushed and cramped, a new sense of time and space now suggested itself. Where once they rat-raced the music, now they relaxed into it.

Early gigs yielded similar revelations. A booking at Tubby’s, the beloved Kingston venue, evolved into a kind of residency. Tubby’s is a small space, fitting around 100 people, with a bar in the front room and a stage in the back. Play Time decided that they didn’t want to play on the stage; they wanted to play in front, among the people in the bar. Rather than hogging the spotlight and overpowering the other voices in the room, they blended with the energy of their surroundings and emerged as a sort of minimalist-jazz-krautrock bar band.

Gradually, they discovered a newfound “elasticity”—Ben’s word—that reshaped the music from inside. “It’s this communal thing,” he says. “It’s vibes. And it’s embedded in the community up here, which feels really vital and nourishing.” They were jamming, but it wasn’t just a free-for-all; they found themselves listening to each other in new ways. “Ben and Booker joke that they’re always playing in different time signatures,” Will says. “We’re all going forward with our own ideas, but we’re open to each others’ as well, and they’re all sort of dancing together.”

“We all have our painterly solo projects,” Will says—where, Booker adds, “we do a lot of studio arranging and thinking and composition that takes shape over a period of time.” Play Time, on the other hand, is all about being in the moment. That spontaneity was key to the process of recording the album. They booked two days in their friend Joey’s studio, a converted wooden barn. “It’s just a live room,” Booker says. “There’s no separation or anything. So we’re all in the space together and it’s got this beautiful, woody sound, and that’s very much the sound of the record.” For two days, they just jammed, for seven or eight hours each day. When it was over, they went through, edited down the portions they liked, and added very judicious overdubs designed to enhance the original recordings without fundamentally altering them, staying true to the spirit of the sessions.

The result is something like a snapshot and a mission statement all rolled into one. “You’re hearing us discover the voice of the band in real time,” Ben says. “We finished those sessions and we were like, ‘Oh, that’s what our band sounds like now.’”

Now, with Magic Object, the rest of us get to find out too.

—

Balmat is a label with a cloudy outline. Jointly shepherded by Albert Salinas and Philip Sherburne, two friends living in Cardedeu, Catalonia, and on the Balearic island of Menorca, Balmat grew out of Lapsus Radio, a weekly show born almost ten years ago. Balmat’s mission is simple: to foster new ideas, expand upon personal obsessions, and put enveloping sounds out into the world.

“Balmat” means “empty” or “void” in Catalan. But quite apart from any negative connotations, we prefer to think of it in terms of possibility: a space waiting to be filled.

Palace Vinyl proudly presents the new London-based label, Midnight Lounge – the brainchild of Moon Chaser and Paddy Cotter. The label’s inaugural release from label co-founder, Jacob Crowther Head aka Moon Chaser. 12″ record with full colour picture sleeve.

Edita's fifth vinyl is a hymn to the summer to come. Three tracks have already been released digitally, including a very unique reworking of Cerrone's "Supernature" by Inamo, a bombshell from Ivory that revitalized "Hideaway," and a fresh take on Animotion's "Obsession" by Soul Clap's Charles Levine. And as the icing on the cake, the bonus vinyl-only version from Mato gives us a truly moving dub version of "Good Life" by Inner City.

Next Fuori Orario installment comes from the mastermind of Sancra: three weapons for late nights and early mornings, moving between techno and electro. Available on limited-edition transparent blue vinyl.

Dj Moar with a new double banger !
A side is a crazy latin party hip-hop from New York to burn your dance floor !!
B side is a Disco Reggae Lovers with a spice of disco Edits and Dub vibe.

"Dance On", the latest single from Canopy continues the label's enthusiasm for re-issuing vintage Afro-tropical funk, reggae & disco, paired with modern remixes and remakes.

