Pop & Rock News

180 Gram vinyl with Download. 'Island Life 'is a collection of Grace Jones' biggest hits on the Island records
label. It draws from albums like 'Portfolio' (1977), 'Fame' (1978), 'Muse' (1979), 'Warm Leatherette' (1980),
'Nightclubbing' (1981), 'Living my Life' (1982) and 'Slave to the Rhythm' (1985). The tracks are arranged

limited 180g 12" vinyl, hand stamped, individually numbered, no digital.

A Series Of Rare And Sought After 'Golden Era' 1960s/70s Brazilian Dancefloor Essentials For DJs And Collectors Previously Unreleased As Singles Or Only Available On Quieter LP Pressings Mastered Cut At High Quality & Packaged In Lovingly Produced Brazil45 Sleeves, Agora E Moda Is A Psychedelic, Disco-Boogie-Groove Monster Originally Released On Her Babilônia LP On Som Livre In 1978 b/w 'Supermarket' A Rare Groove/AOR Masterpiece, Killer Baseline, Drums And Heavily String Laden With A Perfectly Delivered English Vocal!

in stock again!!

Disco Edits of the tropical genre...............

Following the incredibly well received Record Store Day release of Donna McGhee's Make It Last Forever, Groove Line Records continue with another Patrick Adams & Greg Carmichael produced classic, Lady Bug, by BUMBLEBEE UNLIMITED, the second in our series of 12' audiophile reissues from the Disco underground.

BUMBLEBEE UNLIMITED was a studio disco project from Adams and Carmichael, and along with their work with groups like Universal Robot Band and Inner Life, is credited for pushing the boundaries of dance music production. Their 1978 classic single Lady Bug was taken from the groups only album, Sting Like A Bee.

Side A is the Disco Mix by John Morales and Frank Trimarco. A solid kick opens the track before Morales's trademark percussion is introduced. Then the slick bass, guitar and piano groove play alongside the innovative synth lines and drive the rhythm forward, before the addition of that simple but engaging single note piano groove... the core element of the track, and the synthesized vocal between the Lady Bug in question and the bee who's chasing her. At approximately 6m30 there is an extended build-up where each element returns before the fade.

Side B features the Disco Remix by the legendary Larry Levan. Starting with the full drums and percussion Levan adds each element at an earlier stage than the Disco Mix, so the full track, including the vocal, hits you at just over a minute and doesn't let go until the fade, giving a more intense dance floor experience.

All Groove Line Records releases are fully licensed and taken from the original master tapes, remastered by Nick Robbins at Sound Mastering, and cut by Matt Colton at Alchemy (Mastering Engineer of the Year 2013). All vinyl is heavy weight 180g and manufactured by Optimal Media in Germany, one of the world's finest pressing plants. Groove Line Records cut no corners when making sure that each and every one of our releases has the highest quality performance possible. Groove Line Records' deluxe audiophile reissue of Lady Bug is an essential purchase for any serious Funk, Dance, Disco or House vinyl collector who demands the very best in quality vinyl pressings.

Quality reissue of the mega-rare Blow Up records release of the Italo masterpiece Pink Footpath by Loui$. Originally released in 1985, this gem has become one of the most h ighly sought after Italo Disco tracks around. On the A side is Magic Dance which is good, but it's the instrumental version of the track Pink Footpath that really gets the disco DJs drooling. With its killer analogue b-line, dreamy synths and Balearic guitar riffs, it's easy to see why it became such an anthem at the early Ibiza parties as well as a late night favourite in Chicago and New York. Highly recommended.

Here at Nang towers we're really happy to have back Slovenian talent Sare Havlicek, without any doubt one of our favourite producers, and to present you all his latest creation 'Movies For Lovers'.
Sometimes we like to try something a bit different. Often the process of creating an album can be a not-so-simple task: which tracks are the singles Which is the "breather" track Do we have ten songs Have we covered all the bases The list goes on. Sometimes the answer is to throw convention out the window and just try to harness a burst of energy and get it down on eighteen minutes-a-side of vinyl.
We gave Sare the following brief: lock yourself in a studio for four weeks and come up with a piece of cohesive work. Abandon the formulas, do some experimenting and (most importantly) try some things you wouldn't normally do. "Movies For Lovers" is the result of that session and encapsulates the feeling of the journey Sare embarked on to bring you this album.
Things start slow and soulful with Sare in night mode- slow rhythms fusing with primal-sounding melodies. Next up, 'Magnetic Past' provides some full on space-disco attitude. This one is built to damage any light-up dancefloor with its rolling groove and uplifting vibes. Following this is 'Chaser', a funky head-shaker of a track with 70's Disco keyboards and basslines to rival those of Chic. We close the first side of the vinyl with 'Paint The Town', a loved up track driven by a melodic bass and soulful but electronically moody vocals by OD Hunte.
Flip the vinyl over for 'Pure Sin', a teasing, deep club excursion. Italo Disco synths with smouldering sexy groove. Next is a sneaky cover version of Alison Moyet's 'Nobody's Diary'. Think 80's anthem with Mitja's soulful voice resulting in something infinitely funkier. The cheeky title alone 'I Love Your Legs' gives us a hint of the disco-sleaze expected in the penultimate number: here Sare melds funky bassline with soulful, inspiring melodies. The album closes with the atmospheric and ambient 'Principle 122' - an experimental dreamy cut which fits perfectly with the idea of the journey that 'Movies For Lovers LP' is crafted with.

