quête:man da

Returning to Hypercolour with a second volume of his Sugar Cane Chronicles, Gary Gritness lays down more devastating funk and classy riffing over his trusty Roland 606. After the first volume, released last April, sold out its vinyl run, Gritness delivers more explorations and adventures into his unique and soulful world. Having elusively built his reputation as an outstanding session player, live producer and fantastically dressed Funkateer, Gritness has delivered a handful of releases on labels like Clone Crown Ltd, Nyami Nyami and his own DIY and cassette-only Slikk Tapes. "Steady Choosin" gets downright fusion-jazz and Gritness fires out seductive melodies and latin piano playing of the highest order whilst "Countin Up With Starr" delves into a darker well of synth mania, with a sexual groove reminiscing of Rick James, all the while retaining Gary's signature licks and riffs. "Runner Joe's Revenge" on the flip ramps up the hysteria for a gritty and colossal production that typifies his love of cyberpunk soundtracks and the drama and narrative to be found in this style. "The Sugar Cane Chronicles Vol. 2 closes with the low-slung "Pool Shark Loot", wrapping up on a mysterious and captivating tone; its wandering bassline and melodic touches carrying all the signature Gritness sounds, with the P-Funk sleaziness on top.

Mit mittlerweile 78 Millionen verkauften Alben ist Marshall Bruce Mathers III alias Slim Shady alias Eminem als HipHop-Künstler längst in Dimensionen vorgestoßen, von der die Konkurrenz nur träumen kann. Sein kreatives und persönliches Tief hat er bereits mit dem 2009 veröffentlichten Comebackwerk Relapse hinter sich gelassen. Statt, wie zuerst angekündigt, diesem Album einen bereits weitgehend fertiggestellten zweiten Teil folgen zu lassen, hat er alle diese Pläne kurzentschlossen wieder über den Haufen geworfen und komplett von vorne angefangen. Mit Recovery ist ihm eine der stärksten Platten seiner an Höhepunkten nicht geraden armen Karriere gelungen. Unter der wie gewohnt souverän zurückhaltenden Regie von Executive Producer Dr. Dre lieferten unter anderem DJ Khalil, Mr. Porter, Emile Haynie, Just Blaze und Boi 1da ausschließlich erstklassige Beats ab, die Eminem mit seinen Reimen in gewohnter Manier verziert. Bereits beim Opener, dem wütenden "Cold Wind Blows", präsentiert sich Slim Shady in absoluter Bestform, ebenso wie beim etwas verhaltener aber nicht mit weniger Nachdruck vorgetragenen, stark autobiographisch eingefärbten "Talkin' 2 Myself", bei dem Sänger Kobe und dezente Rock-Elemente für den nötigen musikalischen Kontrast sorgen. Nach einer kurzen Verschnaufpause folgt dann mit dem gemeinsam mit Pink eingespielten "Won't Back Down" einer der absoluten Höhepunkte der Platte. Eine ungemein elektrisierende Nummer, bei der Produzent DJ Khalil erneut erfolgreich auf harte Gitarrenklänge setzt. Besonders beeindruckend fällt auch die Midtempo-Hymne "Going Through Changes" aus, deren Gesangsrefrain sich Eminem kurzerhand beim Black Sabbath's Klassiker "Changes" ausgeborgt hat. Doch auch ohne fremde Hilfe macht er zum Beispiel im Track "Not Afraid" eine gute Figur. Sehr stark fällt auch der zusammen mit Lil Wayne aufgenommene Titel "No Love" aus, bei dem als tragendes Element ein Sample von Haddaway's unverwüstlichem Hit "What Is Love" aus dem Jahr 1993 zum Einsatz kommt, sowie das bereits als Single erfolgreiche Love The Way You Lie, bei dem Rihanna als Gastsängerin brilliert.

Stirred up from deep within, from an abstract spiral of sound and movement, from a sensation of time and space absolving and converging at once, the Black Flower musicians have molded a tangible matter: the album Artifacts. Their second full album sounds international and ageless. Eastern influences, Ethiodub and jazz effortlessly merge. Fantasy and reality seem to fuse. In a word: nourishment for body and soul.

"Psyche-delicious and accessible 20th century Ethiodubjazz. As if John Zorn put on Fela Kuti's shoes and imbibed Mulatu Astatke's whirls."

Piloted by saxophonist /flutist /composer Nathan Daems (Ragini Trio, Dijf Sanders, Antwerp Gipsy-Ska Orkestra), this instrumental band aims for originality. Fellow musicians and 'brothers down the road' are Jon Birdsong (dEUS, Beck, Calexico) on cornet, Simon Segers (Absynthe Minded, De Beren Gieren, Stadt) at the drums, Filip Vandebril (Lady Linn, The Valerie Solanas, Antwerp Gipsy-Ska Orkestra) at the bass and Wouter Haest (Los Callejeros, Voodoo Boogie) playing keys.

For many of us, the Ethiopian aspect once made known to the world by Mulatu Astatke will stand out. Still, Black Flower further adds oriental scales, Afrobeat à la Fela Kuti, jazz in a John Zorn way and varied western music traditions such as rock and dub. The resulting melting pot is undoubtedly inspired by Nathan's distant travels and the multifariously colorful city of Brussels.

...Pretty legit if you ask me - LeFto, Studio Brussel

After their well-received debut album Abyssinia Afterlife (2014, W.E.R.F. / Zephyrus Records) that created an atmosphere of mythical figures and psychedelia, Black Flower now reflects on ancient and modern cultures. The album title Artifacts refers to centuries-old fragile objects or tools that empowered the development of human culture. The world today would look entirely different without those artifacts. The seemingly brittle suddenly becomes a powerful welding cornerstone. Add the musicians' personal musical backgrounds and the result is an album with an ageless mystique. Artifacts is the synthesis of different cultures, of the past and present, and personal and collective memories. It is the soundtrack to modern reality, based on the elements that connect us.

Brilliant - Gilles Peterson, BBC Radio 6

One of Belgium's Best Bands of these past years (...) Black Flower does not simply play a tune, they always groove! - Kurt Overbergh, Ancienne Belgique

Uncomplicated originality, plenty of space for fantasy and an organic tone: those are the ingredients for Black Flower to lay claim to an age-old human ritual: dancing! Still, Black Flower also stands out in various other settings. Their audience at a jazz club will have felt exalted, their audience at a late-night show will not have resisted dancing. The band wields influence over their surroundings in a way only heart-and-soul musicians can. This mastery has repeatedly taken them to United Kingdom, France, the Netherlands and Germany.

Japan's Sauce81 follows up on his modern boogie/funk gem 'Natural Thing', with the equally infectious 'Dance Tonight'. It may sound like it's been hiding in a dusty crate of unheard records all these years, but it was actually recorded last year in Tokyo, all vocals, instruments and production handled by the man himself. Forthcoming on 7inch in Feb 2017. Includes Dub version on the B-Side. Put some weight on it!

