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The insanely-prolific (as well as simply, insane) DANGER BOYS are most likely no stranger to your ears. In the past few years, the Neapolitan duo of (Raffaele Arcella) WHODAMANNY and (Enrico Fierro) MILORD has churned out innumerable releases (both as solo artists and with their projects THE NORMALMEN and MYSTIC JUNGLE TRIBE, of which the duo comprises 2/3) that have infected dance floors the world over.

Here, the duo inhabits their latest incarnation/incantation: DANGER BOYS. The result: a postapocalyptic, post-punk, disco-not-disco masterpiece that sounds like a record you dug out of a dusty flea market bin in Mexico City in 1982 - or maybe 2082 - hard to truly say.

The EP starts off with the spaced-out chugger, Monsters From the Future - which drags you into their bizarre universe, before ratcheting up the tempo for the rest of the EP.

Next up is Mind Control Musique, which delivers an insanely catchy chorus sung in a non-existent language.

THEN - the B-side - where Danger Boys opt to sing in Spanish for two versions of Gringo Tropicana, a track which is already becoming a staple of numerous prominent DJ’s summer festival sets (including Bradley Zero, Yu SU, and Artwork, to name a few).

As always, Vinyl only. Picture sleeve with OBI strip.

As a fine collector of Jazz-Funk and Fusion for many years, Charles Maurice selected some of his favorite forgotten productions, as he previously did for the AOR Global Sounds, French and Brazilian Disco Boogie Sounds compilations series.

This time, recordings come from Sweden, Switzerland, South Africa, New Zealand, Uruguay, Spain and France, from artists and bands mostly known in their local scenes. You'll hear here the best elements of the Fusion and Jazz-Funk genre: breezy vocal arrangements reminding Flora Purim in Return To Forever or George Duke's albums, sweet and virtuosic Fender Rhodes (kind of common thread of the comp), melodic spiral-shaped fuzzy synthesizers leads, or irresistible basslines, altogether bringing a unique groove to life.

Höga Nord Rekords kindly welcomes Teecwa back to the label, following up his last full length-album “Beyond the Altai” with “Elysian on Moon Lake”. He is still exploring the intersections between house, electro, techno and dub and once again he manages to harness the analogue electronics in his machines to produce modern psychedelia.

“Elysian On Moon Lake” is rawer, less airy and not as sparkling as his last album. This is a tighter, and slightly darker experience than Teecwa’s previous work, maybe caused by being in quarantine for extensive time during production, letting some of the dreaminess aside for the harsher reality in a pandemic world. Still, you get a mind-altering experience in a lot of tracks since the album starts off in a lighter tone than how it later develops. Switching from the A- to the B-side works as a rite of passage going from dusk to night; the sun rays through the blinders are replaced by neon light dancing on the walls and ceiling.

Regarding the dramaturgy of “Elysian On Moon Lake”, this album has movielike qualities; a well-directed piece from the opening impact and setup through the confrontational part where intensity builds up to the climax in “Hythmdoser” to the cooling down effect of the peaceful closer “Celestial Trails”. The trip eventually ends up in a safe and happy place after the cathartic finale.

This is not a just collection of songs, this is an album made to experience in full length without interruptions.