Another superb selection of eclectic rarities from Balearica. Includes the great chugging groove of 'Dubbing in Buk-In-Hamm Palace' a floor-filling reggae disco bubbler from the legendary Peter Tosh followed by Bella Vista's rare and in-demand 'Mister Wong (Disco Dub)' a slo-mo Balearic gem. The flip side features Dwight Druick's wonderful French jazz funk cover of Toto's classic 'Georgy Porgy' and an extended edit of the Afro disco flavoured 'Stop, Stop Stop,' taken from the sought after cosmic Zig Zag LP. An essential collection.

Killer 3 tracker from this Tokyo based house king! Disco vibes all the way, if this were 97 we'd say "always in the box!... probably!
The reach of Japanese born producer Rondenion is consistent and impressive, releasing stand out productions over the years on great labels such as Still Music, Rush Hour, Aesthetic and Bosconi and his own imprint Ragrange Records.

Following the "Nihongo series" after Kez YM and his excellent "Stride EP" Faces proudly brings you his latest dance floor killer, a 3 tracks EP jamming between the fringes of hypnotic Disco (Volare) to soulful House (Song A) and the pure floor filler Anthem (Devotion).


Big tip for fans of soulful house, a splash of Andrés, a twist of Moodymann and a shake and stir of truly dope original Rondenion signature sounds!
For Real House Music Lovers, B.boy house to move the soul! Limited to 500 copies worldwide!

Official 2014 re-issue ! LIMITED 300 COPIES ON STANDARD BLACK VINYL / LIMITED SUPPLIES / This record comes from the peak era of italo-disco. This release is pure quality, genius, so simple yet so brilliant. From the guys who brought the amazingly beautiful "Stop / Livin' Up" release under BWH. This record is equally amazing, with a spectacular drumbeat and very nicely layered synth, parallel to "Stop" in brilliance and sequence, but a bit simpler and slightly shorter. Its a shame that this track is only 4:30 long and that the duo released only a handful of italo-disco gems altogether under the aliases of BWH, Blackway and Mr Master.

Disco connoisseur and edit maestro Ray Mang is back with a killer release for the Disco Deviance imprint.
Lock & Pop is a heavy slice of body popping, good times boogie that is guaranteed to get the party started.
While on the flipside, Viva Las Vegas is a hands-in-the-air style disco bomb that will drive the dance floor crazy.

Lovingly edited and re-mastered for 100% disco action. Enjoy the music!

Singer/songwriter/pop culture icon and 2013 Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame inductee DONNA SUMMER rocketed to international superstardom in the mid-1970s, when her groundbreaking merger of R&B, soul, pop, funk, rock, disco and avant-garde electronica catapulted underground dance music out of the clubs of Europe to the pinnacle of sales and radio charts around the world. On October 21st, Verve Records will release LOVE TO LOVE YOU DONNA, a remix record celebrating her life and voice. The LP will be released October 28th.

Highlights from LOVE TO LOVE YOU DONNA include the legendary producer Giorgio Moroder's entirely re-imagined version of "Love to Love You Baby," originally recorded in November of 1975; Afrojack's take on 'I Feel Love,' and indie electro artists Hot Chip's interpretation of 'Sunset People.' Also included are remixes of 'Hot Stuff' by Frankie Knuckles and Eric Kupper, Laidback Luke's remix of 'MacArthur Park,' Duke Dumont's remix of 'Dim The Lights' and more.

The next installment in the fantastic Balearica series featuring another stunning collection of eclectic rarities. First up is the superb 'Breakdown Mix' of World Premiere's 1983 classic 'Share The Night', a killer stripped-down boogie groove with a phat b-line and smooth synths, which for years has been a staple of Metro Area's DJ sets as well as being one of the standouts on their Fabric Mix and also featuring recently on DJ Harvey's mix for Beats In Space. Next up is the highly sought after 'Your Love' by Jo Bisso, a super sexy laidback disco bubbler taken from his coveted 1978 'Love Somebody' LP. On the flip side, we get the mega rare 'Message From The Stars' by cult Montreal disco band Snob, a wonderful slo-mo cosmic groover with a great female vocal taken from their highly collectable 'Are Women Snobs' LP. And finally the catchy reggae disco sound of Nigerian singer Neil Oliver's brilliant 1976 offering 'Let My Music Take You. Classic stuff!