There's a myth about music critics that says we are frustrated, wannabe performers. Evidence to the contrary: Vivien Goldman. Ever since she migrated from pitching editors on the little-known music of Robert Nesta Marley to becoming one of the foremost chroniclers of the perfect storm of reggae, punk, hiphop and Afro-Beat, the London-born, New York-based Goldman has made documenting music her primary life work. But between 1979-82, Goldman was also a working musician, creating songs that, years later, would be sampled by The Roots and Madlib. These rare girl grooves are now collected for the first time on Resolutionary, courtesy of Staubgold Records.

Resolutionary takes us through Vivien's first three musical formations: first as a member of experimental British New Wavers The Flying Lizards; next as a solo artist, with her single 'Launderette,' featuring postpunk luminaries; and then as half of the Parisian duo Chantage, with Afro-Parisian chanteuse Eve Blouin. Goldman's synthesis of post-colonial rhythms and experimental sounds are threaded together by her canary vocal tones and womanist themes. Her eclectic musical crew included PiL's John Lydon, Keith Levene and Bruce Smith; avant- gardists Steve Beresford and David Toop; The Raincoats' Vicky Aspinall; the mighty Robert Wyatt; Zaire's Jerry Malekani; Manu Dibango's guitarist; and Viv Albertine, then of her good friends, the Slits. The majority of the tracks were produced by dubmaster Adrian Sherwood, and Resolutionary channels the history of a time when the bon-vivant voice of music was in the air, and Vivien Goldman was its eyes, ears, and mouth.

Ekambi Brillant was born in the village of Dibombari in Cameroon in 1948. In 1962 he attended school in Yaounde and learned his musical craft. In 1971 he heads off to the big city lights of Douala. Here he finds himself in a French TV, music competition hosted at "Le Domino" nightclub. It is here where he brushes shoulders with other Cameroonian music legends such Manu Dibango and Francis Bebey.

The music contest win gives him the break he needs and in 1972 and with the support of fellow troubadour JK Mandengue he finds himself with a record deal with Phonogram and his first hits in France.

Its in 1975 where we pick up this merry tale. Because it is in 1975 when things start to get a bit funky. Which is just how we like it here at Africa Seven. In partnership with French producer, guitarist and all around hero, Slim Pezin he creates the "Africa Oumba" album. He goes on in the two subsequent years to record the Soul Castle and Djambo's Djambo's albums also with Slim.

Our compilation focuses on the funkier end of Ekambi's music drawn mainly from the 1975 to 1978 period. Things open up with our theme tune "Africa Africa" (of course). It's tribal twisted psych funk is the perfect start to any album. We then move to "Aboki" possibly Ekambi's finest dance floor filler. Next it's the choppy disco strings and slap bass of "Nyambe" and the swirling African swing of "N'Kondo" and the pulsing chop-funk "Ekila".

The flip side starts off with "Soul Castle" an ordinary day tale for our hero. "Massoma" and its funk boogie get things bopping next up before "Machine Ma Bwindea" gives us some punchy brass and low slung funk grooves. "Mother Africa" shows us the songwriting power of Ekambi while also managing to have one of the funkiest flange basslines we have heard in a good while. Things close off with swing-time of "Lambo Lena".

Ekambi Brillant would go on to become one of the big name legends of Cameroonian music with nearly 20 albums to his name. He has contributed to the emergence of several Cameroonian artists such as Marthe Zambo, Valery Lobe, Aladji Toure and Africans. He now spends his time in Cameroon and Washington DC. Ekambi, we salute you sir.

Hot on the heels of the co-release between Especial and Cocktails d'Amore Music of the Sfire Remixes EP (EES023/CDA013) comes an accompanying release with a pair of deeper, stripped back remixes from the inimitable Timothy J Fairplay and Willie Burns. Well known as producers, DJs and label managers with their Crimes Of The Future and WT Records respectively, as well as appearing on a who's who of electronic labels including Pinkman, Unknown To The Unknown and L.I.E.S, they have appeared in various guises on both Emotional Response and Especial. Here then are 4 remixes - 2 each per side - that take the unique original to new dance floor extremes. Timothy steps up first with his take on Sfire 2 via differing vocal and instrumental versions. His trademark, echo laden rolling percussion and "Carpenter" key lines take the original Synth-pop homage to the dark room. Adding Arps, a lifting, hedonistic breakdown and the scatter-stepper drums and claps found on the Instrumental version and this is pure COTF territory and the better for it. Willie meanwhile has long followed his own path for his take on Sfire 3, offering one of his deepest remixes to date. Thudding kick, brooding pads and dark strings force the vocals to go down, way down for examination. The distorted vocals of Remix 1 are countered by Remix 2 letting the track shine via a seemingly endless 4/4 beat. Psychedelic, trance inducing, pulsating, this is an ever growing mind expanse.Presented in sparse Hand Stamped sleeves, this one off Limited Edition pressing is a unique EP, taking Sfire to a different sphere that warrants investigation. It was only

Despite a discography that stretches right back to the late noughties, little is known about Turkish producer Ali Kuru. Perhaps he's publicity shy, or simply wants to let his music do the talking; either way, the music he makes is magical, and undoubtedly worthy of wider acclaim. Kuru came to the attention of Leng late last year, releasing the Luna 12' his frst vinyl release for six years - in January 2016. That EP boasted two typically exotic and fragrant tracks, both of which effortlessly joined the dots between dub disco, hazy house, gentle downtempo movements and snaking, Middle Eastern instrumentation.
Here, the Istanbul native further explores his unique musical perspective, serving up a quartet of tracks that eschew easy categorization. Twittering birds, throbbing dub basslines, crisp hip-hop beats, trippy vocal samples, and distant chimes combine on the moody 'Mandari', while 'Causa' peppers a jangling, acoustic guitar-laden loop-groove with futtering futes, deep space electronics and rolling hand percussion.On the fip, his more exotic musical inspirations return to the fore. There's 'Zurna' - the musical equivalent of a panicked dash through a bustling late
night market full of drunken jazz drummers, metronomic groove merchants and snake-charming pungi players - and the low-slung stomp of 'Avaz'. Here, sampled vocal chants and Bollywood-inspired instrumentation wind their way around a rubbery bassline and handclap-heavy rhythm track. If
there was such a thing as Turkish-Hindi jazzdance - and maybe there should be - then this would be a guaranteed foorfller.
All four tracks offer further glimpses into Ali Kuru's fertile imagination. It's the perfect teaser for the Turkish producer's debut album, which will be released by Leng in early 2017.

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

Now living in Dubai after an intense and productive six years in Madrid, it was Manchester where Chip studied in the late '80s and became enmeshed in the chaotic and thrilling music scenes emanating from one of the world's most culturally prominent cities of the time. Recording and generally 'keeping things real' with Manchester's hip-hop collective Grand Central Records, Rae & Christian, The Pharcyde, Fingathing, Nightmares on Wax, Graham Massey (808 State), Chip was in a city that was undergoing a music revolution with the Haçienda as its temple. Yet it was the headlights of the M62 motorway and not the strobe lights that were lighting Chip's path during his student years ('88-'92). The lure of the jazz and funk clubs of Leeds, where The New Mastersounds were breaking out and building the blocks that would lead them to UK funk royalty status, proved too strong.