The “Tumult Hands” duet is made by Jacek Sienkiewicz and Jerzy Przezdziecki - the producers
whose composition has - to a large extent- defined the Polish techno music. Sienkiewicz - as
early as Recognition - started his adventure with music in the late 1990s. Subsequent records,
already under his own name, were released, among others, at Cocoon Records, Trapez, Klang
Elektronik and WMFRec. Przezdziecki started publishing a little later. Over the last two
decades, he has been presenting various types of electronic music, among others, as Praecox,
Epi Centrum and Jurek Przezdziecki.
“Tumult Hands” has two EPs on its account – “Tumult Hands EP” (2014) and “Tropic
Factory” (2016). Both were published by Recognition. So a full record was a matter of time.
The album titled: “TH” (Recognition, 2022) has been prepared for many years. The repertoire
was created mainly out of improvisation. As artists themselves say, “it is the result of
discovering and accepting a chance event.” For both producers, close contact with
instruments was important during their composition; the type of interaction between the maker
and an electronic device. Individual works have been maturing for a long time. Paradoxically -
the lapse of time did not cause them to be ageing but vice versa - allowed them to mature and
gain natural weight.
“TH” brings very diverse music. In part, it is the repayment of the debt that Sienkiewicz and
Przezdziecki incurred towards the most creative techno period, that is, the 90s of the 20th
century. The lovers of experimental dance music from before the quarter of the century will
easily capture in the duet’s themes the art of Cristian Vogel, producers known from the tin
series of Chain Reaction record company or early recordings of Richie Hawtin (Plastikman,
F.U.S.E.). This is a very similar, non-standard approach to sound structure and an original
approach to rhythmic structures. Minimalist melodies, accompanying e.g. the opening of the
“enter TH” or “pow” set, contribute to the composition an element of some sublimity and
metaphysical anxiety. Obviously, it is still the dance music but the duet - to some extent by
abandoning the club functionality (understood in the techno convention) - has given its music
a definitely sophisticated, artistic elegance.
Publishing cooperation between such important makers, as well as high quality of recordings,
leads us to see “TH” as something more than just another techno record. It is an event and an
electronic adventure that all lovers looking for dance music will appreciate.

An absolutely legendary album from Lebanon by Issam Hajali’s group Ferkat Al Ard, “Oghneya” stands out as one of the great musical gems of the Arab world. A groundbreaking release from 1978 that represents the meeting point of Arab, jazz, folk and Brazilian styles with the talent of Ziad Rahbani, who did the albums arrangements. Filled with a variety of sounds and genres, from Baroque Pop to Psych-Folk to flashes of Bossa Nova, Tropicalia and MPB, “Oghneya” is like if Arthur Verocai took a trip to Beirut in the 70’s to record an album.

In 2015 we heard Ferkat Al Ard’s music for the first time, a Lebanese trio compromised of Issam Hajali, Toufic Farroukh and Elia Saba. It was a stunningly unique release that blends traditional Arabic elements, jazz and Brazilian rhythms hand in hand with poetic-yet-politically engaged lyrics. The band was active in the left-wing movement of Lebanon of the time and they communicated their political ideas candidly through their songwriting.

In our mind the idea was to see whether Issam was interested in re-releasing “Oghneya.” He was not opposed to it, but also made it clear that it was not his priority for a first project. He suggested we start with his first album, before Ferkat Al Ard was formed, “Mouasalat Ila Jacad El Ard,” which was recorded in 1977 in Paris together with his friend Roger Fakhr (whose work we have been privileged to re-release in the meantime as well.) “Mouasalat Ila Jacad El Ard” is melancholic, stripped-down, guitar-based folk intertwined with jazz-fused breaks, and the unique sound of the santour glistens through. While the music is very accessible, some song structures are rather atypical, neglecting common patterns of verse, hook, verse, hook. The lyrics mostly trace back to the poetic work of Palestinian author Samih El Kasem, with one song also written by Issam, who composed the music for the whole album.

We re-released Issam’s “Mouasalat Ila Jacad El Ard” in 2019 to a great reception, with positive reviews all over the place and an ongoing appreciation for the album. This meant it was time for us to undertake an “Oghneya” re-release again!

If you compare “Mouasalat Ila Jacad El Ard” and “Oghneya,” one apparent distinction is the strong Brazilian influence in the music. Issam Hajali explained that you can already hear traces of this influence on his debut, but it’s “Oghneya” where this musical relationship really peaks. Lebanon and Brazil have had a strong connection for nearly a century due to the continuous flow of immigrants from one country to the other. Today, Brazil has the largest Lebanese diaspora in the world, the “Brasilibanês”. The migratory route was not a one-way street, however, and some Lebanese returned to their home country, taking recordings of the music they learned to love in Brazil with them. They were followed by Brazilian musicians who visited primarily Beirut during the 1960’s and the first half of the 1970’s, just like many other musicians from around the world. In these years between the independence and the beginning of the civil war, Beirut became even more of a cultural center and regional hub than it already was.