Recently we've been thrilled to announce that Django Django will release their new album, Born Under Saturn, on May 4th 2015 via Because Music.

Django Django's debut album came out in January 2012 on Because Music and was lavished with praise. It was 'updated psychedelia that beguiles and delights' (The Guardian), 'consistently mind-melting and often brilliant' (Q), 'bursting with ideas' (Pitchfork) and 'gloriously, unpredictably new' (Mojo). By December it had been shortlisted for the Mercury Prize and named one of the albums of the year by Rolling Stone and NME. They became known from their electric live performances full of energy, and went on to play memorable shows at festivals across the globe including as Glastonbury and Fuji Rock.



This much-anticipated first ep from Born Under Saturn, First Light, will release on April 6th to much excitement with great remixes whose one is produced by recently critical acclaimed producer, Ghost Culture (Phantasy Sound).

Greek duo Bonnie & Klein aka George & Thanasis have been
slowly making a name for themselves through a string of well
crafted releases on labels Music For Dreams, Timewarp and Uber.
Their style hasn't gone unnoticed by Ibizan legend Jose Padilla
who put their recent track 'Carina' on his latest compilation.
Bonnie & Klein are not only producers of the chillout sound as their debut for leng testifies. ´Singularity´ hits hard from the off with driving beats slowly building up with African sounding percussion until the flute comes in at the drop building it up to a slamming finale. A late night dancefloor classic in the making. ´Ergosphere´ sees them flip back to their laid back roots with a more classic chillout sound and tops off an excellent 12" for Leng.

When Sonar Kollektiv is presenting musical diggings you can be assured some real gems show up. And what a revelation is the Cosmic Disco by Venezuelan producer Daniel Grau! An elusive monographic showcase of his very productive creative period between 1978 and 1982 will be released as a double CD on the Berlin quality imprint later this year. Now, prior to the showcase compilation, a handful of selected remixes see the light of day - as a proof of how relevant Grau's music is still today. The opening of this firework is a real stunner on its own: One of the innovators of
Nu Disco, Daniel Wang himself, is returning after a brief sabbatical! Together with also Berlin based Jules Etienne (one half of Egyptian Nipples) Danny 'The Dancer' Wang takes two tracks of Daniel Grau's comprehensive
back catalogue to task. 'Robot Mágico' off the 1978 album 'El Sonido Magico De Daniel Grau' does sound in its reinterpretation by the two disco aficionados as if it was recorded just yesterday. In the same smooth and sophisticated way comes the renovation of 'Disco Fantasy' off the album of
the same name from 1979. Still, the Non Disco Remix somehow reminds of Wang's groundbreaking releases on Environ and is funky and catchy to such an extend that DJs probably would love to play it three times in a row. Well, the bar is set very high for the upcoming Daniel Grau remixes. But Sonar Kollektiv wouldn't be Sonar Kollektiv if you wouldn't already know
exactly that there are more hot irons in the fire.

Jules Etienne Remix)

Taylor Swift, seven-time GRAMMY award winner, and the
youngest recipient in history of the music industry's highest
honor, the GRAMMY Award for Album of the Year. She is the
#1 digital music artist of all-time and is the first artist since the
Beatles (and the only female artist in history) to log six or more
weeks at #1 with three consecutive studio albums. Taylor has
an album on Rolling Stone's prestigious The 50 Greatest
Albums of All Time (by women) list, Time magazine has named
her one the of the100 Most Influential People in the world, and
she is Billboard's youngest-ever Woman of the Year. Taylor
has career record sales in excess of 30 million albums and 75
million song downloads worldwide, and has had singles top both
the pop and country radio charts around the globe.
LONDON, 18th August 2014 - Taylor Swift, announced her new
album 1989 and it is available immediately for pre-buy on
TaylorSwiftand iTunes. In addition, Taylor released Shake
It Off, the first single and video from her fifth studio album.
1989 is a touchstone - Taylor's songwriting and sonic evolution
surprises us more than ever before. Heavily keyboard and beat
driven, the pop sensibilities that have always been the hallmark
of Taylor's music now move front and centre on 1989. "I spent
two years making 1989. Two years gives you enough time to
grow and change and let things inspire you. I was listening to a
lot of late 80's pop music and how bold those songs were and
how that time period was a time of limitless possibilities. In
thinking about that, this album is a rebirth for me. This is my
very first documented, official pop album. 1989 is the most
sonically cohesive album I have ever made and my favourite
album I have ever made," said Taylor.