In the 1990s Chip continued to refine his craft in the rainy city and the gigs booked were growing in stature. It wasn't long before he was on the road with Roy Ayers and Badly Drawn Boy. Around that time Chip met up with trumpeter Matthew Halsall that was the beginning of a friendship that lasts to this day. Chip was a recording artist on Matthew Halsall's breakout album Sending My Love and continues to work with him, with live dates confirmed in spring 2017. This close connection with Halsall gave rise to other collaborations, such as with Nat Birchall and Go Go Penguin's Rob Turner.

Three decades after his late night excursions to Leeds, Chip found himself recording with Eddie Roberts from The New Mastersounds in Madrid, as part of their new band, The Fire Eaters, which he'd formed soon after he moved to sunny Spain in 2007 - the same year he released the Fried Samba album under his moniker Malena, his electronic Latin band that became a hit at the turn of the century for Freestyle Records. During his time in Spain he connected with the local scene and brought together many of his musicians colleagues from the UK to Spain and it was for a local and well established label, Lovemonk, that he released two 45s blending raw funk and Latin. These new roads and musical leanings led to an invitation to play for the prestigious Craig Charles Fantasy Funk Band. Based on a poll from Craig Charles' top rated BBC6 radio show, Chip was chosen to play alongside the cream of the UK funk & soul scene: James Taylor (JTQ), Snowboy, The Haggis Horns (Mark Ronson), John Turrell (Smooth & Turrell), and Mick Talbot (The Style Council).

La Sombra takes an altogether more rooted direction than Chip's recent collaborative work, with the jazz of the late '60s and early '70s a dominating influence to the recordings. Comprising of seven tracks recorded in Madrid with musicians assembled by Chip from Madrid's jazz scene, it combines contemplative explorations akin to Yusef Lateef's early work on tracks like 'La Sombra' and 'Pushed Too Far'. There's a fiery cover of Camarón de la Isla's classic 'La Leyenda Del Tiempo' and tracks like 'Sling Shot' and 'Red Planet' are locked in a groove harking back to Freddie Hubbard's Blue Note era and Luv N Haight's Nathan Davis.

August 2016 saw Running Back release a first volume of live tracks from Redshape, but January 2017 sees the much loved artist return to Delsin, his most regard label, for a second offering of the same. This time the EP has one track made in Paris, and one in London, and both are filled with the sort of beautifully bleak and lo-fi sounds that have made this man such a standout artist over the years. Up first is 'London,' a chugging track that builds in pressurised layers of coarse hi hats, gurgling bass and pinging kick drums. It is a hypnotic groove that teases you as elements drop in and out and hisses of static and broken little guitar riffs add some cheeky funk. On the flip-side, 'Paris' is much more playful, with colourful pixelated melodies dancing about the mix, industrial drums working down low and steppy synths fleshing things out. Overall it sounds like a future disco for inebriated robots and is one of Redshape's more party starting tracks.

Villalegre Recordings is back with his second release after an acclaimed debut ep, which is already found in some 'real deejays' " vinyl cases, namely Dj Garth, Stevie Kotey, Timm Sure, Richard Sen and Massimiliano Pagliara.Discómanos ep consists of 4 edits of unknown gems, masterly revisited by collectors and artists as big as Mike Burns, Rayko , the great Sagittarius and Christian Beetz aka Frwctrl. Once again, Jorge Moreira and Crew dig deep down into many underground scenes around the world, to come up with an ep you'll always want to have in your case.
Listen carefully to Jose Rico's mastering work! A unique sound, which brings back reminiscences of Tom Moulton, Larry Levan, Dany Krivit or the very own Ron Hardy's reel to reel edits. Exotic love (Frwctrl mix) The trip starts with a Christian Beetz opus, which edits and extends a wonderful and unknown antique Spanish disco-funk track, with chorus voices flying like eagles to drive the dance floor to a unique climax. Sweat and pleasure lead by a smashing funky guitar, synths which drive you from the beach to the darkest, most hedonist dance floor. For your Love (Rayko edit)
Rayko is an edit master; he has presented his productions on the biggest disco dance floors on the planet, and this work reconfirms him. 'For your Love' tastes like Paradise Garage and nights of freedom and love. An original track with first class drums and a bass guitar, that reaches straight to the heart. The message comes with violins, which create the perfect emotion to wrap up a disco music masterwork that later becomes house. I want your body (Mike Burns Edit)The original track is a treasure that's hard to get, edited by Mike Burns, one of the strongest artists in the European underground disco scene. Mike selects this cut with a killer bass line, crazy synth effects and organs to turn the original track into an extended cut, which not only shakes the dance floor, but also the cloakroom and toilets. Programa Sintético (Sagittarius 1983 Tribute Edit)Sagittarius edits in a sublime way a mysterious track, loaded with energy, synths and effects. A production work, which transforms the original track into a technoid cut with a frequency in tune with Ron Hardy's proto-techno edits and progressive European music.

Enoq ist MC aus Berlins Süden. Früher war er Produzent, mochte es aber nicht wenn die MCs über seine Beats rappten. Also fing er selber an Reime über Beats zu packen und das mit Ende Zwanzig. Hashtag Spätzünder. Zwischen dem - Traum eines Hartz4ers' und Features für Audio88 & Yassin hat er die letzten Jahre an seinem eigenen Output gearbeitet. Nach einer Free EP 2016 steht Anfang 2017 sein Debütalbum auf dem Plan bei Jakarta Records.
"Wir sind Raufbolde, jung, wild, wollen nur spielen. Alles Gewinner die nur ständig verlieren..' Enoq - So dabei
Im Deutschrad 2016 ist man entweder Straße, oder Backpack, oder hedonistischer Trap Sound. Ausnahmen sind selten. Bei Enoq ist es anders. Er bewegt sich zwischen den Schubladen. Die Umgangsformen der Straße, ihre Härte und Gewalt sind ihm nicht fremd, aber beschränken Enoq nicht in seinem musikalischen Schaffen oder seiner thematische Bandbreite.