Bossa Nova, at that time, was one of the defining sounds of Brazilian popular music. Issam Hajali remembers hearing it at a bar in Beirut’s Hamra district in 1974, which hosted musicians from Brazil playing the occasional gig. When Issam had returned from Paris in 1976 he got to know Ziad Rahbani, son of Fairouz, who had a shared passion with Issam for a lot of things, among them Brazilian music. Issam showed him some of the tracks he was working on, and Ziad agreed to help with arranging. The music that evolved from this cooperation between Ferkat Al Ard and Ziad Rahbani’s arrangement is, to put it lightly, outstanding. Issam’s singing is embedded into the uniquely beautiful string arrangements backed by the band’s poignant, swinging groove. The lyrics of the songs on “Oghneya” are based on poems by Mahmoud Darwish, Samih Al Qasem and Tawfiq Ziad, three pillars of Palestinian poetry within the last century, and their influence on “Oghneya” was itself a strong political statement during the Lebanese war.

“Oghneya” was eventually released in 1978 by the band themselves on cassette tapes. Finding a blank tape that fit the playing time proved to be impossible during the war so they needed to open up the case of each cassette to physically cut down the tape and customize it to the playing time. The album was well received, though some cultural critics deemed it too “occidental” in its sound. While the cassette was circulating, Ziad Rahbani started a label called Zida, together with Khatchik Mardirian. They decided to help the band with a re-release on vinyl in 1979, a year after “Oghneya” was originally released on cassette.

Sadly, there are two tracks from the original release of “Oghneya” that did not make it onto the reissue. “Ghfyara Ghaza” was replaced by the song “Juma’a 6 Hziran.” while “Huloul” was taken off without a replacement. This happened as a precondition from the band for this reissue to happen. We would have loved to include all tracks, but the decision ranged between having either a reissue like the one we put out or no reissue at all. Thus, an easy choice for us.

As always both vinyl and CD come with an extensive booklet with an interview with Issam as well as unseen photos from the recording sessions.

Compiled by Sean Marquand and Greg Caz, 2 DJs well-known for their epic parties at Williamsburg’s legendary Black Betty club, that sadly closed in 2009. The duo played a deep variety of strictly vintage samba, samba-rock, Tropicalia, and Brazilian funk under the banner of ‘Brazilian Beats Brooklyn’.

Sean is known as half of Embassy Sound Productions. He took his team to Brazil to help resurrect Black Rio legends Uniao Black for a new release. Greg has DJ'd at some of the hottest Brazilian parties around the globe and presents a monthly radio show ‘Warm Wave’ on Soho Radio NYC.

Featuring Noriel Vilela’s singular “16 Toneladas,” a sublime cover of the Tennessee Ernie Ford smash “16 Tons” with a spare samba groove and unbelievable baritone vocals and hot jams from Tim Maia, Erasmo Carlos, Joao Bosco, Toni Tornado.

Included in this compilation of original 60's and 70's Brazilian gems are some of Greg and Sean's favourite tracks that have been filling dancefloors for years.

12" LP (300) 'Nostalgia Por Mesozoica' is an exploration of "experimental exotica" consisted of synthesized tropical attributes — an artificial landscape isolated behind the glass frame.Reminiscent of recording techniques and sonorities ubiquitous in the 60’s and 70’s, it could conceivably have been intended as a soundtrack for the Mesozoic Era exhibition at your favorite Natural History museum.

Tropical Horses has been a figure of the Parisian underground for a little decade. After almost mistakenly seducing young talent runners who had only understood his music at its brightest, the boy released the very dark "Mirador" on Anywave in 2016, a hybrid between malevolent pop, walls of sound and assumed madness.

Since then, this great loner has never stopped rising to the hard, alone with his loopers, in intense and rough concerts while finely mixing extra-western grooves and melodies to his art. From these 5 years of maturation and opening results Fever, haunted, joyful and overpowering record.

Italo disco meets Balearic ethno-funk in the third installment of re-edits from DJ collective Siffleur. Side A is your leftfield, sensual 80s nostalgia, your introspective, post-multiverse ‘club tropicana’. Side B will take you on a dreamy night-journey through city streets where love is a pink neon light.

From the landlocked tropical savanna of Upper Volta, an ever-evolving cast of musicians brought the world's rhythms to the streets of their native Bobo-Dioulasso. Combining Congolese rhumba, American R&B, French yé-yé, Cuban son, and regional Senufo and Mandingo traditions, Orchestre Volta Jazz was at the epicenter of the West African musical explosion of the '60s and '70s. Air Volta compiles nine original songs originally issued on the Disques France-Afrique and Sonafric labels, a peerless primer of a group that turned the brutality of colonialism into something beautiful and enduring.