Das nach ihrem Geburtsjahr benannte 1989 ist definitiv eine musikalische Überraschung der siebenfachen Grammy-Gewinnerin: Ihr neues Album unterstreicht, wie sehr Taylor als Musikerin und Songschreiberin gewachsen ist - und wie wichtig Veränderung für sie ist. Der Faktor Pop, der in ihren Kompositionen schon immer dezent durchschimmerte, rückt dieses Mal in den Mittelpunkt, indem sie voll auf zeitgenössische Beats und Keyboard-Arrangements setzt. 'Ich habe zwei Jahre lang an 1989 gearbeitet, und zwei Jahre sind genügend Zeit, um zu wachsen, sich zu verändern, sich inspirieren zu lassen. Ich habe zu der Zeit viel Pop aus den späten Achtzigern gehört, und mir fiel auf, wie mutig diese Songs zum Teil produziert waren! Man hört ganz klar, wie die der Glaube an grenzenlose Möglichkeiten die Zeit geprägt hat. Darüber habe ich nachgedacht, und das Resultat, dieses Album, fühlt sich für mich wie eine Art Wiedergeburt an: Immerhin ist 1989 mein erstes offizielles Pop-Album überhaupt! Und es ist das musikalisch schlüssigste Album, das ich jemals aufgenommen habe - und deshalb auch mein persönliches Lieblingsalbum', kommentierte Taylor.

Als erste Single ist der Track 'Shake It Off' ab sofort erhältlich. 'Eine sehr wichtige Lektion habe ich in den letzten Jahren gelernt: Wir können zwar nicht steuern, was andere über uns sagen, aber wir können sehr wohl steuern, wie wir darauf reagieren. Wir können die Kommentare von anderen an uns heranlassen, können darüber verbittert werden, uns davon in den Wahnsinn treiben lassen - oder aber wir schütteln sie einfach ab', so ihr Statement zu 'Shake It Off'.

Die Standard-Edition von 1989 beinhaltet 13 Songs, ein von Taylor designtes CD-Booklet sowie eins von insgesamt fünf exklusiven Foto-Sets, bestehend aus 13 Bildern. Mit der Deluxe-Edition erhält der Fan neben Booklet und Foto-Set drei Bonus-Tracks sowie drei Audiomitschnitte aus Taylors Songwriting-Phase.


02 .Blank Space

Great 12' featuring two superb rarities from renowned disco label Sound Of New York. Run by legendary producer Peter Brown, this small Harlem-based imprint garnered a massive reputation in the late 70s and early 80s turning out some of the best disco tracks ever made. First up here is NY disco funk favourite 'Dance Freak' from Chain Reaction. Produced by Peter Brown himself, this is pure dancefloor dynamite, as raw and funky as it gets with pumping horns, grinding bass, wild percussion and crazy synths building steadily to a high-octane blistering dancefloor freakout! On the flip is the equally fantastic 'Shout At the Disco' from Little Scotty, another relentless rough grooving jam, also produced by the prolific Mr B. With both these tracks super-expensive and extremely hard to find in the original, don't miss this chance to get your copy!

Great new four track EP featuring some super cool disco rarities hailing from the islands of the Caribbean. Worth the price of this 12' alone is the fantastic and über-rare 'Naussau's Discos' by Mucho Plus, an awesome remake of the 'Beginning Of The End' classic and a floorfiller so in-demand it features in Discogs' top ten of most expensive records ever sold. This is followed by a great funky steel drum cover of the Roy Ayer's classic 'Can't You See Me' by Trinidadian artist Boogsie taken from his hard-to-find 1979 LP. Next up is 'Sweetie' by Manhattan Charlie's Roots which is a Barbadian disco take on Bunny Mac's Afro classic 'Let Me Love You' and then rounding things up nicely is the super hot 'Hands Up' by Casual T, a soulful disco boogie jam originally out on a mega rare Jamaican 7'. Superb!

Peace starts off w/a jazzy moving disco edit. "Consume" is everyone's favorite avant-garde vocalist taking jabs at consumerism. "Love", an upbeat disco burner for peak hour hands-in-the-air twirling. Lafleur owns Motor City Wine in the D.

Strut continue their acclaimed 'Next Stop Soweto' series in March 2014 as they return to the rich archives of South African music to spotlight the fertile era of the late '70s and early '80s.

Impossibly rare sweet Soul & Funk from the vaults of Miami's Bold Records (A subsidiary of the mighty T.K. Disco label).