- Für dich geht alles nur um Likes oder Klicks, doch der Scheiss den du machst, ist wie Gift für die Kids'. - Enoq (feat. Döll) - Pappalapapp

Die Straße reflektiert sich selbst. Enoqs Geschichten sind auch Episoden des eigenen Scheiterns. Stories von einem Leben zwischen Suff und stumpfem Job, verwoben mit persönlichen Erlebnissen in Schöneberg, Berlin. Mal über klassische Rap Beats, dann wieder über zeitgeistigere Produktionen. Zwischendurch wird auch mal die Hookline selber gesungen. Unterstützt wird er bei diesem Album unter Anderem von seinen Homies Mädness und Döll.
"Wer keine Ziele hat kann nicht scheitern, und bin ich ohne Perspektive Digga kämpfe ich trotzdem weiter' Enoq - Streben nach Glück

Mint Condition - A brand new record label focussed on excavating the outer fringes of classic House and Techno. Unreleased mixes, classics and overlooked gems mined from the last 20+ of contemporary dance music are the order of the day. From Chicago, Detroit and New York to London and beyond, Mint Condition have got their expert digging hats on to bring you exclusive heat and those rarer than rare jams that have been on your wants list for years! Dig in....
Arthur Forests name should be more widely known in the world of dance music, the man lent his expert to touch to more than one classic record emanating from Detroit during his time and has quietly left an indelible fingerprint on House and Techno history. Here at Mint Condition and for our third release we are extremely proud to present one of Art Forest's (in our opinion) finest moments - The majestic, futuristic 'Expectations' EP. Released in 1992, this 4 track EP has always been sought after by Detroit lovers worldwide. Often very difficult to track down and commanding high prices on the second hand market, this 12" is a real rarity. Showcasing a style that stands out from a lot of records released around the same period "Expectations" still sounds so killer today. Listen to "Flow with me" on the b-side, an insanely deep, melancholic piece of Detroit house, steeped in motor city futurism (those synth pads!) and with an otherworldly vocal performance from Dan Carter it ticks all the boxes, absolutely sublime and worth the admission fee here alone. Stunning.
If you're up to your neck in the history of Detroit dance music, or if you've literally just stumbled upon this entire world of amazing music (Welcome!) you'll want a piece of this. Beautifully crafted deepness from a quiet master of the artform, what's not to dig MC003 has been reissued with the permission and involvement of Arthur Forest and remastered by London's very own Curvepusher. 100% legit, licensed and released. Dug, remastered, repackaged and brought to you by the caring folks at your new favourite reissue label - Mint Condition!
'Mint Condition - We're out there'

Weird-Pop-Männerfreundschaft: Connan Mockasin und LA Priest vereinen ihre Kräfte unter dem Moniker Soft Hair!

Unter dem Moniker Soft Hair haben sich gleich zwei Enfants Terribles der Szene zusammengefunden. Sam (Eastgate) Dust ist bereits unter seinem Pseudonym LA Priest Mitglied der Domino Familie. Zusammen mit Connan Mockasin haben beide jetzt die Haare schön. Soft Hair ist ein Projekt, das Mockasin und Dust schon vor über fünf Jahren auf Facebook angekündigt hatten. Das war etwa ein Jahr, nachdem die beiden sich auf der letzten Tour von Late Of The Pier kennengelernt hatten. Connan hatte damals den Support für Sam Dusts Band gespielt. Während Sam Dust aber die Welt bereiste, seine eigenen Instrumente erfand, malte und Bildhauerei lernte, bevor er 2015 als LA Priest sein Solo Debüt "Inji" veröffentlichte, veröffentlichte Mockasin mit "Forever Dolphin Love" und "Caramel" sogar zwei vielbeachtete Alben, tourte mit denen durch die ganze Welt und arbeitete mit Künstlern wie Vince Staples, Charlotte Gainsbourg und James Blake. Es ist so also kaum verwunderlich, dass es mehr als fünf Jahre gedauert hat, bis das Album der beiden fertig wurde. Alle Songs wurden in einer Sozialwohnung in St. Anne und einer Fabrik in Sneinton in Nottingham aufgenommen, über einer Autoreparaturwerkstatt und einem alten Schulgebäude in Anawhata, Neuseeland, im Keller und Schlafzimmer von Sams Haus in Loughborough, in Connans Wohnung nahe Old Street, London, im Studio Ferber, Paris, in einem Bungalow in Kurby Muxloe, in Leicestershire und ein bisschen auch in Hotels überall in Europa

WRWTFWW Records is feverishly thrilled to announce the first ever vinyl release of the soundtrack for Hélène Cattet and Bruno Forzani's critically-acclaimed Belgian-French giallo Amer (2009), filled with superb compositions by Italian movie score legends Ennio Morricone, Stelvio Cipriani, and Bruno Nicolai, all remastered for hardcore audiophile appreciation. This limited edition of 500 comes on an arousing Pitch Black 10 vinyl, housed in heavy cardboard old Stoughton tip-on jacket. Described by The New York Times as "a surreal cinematic tone poem that pays slavering homage to Italian giallo horror films of the 1970s", Amer finds its influences in the films of Dario Argento, Luis Buñuel, or Mario Bava and makes for a truly visceral cinematic experience, thanks notably to a perfectly curated soundtrack compiling some of the best songs from cult Italian movies of the past.

Following his debut solo release 'Altar Ego EP' on La Mission in early 2016, J Choirboy returns with more bombastic breakbeats and raucous rave chords for your earholes. Another sharp shot of nostalgia to the heart to have you waking up spluttering in the glory days of '92. Simpler times when the internet was still in black-and-white and you and seven of your mates would pile into Gaz's Vauxhall Corsa and drive to a field somewhere off the M25 for a 'propa wicked' rave which you found out about from a party hotline on a crumpled flyer with some tenuous reference to science in the title. It's once more time to don the boiler suit and your rose-tinted Lennon frames, bask in the smell of Vicks VapoRub, and pour over the Polaroid albums of yesteryear. A colossal bass drum with a healthy slathering of reverb lays the foundation in 'Full Effect'; the interlaced hardcore stab sets a melancholy tone. But lo! In rush the clattering chords of the piano, refuelling the piece with MDMA-laden euphoria. In 'Lights Down', J Choirboy explores the sombre and reflective modes of the hoover synth. Subtle plaintive chords offset the characteristic rumbling bass drum and syncopated cadences of the breakbeats. As the first release on new label Rough Grade, the EP provides an uncompromising dance floor onslaught, occasionally soothing the listener with catchy melodies before continuing course through a stormy sea of roaring beats. Not for the faint of heart. Vital Sales Points: - support from Answer Code Request, Ryan Elliott, Boys Noize, Dustin Zahn, Fiedel, Martyn, and many more for previous release 'Altar Ego EP' on La Mission.

Keep on keeping on, that's what they say. We are here at Hizou. So we are delighted to be back with this the ninth release on our main label, another exciting various artists affair and a follow-up to the well-received limited edition EP, Keepin' The Legacy.
 
First up is the house music equivalent of a heavyweight tag-team in the shape of respected veterans Chez Damier and Abacus, producers with credentials so impressive and lengthy it's eye-watering, alongside the rising talent that is Jorge Caiado (Balance/Groovement). The trio's dub mix of their cut Closer is proper deep-down-and-dirty bumpin' house of the old-school kind.
 
Another man with an impeccable pedigree, in-demand musician and producer James Duncan (Le Systeme/Real Soon), makes a welcome return to the label with the hypnotic 416 Zone Dub, an irresistible groover aimed squarely at the more discerning dance floor.
 
Making his debut here at Hizou is yet another seasoned artist, Jacksonville, owner of Doppler Records and gun-for-hire with the likes of Atmospheric Existence and Inner Shift. Having eyed his chugging and infectious Twilight Industries from afar, we are delighted to finally nail it onto our vinyl.
 