Two long out of print and previously un-reissued musical gems from Malian musician Nawari, get an overdue second life. Those gems being the eponymous "Dance On", an upbeat Afro-reggae-disco dancer originally self-released in 1987, and "Fanta Cini", originally released in 1989, which takes a deeper, tougher "proto-Afro-electro-funk" direction.

Sharing creative duties is Russian producer Valique, aka "V" from the best-selling "V's edits series, appearing on Canopy for the first time with a strong contribution to the label. Taking the title tune he reimagined & recreated it, building from Nawari's vocals and recording live horns, skanking guitars and percussion, blended with his signature classy production: crisp, warm, groovy & punchy.

Valique turns in 3 different mixes of Dance On, ranging from reggae disco, to cosmic Afro beat, timbale percussion workouts and beyond.

The release spans a range of moods, segueing between the past & present, organic and electronic, proving itself to be well suited for many environments, from the kitchen party to the bars, clubs & festivals of the world.

The follow up to 2022’s ‘Return to the Island’ LP is a new 6 track EP influenced heavily by the evocative powers of incense and a deep sense of escapism. The EP has a more organic sound palette than its predecessor, from both the use of samples and appearance of various guest musicians. Lead track ‘Morning Star’ features long standing collaborator Mike Burn (Udaberri Blues & Mama Capes) who adds his trademark liquid gold lead and rhythm guitar lines with live bass from Fernando Pulichino.

The guest on ‘Savanna’ is frequent Jack J collaborator Linda Fox, who provides emotive and melancholy sax over a Dub House backing track with a particularly dreamy chord progression. The EP features Instrumental Dubs of both tracks, alongside two other new productions, the 80s leaning ‘Hands Across the Sea’ and ‘Wah Fix’, which rounds off the more Dub influenced B side with a 125 BPM bouncy Dub House excursion.

In 2026 the Jura Soundsystem project enters its 10th year and is the creative musical outlet of Isle of Jura founder Kevin Griffiths. All tracks produced at IOJ HQ in Moana, Adelaide between 2022 and 2025 with support from the incense gods of Cedarwood, Jasmine and Sandalwood. The 12” is housed in a 3mm spine full sleeve designed by Bradley Pinkerton.

2 x LP Vinyl in Gatefold Sleeve with Insert

Compiled by Rainer Trüby & Miche, this collection dives deep into the soulful, spiritual, and jazz sound of LA’s Catalyst Records. A PANORAMA special for RSD 2026, The Catalyst Files celebrates the label’s rich history and deep catalog that has been championed by so many DJs including Gilles Peterson and Patrick Forge over the years. Packaged as a 2xLP with gatefold in homage to the original Catalyst releases, liner notes from Andrew Jervis, an insert and an OBI strip. This is an essential for RSD 2026. 2xLP 180g Heavyweight Vinyl, Gatefold Sleeve, Insert, Liner notes from Andrew Jervis.

Let's see now – you just love that hugely fertile foundation period of Jamaican pop music from the birth of ska, through the spectacularly brief two year heyday of rocksteady up to and including the arrival of the first incarnation of reggae a.k.a. early or 'boss' reggae. But you're also aware that the pioneers of these sounds (including The Pioneers!) won't be creating music in these styles or touring forever – so what do you do?

Well, if you're Neil Anderson, owner of Original Gravity Records, the creation bit isn't a problem. You put forth period-authentic style material from a 'roster' of acts – such as Junior Dell & The D-Lites - that in reality consist mostly of yourself (you are a multi-instrumentalist and lyricist after all!) and whichever extra musicians and session singer you rope in for a given track. In the case of Junior Dell & The D-Lites that singer was Adrian Dell – soon to be dubbed (no pun intended) 'Junior' - first appearing on 2021's uptempo ska tribute to Salvadoran retro-dancing internet sensation Aranivah, entitled Miss Aranivah. And you keep putting out stuff so profusely and effectively that there are clamours for you to tour 'the band' which - er - doesn't really exist. What a botheration! Still, maybe your session singer could become – well - a permanent singer? Maybe you can rustle up assorted bredren to become the rest of the band and...you know what? That might just work!