There's scant information on Reid Inc as a group but the album boasts some gorgeous soulful melodies from the all female personnel and features stellar string & horn arrangements from Miami studio stalwart Mike Lewis (Blowfly, KC & The Sunshine Band, Latimore, Fern Kinney) & is produced by the mighty Clarence Reid who has written, recorded & produced too many records to list here (Betty Wright, Wilson Pickett, Dusty Springfield, Bobby Byrd, Gwen McCrae) throughout his 50+ year career.

This is a real rarity, a record that fetches top, top dollar ($500 plus) on-line among Soul, Funk & Disco aficionados. "What Am I Gonna Do" has been comped numerous times but this is the first time the whole LP has been re-mastered & re-issued on vinyl (Having previously only been re-released on CD in Japan) Brought to you in conjunction & with the permission of T.K. Disco / Henry Stone Music, Miami USA.

Following on from the phenomenal success of the recent 'Italo House' and 'Remixed With Love' compilations ZR returns with another humdinger of a compilation to start of 2015. Supafunkanova Volume 2 has been selected by Joey Negro and Sean P. And as a added bonus Supafunkanova Volume 1 has been repressed oncd and on vinyl for the first time ever!

Second great vinyl-only 12' compilation from Fire Department featuring four hard-to-find old skool disco, funk and boogie scorchers. The party kicks off in style with the full 8 minute 12' version of Cameo's killer instrumental funk jam from 'It's Serious' followed by Le'O Roy's in-demand heavy dancefloor bomb 'Pound For Pound' - classic Peter Brown-produced NY disco magic. Flip over the uber-rare long version of 'Give It Up and Shake It Down' by Risse, a synth-boogie monster from a 1982 12' on the highly collectible Chocolate Cholly's label. And last but not least another blast of red-hot steaming soul/funk in the form of Nimbiss' 'Feel The Fire', a slow-burning gem from tiny Chicago label Full Scope. Great collection.

Remastered reissue of the 1987 album *All Systems Go* by queen of disco Donna Summer. Pressing on heavyweight 180 gram vinyl, download code included.

Between 1979 and 1982, The Universal Togetherness Band tracked unearthly portions of their sprawling songbook for bewildered students in Columbia College's audio engineering program. Storming the gates of Chicago's premier recording studios, the erudite party band explored permutations of soul, jazz-fusion, new wave, and disco with little regard for studio rates or the availability of magnetic tape. Universal Togetherness Band captures the brightest, never-before-heard moments from this visionary group's 5-semester recording bender.

Universal Togetherness Band (CD/LP): The attractive gatefold LP edition boasts magnificent reproductions of never-before-seen images from the archives of Chicago photographer Steven E. Gross. The CD version features several candid snapshots from the group's personal collections. Meticulously mixed from the original multi-track sessions by Sean Marquand (Phenomenal Handclap Band), Universal Togetherness Band is presented in peak fidelity.

The long awaited return of...Tiger & Woods! Editainment's top team and most dynamic duo are back with "Banana Balls". Two uncontrollable tracks, spiced and sliced and with additional bonus mixes for your very pleasure and in T&W's signature style. Play the game!

2014 stands as a defining moment for the RAM Records imprint. Not only did it announce the pivotal signing of artists like Audio, Teddy Killerz and Bensley but they also oversaw the birth of compilation series RAMLife hosted by Loadstar. Even in its first form, it contained nearly every essential release the last twelve months had to offer.

But this year, RAMLife is taking you into deeper and murkier dimensions. Having already flexed his production muscle on the ricocheting, four-track 'Nil by Mouth' EP, as well as his first visual debut in the music video for 'Heads Up', it's now time for Audio to cut open and expose his musical psyche.

Including some of the most aggressive, technically adept and prominent artists the genre has to offer, including Bad Company, Optiv & BTK and Noisia to name a few, no stone goes unturned for the album's entirety. Audio also throws bass-fuelled bullets in the form of exclusives, with explosive VIPs that have yet to be released.

The brand new cut 'Foodchain' from Audio sets a theme which is prevalent throughout all 27 tracks. Uncompromising yet diligently crafted, it leads you into a freight train of musicality which holds you hostage from start to finish. Zipping through to the mechanical composition of Mefjus' 'Brainwork', all the way back to Spor's heavy-hitting 'Bullet Time' remix, this is a no holds barred exploration of the genre's darker side.




