Keeping the fire burning and more than holding his own in such fine company is label head Satore, who unleashes his inner disco diva with the groovy, soul-drenched Keep On.

dedicated to promote young and evolving artists and to present musical diamonds in the rough, raster-noton is curating the unun series which name refers to the chemical elements 111-119. »unalloyed, unlicensed, all night!« is jesse osborne-lanthier's first release on raster-noton, and the ninth and final release of this series.jesse osborne-lanthier is a berlin / montreal based, canadian electronic music producer and multidisciplinary artist. his erratic research process incorporates the urgency of dance music and conceptual electronics by disassembling their grammar and acting through it. refusing to follow the etiquette of a particular musical genre, he explores many creative practices in order to generate clashes of mood, expectation and technique.
»unalloyed, unlicensed, all night!« was recorded by osborne-lanthier a mere two hours before a live set in paris. its specific purpose was to generate a response from the audience, to stimulate their bodies through sound. the toolbox for this task was stocked with automatic call-and-response music tropes drawn from EDM, big-room house, trance, and online production tutorials. between the producer's idiosyncratic by-the-numbers process and the rushed nature of the composition, the final product is rendered unpredictable; each signifier transforms into a distorted ghost of itself. this allows for unexpected responses to manifest on the dance floor as well as in the listener's space of existence.

Bonobo veröffentlicht den lang erwarteten Longplayer-Nachfolger auf seine Erfolgalben Black Sands & The North Borders inklusive Vocal-Features von Chet Faker, Rhye & Hundred Waters!

Simon Green, alias Bonobo, kehrt mit seinem sechsten Album zurück, dem meisterlichen, gebieterischen "Migration" - ein Werk mit dem er sich ein für alle Mal an der Spitze der elektronischen Musik verortet. In abwechselnden Zügen opulent, manisch, wunderschön, melancholisch, freudig, voller Emotion und technischer Fertigkeit, ist dies womöglich sein bislang ehrgeizigster Versuch, die grundlegende Beschaffenheit menschlicher Existenz und deren ausgedehnte Dynamik zu erfassen. Neben Zeitgenossen wie Four Tet, Jon Hopkins oder Caribou, zählen Wiz Khalifa, Skrillex, Disclosure oder Warpaint zu Bonobos prominentesten Fans. Sein 2013er Album "The North Borders" erreichte im UK die Top 30 und katapultierte sich auf Platz #1 der elektronischen Charts, sowohl in den USA als auch im UK. Im Zuge dessen spielte sein 12-köpfiges Kollektiv weltweit über 175 Konzerte, darunter zwei ausverkaufte Shows im Sydney Opera House, ein ganztägiges Festival im Londoner Roundhouse, eine ausverkaufte Show im Londoner Alexandra Palace sowie einige renommierte Festival-Slots. Inzwischen verfügt Bonobo rund um den Globus über eine umfangreiche, loyale und engagierte Fanbase. Mehr als eine halbe Million verkaufte Alben und über 150 Millionen Spotify-Streams gehen auf sein Konto und verdeutlichen den Erfolg, den sich dieser ruhige, bescheidene Mann erarbeitet hat. Dank "Migration" wird seine wunderschön raffinierte und gefühlsgeladene Musik in Kürze ein noch größeres Publikum erreichen. Das zutiefst Persönliche kann schließlich ebenso gut allgemein gültig sein.

Label owner Kastil comes up with the fourth 12'' in the Stale series. After imaginative releases by Irazu, Deapmash together with a string of underground cassette releases it's finally time for the man in charge to step back up with a very versatile and well balanced outing called ''The Sadistic Abbess''. The opening effort on the A side ''YD33'' is a modular sounding Techno cut that comes through as a robust and assertive opening track, showcasing Kastil's expertise in creating hazardous ambiances and programming rough drum patterns. ''Sphere of Influence'' is an intergalactic offering that is hard to pin down. The craze of FX on this cut is wide and thorough leaving the listening in somewhat of a frenzy. The built is strong and the effort develops into a monstrous buldger that balances smartly between different sides of electronic music. ''Bastardos'' is an emotive piece of cinematic proportions that serves as the outro for the A side. Wonderfully orchestrated pads and gloomy vocals. ''Variable Penrose'' opens up the B side. This cut will ensure some peak time dancefloor action due to it's structured nature. Serbian producer ''Lag'' offers an energetic remix of another Kastil original named ''Gold Coal''. ST171 will be available through all specialized retailers early 2017.

This is the first release of Steady Work By Dear Friends. Based in Heidelberg (Germany) they catered the city and its music lovers with good music for the last ten years. Dog Patrol is a young Mannheim (Germany) based producer and a long term and very good friend to the Steady Work By Dear Friends crew. Dog Patrol delivered for this release warm and shaking house. He twisted but not dubbed over his raw and lo-fi sounding style to three crawling but thriving tunes, which easily fit and hit every dancefloor.

Closing the sweltering season & sonically chronicling the transition from Summer to Fall in Detroit w/different takes on a melancholy tune f/ Egyptian Lover (electro), Pontchartrain (house), Table Daddy (techno), the original, & a slomo extract.

Novoline makes music with equipment that was manufactured in 1988 and 1989, controlled via midi by two ATARI STs. As a sequencer he is using an algorithmic composition program that is 25 years old. With this program he creates sequences that he modulates live by shifting numbers and settings while recording. The process is improvised and contains a good portion of randomly generated melodies and drums, carefully selected and combined by Novoline. The Result sounds a little like something between a dark 80's sci-fi soundtrack and an endless marching New Beat Extended Version. Enjoy the ride !

Phantom Forth were the brother sister team of Paul Luker (Guitar, Bass, Vocals), Debbie Luker (Drums, Guitar, Vocals) and Lorraine Steele (Keyboards, Percussion, Vocals). They formed in 1981 in Auckland, New Zealand. Paul began recording his own music after purchasing a 2-track from Oceania Sound. He formed a band with his flatmate and eventually met Lorraine through Debbie. With a shared love of Young Marble Giants and Cabaret Voltaire they started to rehearse at LAB Studio.

'The EEPP' was recorded in 1983 within a few weeks at Progressive Music Studios. Slated for release in February 1984, the mini-album finally appeared in November on Flying Nun Records. It contained seven moody sketches of Auckland. Their sound blends cold wave guitars, drum-machine propelled post-punk with female vocals. The core recording set up was a Casio-Tone VL, Boss DR-55 Dr. Rhythm, Roland TR-606 and an acoustic Yamaha bass. All original vinyl copies contained many clicks and pops and due to paper bits from previous jobs that pressing plant melted down. Included with this reissue are two early demos recorded at LAB in 1982, made prior to Lorraine joining the band, plus a recording from the Flying Nun live compilation 'The Last Rumba'.

All songs have been remastered from the original master tapes for vinyl by George Horn at Fantasy Studios in Berkeley. The vinyl comes housed in sleeve with original artwork collage designed by Paul Lurker. Each LP includes a two-sided 8.5x11 poster with notes and photos.

Before Bob Marley came on the scene, many in Britain dismissed reggae as either the stuff of one-hit wonders or skinhead
dance music. Now it is recognised as influential style, which has not only sold millions of records worldwide but had a major effect on the mainstream. But only a few of his fans realise the man's recording career was as lengthy as it was: though he died aged just 36 in 1981, he'd been active in the studio since 1962 onwards.Despite some of the tracks featured here would be re-recorded on later albums, these 'prototypes' exhibit a rough-hewn, soulful feeling. We all knew his music was timeless, this was but further proof.