And so, in the blink of an eye, Junior Dell & The D-Lites becomes a bona fide actual live band fronted by a young Jamaican singer playing fresh 60s/70s-style Jamaican music with an energy last seen and heard in, well, the 1960s and 70s. And it tours so effectively that there are clamours for 'the band' – or more accurately, now – the band - to release an album. Wait...what now? And, by the way, you've got a European tour coming up in April wouldn't it be great if the album was ready to tour by then? Pressure drop? Pressure rise more like!

Then again, Junior Dell & The D-Lites have done so many sure-shot singles to date that assembling them along with a new cut, an extended version of one of the singles and re-recordings of two of the label's previous singles that were originally by 'label mates' The Regulators should be a cinch. So expect all the hits: bluebeat banger 20 Flight Ska, the euphoric ska bounce of the aforementioned Miss Aranivah and the title track, a de rigueur smattering of covers (opener Jump Around, midway markers Praise You and Just Can't Get Enough, and one of the re-recordings, closer Don't Look Back In Anger), early reggae groovers Cool Right Down, Last Night Reggay, Can't Stop The Reggae (in a new extended form) and crowd-pleasing new one Mi Try along with the other Junior Dell re-recording - the gorgeous Why Why Why which nods to the period of reggae between the sound of '69 and the arrival of roots.

Don't you brag and don't you boast but that's a Whole Lotta Skankin' going on! Do the ska, do the rocksteady, do the reggay, why– it's another scorcher!

Strickly for the DJs and strickly vinyl only. M.A.D White returns with two dub infused DJ tools. These wont stick around for long.

DJ Support: Garnier, Opolopo, Worldwide FM, Marcia Carr, Bill Brewster, Timeout Moscow, Craig Smith, Delfonic, Tony Nwachukwu, Marcel Dettmann, DJ Rocca, Shuya Okino, Borrowed Identity, Titonton Duvante, Alex Attias, Rainer Truby, Sol Power All-Stars, Kyri R2, Robert Luis, Severino Panzetta, Lars Behrenroth, Kassian, Alkalino, Getdown Edits, Moodymanc, Gerd, Lea Lisa, Young Pulse, Mark de Clive-Lowe, Mark Grusane, Alex Barck….

International dance music heavyweight, producer and DJ Alexander Lay-Far returns with a powerful new chapter - Lay-Far Dance Orchestra (LFDO) - a fully-fledged live band project that reconnects him with his jazz-funk and fusion DNA while pushing dance music forward with unmistakable groove, musicianship and emotional weight. Formed in early 2024, LFDO is no nostalgia exercise. With Lay-Far at the helm as bassist, bandleader, composer, arranger and sound engineer, the orchestra has already been turning heads with explosive live performances, reinventing classic Lay-Far cuts, and now unveil their first album “Skybreak” with all new and original material written and produced by Lay-Far together with his bandmates and star guests, including Lipelis, Antoha MC and Seven Davis Jr. This work shows the departure from the predominantly electronic sound of Lay-Far's previous solo albums in favour of live instrumentation recorded to analogue tape and effortlessly bridging the gap between Jazz, Library Music, Disco-Funk, House, Broken Beat and Drum’n’Bass. “Skybreak” is dynamic, passionate, spiritual, cinematic, playful, heartfelt, life-affirming, dreamy and deeply romantic. Ultimately, there’s something profoundly romantic in recording and releasing such music in this day and age!


“Take Flight (Part 1)” is opening the album with style. It takes us on a beautifully orchestrated journey, blending the sensuality of Library Music with high-octane Jazz-Funk and raw b-boy breaks, propelled by breathtaking flute and Rhodes solos of Timur Nekrasov and Maxim Glonti. This aural symbiosis of “beauty and the beats” will become more and more prominent as the album unfolds.