[T] CD 20 | Phace - Bite The Edge,








30. Audio - Headroom VIP

01. Wish You Were Mine (Radio Edit) - Woodhead, Philip George 02. Say Something - Harding, Karen
03. King - Years & Years
04. Hate Street Dialogue - The Avener
05. Outside - Harris, Calvin
06. The Nights (Felix Jaehn Remix) - Avicii
07. Habits (Stay High) (Oliver Nelson Remix) - Lo, Tove
08. Dangerous - Guetta, David
09. Outlines (Radio Edit) - Mago, Mike, Dragonette
10. Changing (Majestic Remix) - Sigma
11. You & Me (Flume Remix) - Disclosure
12. Right Here - Glynne, Jess
13. Sun Goes Down (Radio Mix) - Schulz, Robin
14. Void (Original Radio Edit) - Kalkbrenner, Fritz
15. Bones - Koletzki, Oliver
16. Little By Little (Lulleaux & George Whyman Remix / Radio Edit) - Nilsson, Ulf
17. Symmetry (Radio Edit) - Klangkarussell
18. Feels Like This (Radio Edit) - Lexer
19. Are You With Me (Radio Edit) - Lost Frequencies
20. Jungle - Louise, Emma
21. Riva (Restart The Game) (Radio Edit) - Klingande
22. Faded - Zhu

01. Higher - Sigma
02. Rhymes - Wants, Hannah, Lorenzo, Chris
03. You Know You Like It - Dj Snake & Alunageorge, Snake, Dj, Alunageorge, Nicki Minaj
04. Bang Bang - Jessie J, Grande, Ariana, Nicki Minaj
05. L.A.Love (La La) - Fergie
06. Es Rappelt Im Karton - Paris, Pixie
07. Lips Are Movin' - Trainor, Meghan, Grande, Ariana, The Weeknd
08. Love Me Harder - Grande, Ariana, The Weeknd
09. Northern Lights - Kate Boy
10. Silly Little Things - Saunders, Shannon
11. Black Beauty (Lakechild Remix) - Del Rey, Lana
12. A Song For You (Supermans Feinde Remix) - Noize Generation
13. Wild Eyes - Broiler
14. Giant In My Heart (Album Version) - Kiesza, Child, Shadow, Doorly
15. Climbin' (Piano Weapon) - Child, Shadow, Doorly
16. Revive (Say Something) - Luvbug
17. Reverse (Oliver Nelson Remix) - Somekindawonderful
18. Glorious (Zoo Station Remix) - Foxes, Grades
19. Torn Apart (Bastille Vs. Grades) - Bastille, Grades
20. Up All Night - Arty
21. Sally - Hardwell

Jonny Nash (Land Of Light) pulling out he deepest set of cuts on his own new label... sublime TIP!
Melody As Truth is a record label run by Jonny Nash, primarily as a vehicle for his personal output.

Perhaps best known for his work on ESP Institute, Nash has been noticeably quiet since the acclaim for 2012`s Land Of Light collaboration between himself and Kyle Martin, even for someone who has always placed quality far above quantity. His last recorded output was a recent retrospective by Japan`s Snaker (which sold out in days). Jonny has spent the last twelve months playing live and experimenting in the studio with artists such as Gigi Masin,Young Marco, Thomas Bullock, Suzanne Kraft, Black Merlin and Tiago, studying, honing and developing his sound.

This development is evident on Melody As Truth`s first release, a five track E.P. entitled "Phantom Actors". Citing Modern Classical and Detroit ambience as an influence, simplicity and subtraction are key themes, with Nash's distinctive melodic approach still central. Silence is balanced with noise, light with dark, in a refined first release for the label.

1. Akt: Zurück aus dem Paradies
Schon auf ihrem letztjährigen Debütalbum Paradies Naivhaben Laing mit besonderem Vergnügen Feldforschungen am lebenden Objekt betrieben: Bisweilen unerhört entlarvende Stücke über Frau und Mann, Mann und Frau samt ihrer Marotten und all ihrer kleinen und großen Komödien und Tragödien. Mit ihrem zweiten Album Wechselt die Beleuchtung werfen Laing nun ein völlig neues Licht auf den emotionalen Makrokosmos und seine unterschiedlichen Protagonisten. Mit ihrem Edelmetall-ausgezeichneten Top 10-Hit 'Morgens immer müde' aus dem ebenso hemmungslos gefeierten Longplay-Erstling Paradies Naiv haben Laing die deutschsprachige Musiklandschaft im vergangenen Jahr erst so richtig auf links, und dann wieder zurück auf Kante gezogen: Mit ihrer Multimedia-Performance aus Bühnenchoreographie und dem außergewöhnlichen Crossover aus Minimal-Elektro, Pop und R'n'B, verbunden mit einer einzigartig filigranen Sprachästhetik demonstrierte das Berliner Damenquartett eine Art von Neuer Deutscher Unverkrampftheit, die Laing in der Folgezeit ausverkaufte Konzerthäuser sowie eine absolute Ausnahmestellung innerhalb der heimischen Szene bescherte. Ein Status, den Leadsängerin, Songwriterin und Produzentin Nicola Rost gemeinsam mit ihren Sängerinnen Johanna Marschall und Neuzugang Larissa Pesch sowie der Tänzerin und Choreographin Marisa Akeny nun noch weiter ausbaut.