Following on from Plus Instruments Love Is Enough Remixes EP comes an accompanying Dubs EP, featuring deeper reversions by Jamie Paton, Luke Solomon, Khidja and joining them with a breaks meets dubwise, Alphonse. Truus de Groots return to her Plus Instruments project after a 30 years break saw the label pick up her off-kilter House roller, Love Is Enough for one of our (e)special remixing packages. Here then, we turn out attention to everyones favourite, the Dubs. Starting with label mainframe, Jamie Paton, his Cloudy Dub-Out pulls his mix through modular prisms for heads down basement rumble. Echo chamber vocals, twisted syncopations and a bass to breakdown walls, this is Patons true calling - dub to get lost in and rightful to kick off the EP. Next guest remixer de jour, Luke Solomon stays close to his original bumpin remix, warping the vocal with skatntrippin wonk, all atop a funk bass line and riding shuffle percussion. Cha cha cha. On the flip, Khidja triumph again with a tougher version. Not a straight up dub of their remix, this pushes a nod to colder (wave) vibes, with industrial percussion riding high on their trademark production. Hard kick atop refrained synths, growing out of Eastern protoid routes to glimpse their future. Finally, mystery man Alphonse comes in from the dark to close with a killer breaks inspired dub. Utilising the originals bass with an angular break, the intricate cut up percussion, Theremin and vocals all glide, keeping the head and feet (jazz) dancing for some (free) party sound system love. Dub is enough

After 20 years of onset record of Robert Miles Self and Smilax Publishing have no exclusive for the World "Dreamland" in a special double LP "Deluxe Edition" which includes the most successful singles like CHILDREN, FABLE, ANE AND ONE and FREEDOM with the old so-called "Dreamland" in homage. unique debut album that holds the record as the most Italian dance 'album sold in the World of all time, but also as a representative of the only Italian manufacturer to have won the prestigious British award !!!!!!

2 tracks out of three are from Sparks... B side, that he opens with a great acid techno tune... And a mental tribe dancefloor. The A side starts with a good Keja tune, exciting for the dancefloor:) and a then comes Matec and his good Acid Mental pumper. Once again Plaque De Trip brings 4 good acid drivers !

'I take my guitar and strum and sing some tings and blow people's mind. But I ain't trying to do anybody's music. I'm doing what I feel' - Shadow

When it came out in 1984 the far-out album Sweet Sweet Dreams by Trinidad & Tobago's Shadow (aka Winston Bailey) was described as 'way ahead of its time'. Undeservedly it was panned by critics and, unable to reach markets, disappeared into the dusty record collections of a few music aficionados. Now, more than three decades later that cosmic dance-floor UFO is about to take off again, change all that and set the record straight. Remastered and cut by Frank Meritt at The Carvery the album is truly a masterpiece.

But who is this Shadow behind Sweet Sweet Dreams Shadow is a man of understated magnitude. A truly enigmatic artist, he first emerged in Trinidad and Tobago during the 1970s, becoming a part of the tapestry of Caribbean music and reinvigorating calypso at the time. Calypso, the indigenous folk music of Trinidad and Tobago, has roots in West African kaiso rhythms, French Creole influences, and the hardships endured by the African slaves brought to Trinbago, whose descendants still use it as a tool for satire, self-expression, and social commentary. Calypso has also given birth to several other music genres, including soca, with its uptempo beats and festival context. Shadow effortlessly moves between both.

Shadow came from a humble but musical family and started writing songs as a youth while tending cattle in the fields. To his family's initial chagrin he chose calypso over church music but his talent and drive were undeniable. In the early days of his career Shadow's style was cramped when working with some of the more conservative music arrangers who felt that calypso and soca should fit a mould. But after a while Shadow teamed up with more innovative arrangers, including Arthur 'Art'de Coteau, who followed their and Shadow's intuitions resulting in a long line of hits.

'The first time we met for me to arrange his music we had a heated argument on the arrangement for one of his songs, I was theoretically correct but Shadow was musically right. Shadow broke all the traditional musical rules and made his own and that made him a musical giant. He changed the face of Calypso music in 1974 with the release of "Bassman" a tune in which Bass and magnificent horn line took central stage changing Soca music for ever. What Shadow did with his music was to put calypso on the International Dance circuit, giving it a totally different groove. You could take his music and swing it in any direction, Disco, Pop, Calypso, you name it. His music was different from anything that existed before'. - Carl "Beaver" Henderson, one of Trinidad's veteran producers.

This inert creativeness culminated in Sweet Sweet Dreams which was arranged by Shadow and deals with burning and ever-relevant themes like love and the ups and downs of relationships. a surprising fact for someone mainly known for his satirical and political lyrics. It prompted his manager to wonder if Shadow had written the lyrics while in a state of 'tabanca' (a word used in Trinidad and Tobago to describe lovesickness).

Sweet Sweet Dreams was recorded at the legendary SHARC studios, located on a hill in Chaguaramas (near Port of Spain) and despite a fantastic sound and monster Soca-boogie tunes like 'Lets get it together', 'Lets Make it Up' and 'Way, Way Out' the album was a commercial flop, probably due to the fact that it didn't sound like anything else coming out of Trinidad & Tobago at the time: It fused a range of different rhythms and new sounds, primarily heavy synth riffs.

Shadow took the album's lack of success in his stride with usual aplomb:
'When I did Sweet Dreams I expect something could happen. But nothing big happen because I have no big market and no distribution and all this thing now. So I just cool myself and move on to another song. I wasn't doing just one song. I used to always have plenty songs at the one time. And be writing music'.

What Shadow didn't realise back then was that the proto-electronic cocktail he had mixed in 1984 would only find the recognition it deserved three decades later. Life has swung full circle: Sweet Sweet Dreams has come true and been elevated to holy grail status becoming one of the most sought-after Caribbean disco records in existence.

For this re-release we carried out extensive interviews with Shadow and the musicians and have included as bonuses exclusive photos from Shadow's personal collection and the dancefloor filler tune 'D'Hardest' was added as a bonus track.

Blood Debts' is the compulsive debut album from Years Of Denial, the alter-face of London-based French musician/producer and DJ, Jerome Tcherneyan.