It’s time for “Aquarius Love” created with the inimitable artist and vocalist Seven Davis Jr. (Secret Angels, Ninja Tune). In this composition cinematic soul and heavy jazz meet the restless energy of live drum & bass with deep and heartfelt vocals - timeless sound combined with a timeless message about love and life!



Next is “Head In The Clouds” - a theme for an imaginary rom-com, an ode to all the dreamers - sweet, light, naive and heartwarming. Space-Disco-Funk at its best!

“Where You From” is a fiery Soulful House number with heavy Afro-Latin influences recorded in collaboration with Lipelis. It’s full of Sun, joy and passion. Its irresistible rhythm is emphasised by funky octave bass, wah-wah guitar, catchy piano riffs, guitar solo by Lipelis and seemingly light conscious message delivered by Lay-Far and Maryag. Summer is here!

Now the album takes an unexpected twist in the form of “The Harp of Boom” which at first glance appears to be a classic-sounding Boom-Bap banger. Yes, It’s loud, raw, and gritty, yet it gradually evolves into something delicately-touching and deeply-soulful thanks to a memorable flute melody and lush string arrangement. Definitely recorded with tongue in cheek.


Next is “Feel The Moment” a remarkable collaboration with one of the most recognisable and distinctive Russian artists, singer, trumpeter and cultural icon Antoha MC. It’s a feel-good song, hopeful, life-affirming and bittersweet. A stylish excursion into Brit-Funk and Soviet Jazz-Fusion sound, drawing inspiration from the likes of Atmosfear, Light Of The World or Soviet Jazz bands like Allegro and Arsenal, but reimagining the influences through the modern West London broken beat lens.


The spectacular music journey continuous with “Take Flight (Part 2)” - it’s all about the deep infectious jazz-funk groove, heavy beats, rolling percussion and the glory of the soloing instruments - saxophone and flute by Timur Nekrasov, demonstrating the wide range of emotions from thoughtful and lyrical to restless and borderline vicious. One for freestyle dancing!

As the album draws to an end a vibrant musical triptych “Soul Constant” awaits, mixing together the deep and sensual mood of spiritual jazz with heavy syncopated drum’n’bass rhythms by Michail Fotchenkov, lush orchestration, expressive saxophone solos and the ending which can simply be described as “aural bliss”. It’s breath-taking!

A pleasant bonus is the exclusive version of “Where You From” by Lipelis himself, who is taking it into dub territories, further enhancing the rhythm section and enriching the song with his trademark playful synth flourishes and dreamy guitar solos for maximum effect (and appeal).

The album “Skybreak” by Lay-Far Dance Orchestra is the work of real artistry and craftsmanship with timeless sound that’s not only deeply-rooted but also forward-thinking.

Nickodemus is a globally respected DJ and producer who has been touring nonstop since the mid-1990s, consistently drawing capacity crowds at clubs and festivals worldwide. As a producer, he has released five acclaimed albums (Soul & Science, A Long Engagement, Endangered Species, Sun People and Moon People) and curated eleven volumes of the influential Turntables on the Hudson compilation series. His work bridges hip-hop, house, jazz, and global sounds, highlighted by collaborations and cultural milestones including the Jungle Brothers' genre-defining legacy and the enduring house-rap classic "I'll House You" with Todd Terry. Nickodemus' hit "Mi Swing Es Tropical" (with Quantic & the Candela All-Stars) has surpassed 50 million streams and featured prominently in the film Chef. He has received extensive international press (Billboard, Rolling Stone, The FADER, Paste) and widespread radio support from tastemakers such as Gilles Peterson, BBC 6 Music, KCRW, and KEXP.


b B1: Monk-One Remix feat. Monk-One


b B1: Monk-One Remix [feat. Monk-One]


[b] B1: Monk-One Remix [feat. Monk-One]


[b] B1 | Monk-One Remix [feat Monk-One]

-- 2026 black vinyl repress --