2. Akt: Muskeln und Schwächen
Nach ihrem spektakulär stilsicheren Erstling schlägt Frontfrau Nicola Rost mit ihrer Band nun das viel beschworene 'nächste Kapitel' auf. Von vorne. Wieder auf Anfang. Leeres Blatt Papier, leerer Bildschirm. Kein Ballast; mehr als genug Platz für tausend neue Ideen. Und die Gelegenheit, die Perspektive zu ändern. Geblieben ist diese ganz besonders heftige Detailverliebtheit, mit der Nicola Rost die Gefühlswelt um sich herum bis in die kleinste Doppelchromosomenfaser seziert, mit der deutschen Sprache und den Hormonen jongliert und am Ende doch irgendwie alles auf den gleichen Nenner bekommt: Dass sich das Leben liebend gern von seiner kompliziertesten Seite zeigt und Eins immer noch die einsamste Zahl bleibt. Laing leben vom Kontrast, dem Clash, den Ecken und Kanten; textlich wie auch musikalisch. Gebrochener Charme mit zackigem Beat und messerscharf geschliffenen Lyrics ohne Kindersicherung. Was sich auf Paradies Naiv oftmals silhouettenhaft und verschwommen präsentierte, das hat auf Wechselt die Beleuchtung konkrete Formen angenommen - Ich finde es spannend, die Betrachtungsweise zu ändern', so Nicola Rost über den Metapher schwangeren Albumtitel. 'Wenn man die Beleuchtung wechselt, erscheinen viele Dinge in einem anderen Licht. Man kann selbst negativen Gefühlen wie Kummer und Herzschmerz einen gewissen Reiz abgewinnen, während man Positives wie Freude oder Verliebtheit völlig überraschend in einer ungünstigen Farbe wahrnimmt. Dieses Wechselspiel aus Licht und Dunkel macht die ganze Sache doch im Grunde erst spannend.' Reize, mit denen Laing auf Wechselt die Beleuchtung ganz und gar nicht geizen. Immer auf der Suche nach Spannung, nach dem geschickten Bruch und dem Wesentlichen. Das weglassen, was überflüssig ist. Extreme Gefühlszustände zwischen Euphorie, Hysterie und Tristesse, die man in mal hochdramatische, mal unverschämt freizügige, mal ganz entspannt vor sich hinfließende Hybridpopkleider verpackt. Laing teasern Vorurteile, manipulieren mit Unschuldsengelblick die gängigen Mechanismen der deutschen Sprache, brechen mal eben im Vorbeischlendern mit sämtlichen Konventionen und Erwartungshaltungen. Und sie stellen eiskalt lächelnd die Geschlechterrollen auf den Kopf. Wobei sich doch jeder irgendwann in Laings exemplarischen Sozialstudien wieder findet. 'Meine Songs handeln nicht immer nur von Liebesbeziehungen zwischen Mann und Frau, sondern auch von Freundschaft. Mich interessieren die verschiedenen Verhältnisse untereinander. Die Gründe, wie sich Leute in bestimmten Situationen verhalten. Wir alle haben eines gemeinsam: Die Sehnsucht nach Halt. Sehnsucht nach Zweisamkeit. Und manchmal auch nach ein wenig Einsamkeit.'
Letzter Akt: Alleine ins Bett
Nicola Rost erzählt die Geschichten, die allen irgendwann passieren. Nennt den Patient beim Namen. Vom 'Karneval der Gefühle', wenn mal wieder alles verrückt spielt. Von den Irrungen und Wirrungen, die durch das alltägliche Gefühlschaos führen und vom emotionalen Ausnahmezustand neurotischer Metropolensingles. Mal kess, mal cool. Zwischen großen Diven wie Zarah Leander oder Hildegard Knef, und der naiven Sexyness einer Audrey Hepburn in 'Breakfast At Tiffany's'. Immer aber irgendwie vertraut. So wie mit der ersten Single 'Safari', auf der sich Laing auf ausgedehnte Kuriositätenexkursion durch das Nachtleben begeben. In eine ganz ähnliche Kerbe schlägt man mit dem Bodybuilding-Track 'Zeig deine Muskeln'; dem wohl ersten Popsong mit lateinischem Refrain. 'Eine Art modernes Heldenepos. Wenn man ganz ehrlich ist, geht man nur ins Fitnessstudio, um Muskelpartien zu trainieren, die im Grunde absolut nutzlos sind und keinen anderen Sinn haben, als sexy auszusehen. Es hat schon etwas von Tierbeschau, aber insgeheim geht man selbst zum Training und steht ja auch irgendwie drauf...' Mit dem fast cartoonhaft überspitzten 'Sei doch bitte wieder gut' hat das Quartett nach dem soundtechnischen Make-Over von Trude Herrs 60er Jahre-Schmonzette 'Morgens immer müde' einen weiteren Schlagerklassiker zu neuem Leben reanimiert und Heintjes schnulzigen Entschuldigungssong nach typischer Laing-Manier zu einem zynischen R'n'B-Monster aufgepimpt. Ihr Fazit ziehen Nicola Rost und Co. schließlich mit dem augenzwinkernd - Das letzte Lied' betitelten Rausschmeißer. Alle Pointen verschossen, alle Tränen vergossen. Höchste Zeit, nach durchlittener Nacht wieder nach Hause zu gehen. Alleine. Danke schön, das war's. 'Ich zeige auf, wo's weh tut. Es ist völlig normal, auch seine Schwächen offen zu legen. Ich finde es immer sympathisch, wenn ich zu hören bekomme, dass diese zwischenmenschlichen Katastrophen auch anderen Menschen passieren und man nicht alleine ist. Wenn es bei uns irgendeine Message gibt, dann die, dass wir alle die gleichen Probleme haben. Das kann einem wirklich Trost geben.'