Though his formulative Marseille youth was spent exploring the darkest corners of post-punk, New Wave, not to mention Public Enemy and the inspirational Mille Plateaux and Basic Channel labels, Tcherneyan, already an extremely capable drummer, quickly extended his sonic palate toward and beyond the bass-heavy electronic isolationism, insistent beats and drone experimentation that's still very much prevalent in his work today.
One should not either pass over his integral contribution to the much-lauded, though stolidly underground "ghost-rock" unit, Piano Magic, which engineered sublime collaborations with Brendan Perry (Dead Can Dance), Simon Raymonde (Cocteau Twins/This Mortal Coil) and Alan Sparhawk (Low). Tcherneyan, always prolific, can also lay claim to impressive collusions with Bonjo Iyabinghi Noah (African Head Charge), Damo Suzuki (Can), 70's psych folk legend, Mark Fry to name but a few.
In 2005, Jerome founded and promoted the infamous 'Flesh' parties; guests including Andy Stott /Claro Intelecto/Edit-Select/James Ruskin/Kirk Degiorgio/Mark Broom/Oliver Ho/Sigha/Steve Bicknell and many more. These nights served as an invaluable education in Techno and Dubmixology; marathon sets played deep into the sunrise.
Skip forward a decade and the DJ bug is even deeper embedded, with Tcherneyan sharing the booth with, amongst many others, Orphx/Phase Fatale/Joefarr and London Modular Alliance.

Tcherneyan's muse and foil on 'Blood Debts,' his first for Oliver Ho's splendid and already essential new Death & Leisure imprint, is Maya Petrovna, an entrancing London-based vocalist, film composer and performance/physical theatre artist, whose voice perfectly evokes Billie Holliday, Diamanda Galas and all stations between.
There's a black neon heart at the centre of 'Blood Debts,' a fetishtic ritual of contorted flesh and altered states; a feverish, infectious paradox of primitivism and modernity. Years of Denial is the ghost in the machine.

Moonshine Recordings continues to coordinate dub into all sorts of directions with its steady throughput of vinyl releases. This time around, it's the Spanish-based Bukkha to uplift all followers with two up-tempo rollers that take part in his crucial 'Ruling Sound' EP. His name has been all over the news inside bass culture lately, as the American released highly noted physical music on critical labels like Killa Sound and Dub-Stuy Records. He's been working his way to the top and the only thing the Moonshine Recordings imprint can do is support his efforts in pushing dub music to the masses at any given moment of the day.
On top of this wicked news, Portland's dub producer and engineer 'Skelli Skel' joins this session to frame the taste of the 'PDX Mandem' collective from back home. His love for complex rhythms and heavy bass lines fuel his adventure inside dub culture, something you'll hear when listening to 'MS028'. And with the familiar voice from don Junior Dread, who jumps in on the hype by illuminating the dub with carefully selected freedom of speech, it's the collaboration that speaks for itself. To top it all, TMSV is added to the release roster, a producer whose been dealing some serious damage with his inventive music repertoire. Whether it's music on the darker tip, or the more laidback sound, both Bukkha and TMSV know how to uplift and please their followers with bass-heavy, eardrums-teasing bass music.
Bukkha's 'Ruling Sound' leads his way through musicality by portraying the right balance of instruments and not to mention the gigantic bassline that disperses vibrantly through the lower bottom of the mix. The reigning vocal support from Junior Dread and dub techniques from PDX Mandem family Skelli Skell work out fantastically, as it makes this record come to life. Listen to the instrumental part that propagates in the exact sense of 'dub music', regardless of spinning on a higher beats per minute. The version 'Ruling Dub' by Bukkha himself plays a more meditative part inside your headspace; a clipping where basslines and effects will act up in a blurred version. It's the real attention to detail the American producer shares with remix boss TMSV, who hits fans with a darker joint that pays homage to Drum & Bass. It's aggressive stance forms the pinnacle of 'the right' B-side of a Moonshine Recordings plate. Just make sure you experience the second drop of this absolutely mammoth interpretation, as TMSV shuts down the place!

Dublin based disco imprint Fatty Fatty Phonographics return with the 4th instalment of their 'Downtownsounds Classics' series, this time throwing three stone-cold classics onto one 12, all given the re-edit treatment by in house producers Pablo and Shoey.
Voiced by Leroy Burgess, with drums by hip hop legend Marley Marl and production by The Aleem Brothers, 'Release Yourself' was a huge across-the-board anthem in the clubs of NYC on its release in 1984.
The lads have superglued elements of both the vocal and dub sides together for an epic end of night take on this beloved classic.The B side features two under appreciated classics from the pen of one Billy Nichols, a man known for his work with West End Records (the Levan mixed 'Give Your Body Up To The Music') and the funky band of brothers that was BT Express.
On 'Take Me...' Nichols' hooked up with disco master Patrick Adams for an emotional, string drenched disco belter that has found favour with the likes of Dimitri from Paris, Floating Points and Hunee.While 'Dance If Off' is a wonky proto Acid-Disco trip beloved of Rahaan and Eric Duncan of Rub 'n' Tug. With copies going for over 300 euros, you can do your bank account and your dancefloor a favour here...

The DJ/production duo from Munich back with four tracks full of bass-heavy excursions into hybrid forms of club music close to Grime, Dancehall, Dub, Techno and the yet unnamed territory in between - their natural habitat. Lead single and first track of the EP is Copper And Lead, which features "London city warlord" Riko Dan of Roll Deep fame, spitting dangerous lyrics on a Bashment/Grimeriddim.Following this is Blurred Vision, low end monster named after their gigantic soundsystem event series, exploring the middle ground between Dub and the technoleaning 4x4 universe. Up next is Killer, a song with Warrior Queen from Jamaica, who prepares for a Dancehall dub war on a 808-heavy beat straight from Miami...err, Munich.Topping the EP off is Siren Riddim, an instrumental uptempo bomb for the apocalypse club gang and all the gunfinger crew. It's the first EP in a series of three, leading up to an Haul & Pull Up album in early 2017. With this, Schlachthofbronx will follow up their three previous original albums (2009s Schlachthofbronx, 2012s Dirty Dancing and 2014s Rave And Romance), completed by EPs for Labels like Mixpak, Monkeytown, Mad Decent, Disko B and Man Recordings as well as production work for artists like M.I.A., Snoop Dogg, Major Lazer or Bonde Do Role.

REPRESSED !!

Originally self-released as a 7'' in 1982, Plath release is definitely one of the obscure gems of the Italian underground. TIP!
Plath were a duo from Prato, formed in 1982 by Silvia Innocenti (voice, bass guitar) and Fabrizio Lucarini (synth, drum machine). Plath were influenced by Throbbing Gristle and early Cabaret Voltaire works, moving in between two essential thematic actions: first, the constant search of a sound which aims to reflect the current reality as they were interpretating it and, second, the constant exposure of their anarchist ideological thinking against the established political and social system.

Mastering by Ruud 66.

Original 7'' graphics reworked for this issue.

While the A-Side includes the original single in full, with the classic 'I Am Strange Now', recently unearthed by Alessio Natalizia/Not Waving in his monumental 'Mutazione' compilation released by Strut Records in 2013, the B-side instead contains a killer percussive edit of Alessandro Adriani made for the most crazy mental dancefloors..