Zeitgleich zum Albumrelease im September 2014 kündigen Laing auch ihre Rückkehr auf die Bühne an, die sie mit fünf Konzerten in bestuhlten Theaterhäusern feiern, in denen sie ihre neuen Songs in intimer Atmosphäre vorstellen werden.

01. Safari
02. Zeig deine Muskeln
03. Schwächen
04. Sei doch bitte wieder gut
05. Sagen Sie Sie
06. Wechselt die Beleuchtung
07. Natascha
08. Karneval der Gefühle
09. Dein, Deine, am Deinsten
10. Punkt Punkt Punkt
11. Kaugummi
12. Das letzte Lied

Danish producer Kenneth Bager weighs in with a heavy remix line-up featuring the massively hyped Alex Metric remix which harks back to the days of slick French filter house, when Etienne DeCrecy, Alex Gopher and obviously Daft Punk were fresher than thou. Jayou's Dub mix first appeared on the Mad Decent blog courtesy of Diplo himself and is a secret weapon of choice on the Annie Mac electro pubstep scene. Bangin', yeah. London Soulful House and Garage don Wookie comes correct with a typically faultless groover whilst Leo Zero takes us on an 11 min vocal journey with his extended mix. Toby Tobias brings it up the rear with two exemplary examples of classic dubby disco grooves, think Harvey meets the Idjuts around at Maurice Fultons house for a warm cup of vibes and you're not even close.

Ata Kak's cassette Obaa Sima fell on deaf ears when it was self-released in Ghana and Canada in 1994. The music on the recording - an amalgam of highlife, Twi-language rap, funk and disco - is presented with the passion of a Prince record and the DIY-bedroom-recording lo-fi charm of early Chicago house music. The astute self-taught song craft and visionary blend of sounds and rhythms has made the album a left-field cult favorite among adventurous listeners worldwide. Awesome Tapes From Africa founder Brian Shimkovitz found the tape in 2002 in Cape Coast, Ghana - one of only a few ever pressed - and later made it the inaugural post on the Awesome Tapes From Africa blog. Hundreds of thousands of downloads, YouTube views, music video tributes and remixes, as well as years of mystery regarding Ata Kak's whereabouts, culminate in this remastered release featuring rare photos and the full back story of one of the internet age's most enigmatic musicians.

On their premiere full-length LP Enjoy The Ride, SOCIAL LOVERS take you on a musical journey with their unique, feel-good sound. The first track 'Baby Tonight' moves your body and takes you straight to the dancefloor of an underground basement party in Brooklyn. Next, you're cruising with the top down through the streets of Phoenix to harmonious keys & mellow synths of the title track 'Enjoy The Ride'. You're then brought to the serene beaches of Los Angeles with the sexy instrumental 'Lovers' Theme', all while making a pitstop to watch a romantic Brazilian sunset with 'Love's True', a beautiful bossa nova ballad. SOCIAL LOVERS' lush and polished production is nicely complimented with the sultry vocals of Megan Doherty, intriguing fans of Metro Area & Cat Power. Their smooth, modern funk & disco sound have become a favorite amongst DJs, keeping the dancefloors heavy, and lovers close 'til the break of dawn.