Bristol based Afro-beat band, Matuki are releasing their debut 7 single on December 2nd via Stutter & Twitch, featuring an exclusive remix by Shunya. As each side of the record paints a juxtaposing image, Matuki drives forward as they make a name for themselves as Bristol's most engaging afro-funk band. Side A 'Sanimenteren' showcases fiery horn melodies and liquid guitar riffs, whereas Side B 'INJO' changes direction completely, as Manchester producer Shunya takes the reins. By morphing Matuki's steadfast rhythm into a lucid downtempo glitch, Shunya creates a unique and mesmerizing new perspective towards the urban band's signature style. Likened to the legends Fela Kuti and Afro Manding the authentic Afro band punctured Bristol's music scene after an exceptional debut performance at Glastonbury's Glade Stage, blending jazz & psychedelic influences with urban-funk. The result Mesmerizing tracks and heavyweight horn lines that reflect on how the 12-piece collective are never afraid to venture out of their comfort zone, to create something special.Turbo-boosted grooves and fusing Afro Manding with intoxicating Fela Kuti horn lines, Matuki creates a rhythm so deep and hypnotic, it takes you on a journey' - Rhythm Passport'Matuki mix the classic ingredients - brass, beats, vocals and electricity - into something suitably hot'n'spicy..., If Bristol's Afrobeat scene gets any hotter we might as well move to Lagos' - Canteen Bristol. Fronted by master drummer and vocalist, Abraham Ebou Sanyang (Savanna, Magoma), Matuki mixes traditional afro-beat sounds with heavy doses of contemporary urban funk, into an exciting concoction of world music. The ensemble recently expanded after merging their sound with the Bristol Jazz Student ensemble Jamba Horns, and has previously collaborated with an array of versatile musicians including the Bristol Samba community. After the success of their debut performance, Matuki saw airplay from Bristol based DJ Hiphoppapotamus, and Miles Chambers of Lyrical Minded as well as BCFM, Bristol City Radio, Radio Ujima and Radio Helsinki, as an energizing sound bled into the airwaves. Touring the UK festival circuit, performing at Secret Garden Party, Green Man, Farmfest, Kendal Calling, Glastonbury to name a few, saw Matuki turn unassuming audiences into dancing frenzies, wherever they play.

Just in time for ADE, we are more than happy to present a new release by one of our main protagonists since our renaissance. Lehar has made a fascinating career in only two years, he is a key member in our label family as well as Diynamic and plays gigs around the world. His "White Diary EP" is his most unique release so far, with two original tracks by him and two dub versions by UK house legend Charles Webster.
"The Cave" is a very touching track which again shows Lehar's love for deep but popish moments in his music. Again, he has teamed up with L.A. singer Rush Midnight, who already lent his voice to "Number One Hero", which was released earlier this year on the Diynamic sub-imprint 2Diy4. An instrumental version is also available in the digital package.
The title track "The White Diary" is a demanding and hypnotic builder, which was already played often by Solomun during the summer. This is a next level Lehar track, signature sound structure combined with a highly effective arrangement. A winner for many situations.
Charles Webster has been a favourite of the Connaisseur label heads Alex Flitsch and Martin Henkel for ages. Requesting a remix by him has been on the Connaisseur bucket list since day one. He gave "The Cave" two different dub treatments, one
better than the other. His "Dub the First" already takes the original one foor deeper, making it very timeless and hypnotic. His "Dub the Second" takes it even deeper and is adding a proper portion of trippiness. Music for the guardians of the real stuff!

Dark Entries returns to the New Jersey basement studio of Smersh to unearth a 4-track selection from the 'Deep House Anthems' cassette. Smersh was the duo of Mike Mangino and Chris Shepard, who began making music together in 1978. They were uninterested in traditional notions of songwriting or live performance. Recording in a domestic setting necessitated the abandonment of live drums for rhythm machines, and the Smersh sound would gradually change with each new bit of gear they acquired. The Electro-Harmonic Rhythm 12 gave way to TR606, TB303, and SH-09. Most Monday nights, they would write a new song from scratch. A couple hours later, the song was recorded, never to be performed again. By 1988, they had already put out at least 16 different tapes on their own Atlas King imprint. They would be followed by as many more. Some of those (subsequent) tapes there were less than 10 copies that got made because nobody wanted them. They couldn't get reviewed,' says Mike Mangino. As these tapes traded their way across continents, Smersh developed a devoted following in places far beyond Piscataway, leading to releases on dozens of other labels from around the globe. Smersh's sound is a lush hybrid of techno, industrial, dance, and experimental. Most songs revolve around driving EBM style beats, intricate industrial noise manipulation and synth melodies. For 'Selected Deep House Anthems' we selected 4 tracks of pulsating acid techno, which were recorded live, direct to DAT. All songs were originally recorded and released in 1991, and this the first time all but one of these songs are appearing on vinyl.

''In a time of peace and prosperity on Phantom Planet, three unwanted heroes arrive home to seek justice where there is none to be sought. Shunned by modern society, Forsh gets a job at the electricity board, Red Defender snoozes through work at the local news and booze, and Bin Man finally finds his dream job... as a postman. With no evil to lay waste to, they put their dinner money together to create the world's greatest record label, BOSS TRACKS. Using broken dustpans and Dance Ejay '98, they create what will go down in history as the most seminal and brilliant piece of musical forgery known to Merseyside. 4 tracks packed full of pure dance floor steroids for your love-pump; this is interstellar muscle music at its finest, let it reach out grab you by the tenderloins! Thank you Phantom Planet Outlaws. Once again the world has been changed forever, for the better.''

A year after their impressive last album Burn It Down, Detroit techno legends Octave One are back with a nine track double EP that again shows they are masters of big hypnotic grooves.

Entitled Love by Machine, the album's name is a nod to the fact that the Burden brothers are such revered masters of their hardware. Both in the studio, where they cook up atmospheric house and techno with soaring synths and vocals and also in the live arena, where they are celebrated as one of the most accomplished and forward thinking performers in the game today. That is all the more impressive when you bear in mind they have been active since the '80s, most often releasing on their own 430 West label, which is where they appear again here.

Say Lenny: We've been exploring the theme of connection with this project. How technology gives us the illusion that we are closer to each other more than ever. At some point humanity crossed a line where the devices that we created to bring us together are the same devices that are blocking us from organic experiences.'

Technology is only a tool, which we also had in mind during the recording process.' Adds Lawrence. We decided to go back to how we used to make our records, when we didn't have so many 'sophisticated' audio devices. Back to when we interacted in the studio together as musicians.'

Things open up with the loose metallic percussive line that is In Mono, which sets the machine made tone and is filled with promise. Locator then immediately gets to action with a gallivanting techno kick and various synth lines wrapping round each other as you get sucked into the groove. Just Don't Speak (Midnight Sun Redub) is a more deep and house leaning track with big feel good piano keys and slithering synths that will get hands in the air. Proving they have real range, 7 B4 Dawn is a moody and reserved cut with subtle acid pricks, hip swinging claps and a spaced out dead of night feel.


The second half of the album offers peak time business in the form of the spectacular Bad Love II, the whirring and cosmic Sounds of Jericho and the big loops and fluid grooves of (Where) Time Collides. Pain Pressure is a wonky number with big bassline and a focus on percussive patterns as well as some vocals with real attitude and last cut 8 B4 Dawn ends things in a downbeat and sombre way with sad chords and emotive strings. It is pure Detroit, much like the whole album, and rounds out another fine release from these most revered veterans.