First ever reissue of one of the most sought after titles in the catalogue of Peruvian's label MAG, in high demand not only among Latin music collectors but also among those interested in the most exotic and experimental psychedelic sounds around. - It includes 'Astronautas a Mercurio', a cosmic descarga full of electronic effects, filtered voices and fierce guitars with wah wah and raw distortion, as well as guarachas, cumbias and descargas. - Details: Hugo Macedo was a member of the first sonora in Peru, directed by his brother: the Sonora de Lucho Macedo. His brothers were the singers of the band while he performed as a timbalero. After nine years he founded the Sonora Casino of Hugo Macedo in 1964, later incorporating his wife, Lucía "Pochita" Rivera as a vocalist. "Trompeteros" was released on the Peruvian record label MAG in 1972. Previously, the Sonora Casino had already recorded several albums for Philips since the mid-60s. At the time their repertoire was fed by rhythms such as cha cha cha, bolero, guaracha... Their MAG period would start in 1970 with the album "Pochita y la Sonora Casino de Hugo Macedo" in which Hugo Macedo's wife was granted with an important visual presence on the front cover, with a similar follow-up on "Trompeteros", creating some confusion since vocalist Pachito Nalmy was the actual main singer on the record. The vocalist, who hails from Callao, demonstrates here a great vocal versatility as captured on songs like 'Guajira del amor', with a heavy rhythm that will surely delight boogaloo lovers, or the bolero number 'Pasa, pasa', being both songs own compositions of the multitalented Nalmy. Guarachas, descargas and cumbias complete the offering of this fantastic album, one of the strongest tropical LPs in the MAG catalogue. But the real banger here is the almost magical 'Astronauts to Mercury', a cosmic descarga full of electronic effects, filtered voices and fierce guitars with wah wah and raw distortion, closer to the sound of any psychedelic recording than the classic tropical sound of La Sonora Casino, and right next to those elements, an impressive brass section that boosts the intensity of the song to the highest levels. It is not surprising that "Trompeteros" has become in recent years a highly sought-after album not only by Latin music collectors but also by those after the most exotic and experimental psychedelic sounds around... Pablo Iglesias aka DJ Bongohead

For Richard Dorfmeister and Rupert Huber, the idea of rebirth is a creative driving force – an artistic device which not only informs their work, but anchors it. As the avant-garde electronic group Tosca, the two artists have lived many musical lives, from their early electronic experiments with tape decks to the blissed-out dub compositions with which they have made their name.

The Dutch six piece put their heads together to create two laidback tunes full of atmosphere and organic magic that blend just the right amount of spontaneity and song craft. The band have honed their sound at home and on stage with sold-out shows in and around Amsterdam, including as support act for bands such as Jungle By Night.

The A side track Loud N’ Stuff is one of those special moments when all the elements just fall into place, coming together in a hungover haze of new wave disco jams and dancing at their studio space in Haarlem. On the flip, Pada Pada combines tropical rhythms and percussion with lush chord progressions to perfectly soundtrack those cocktails by the pool on a wavy summer eve. Both tracks were recorded with Nic Mauskovic, with additional passes on the mixer for dubs and delays, to give the tracks an extra spacey sheen.

For Richard Dorfmeister and Rupert Huber, the idea of rebirth is a creative driving force - an artistic device which not only informs their work, but anchors it. As the avant-garde electronic group Tosca, the two artists have lived many musical lives, from their early electronic experiments with tape decks to the blissed-out dub compositions with which they have made their name. Their latest project, OSAM, takes this idea of renewal even further. A meditative journey through rhythm and texture, the album represents a new chapter for the Austrian duo. It's as much an instrument for change as it is a source of inspiration. 'Osam' is a direct translation of the number eight in Serbian, but it also acts as the mediaeval symbol for a fresh start - a renaissance. This is their ninth studio album but in true Tosca style when they started working on the concept for the record, they thought it was their eighth.

Touch Sensitive is honoured to dig into the vaults of legendary cult French group Vox Populi! with a collection primarily pulling from their creative highpoint of 1986-1990. The vast majority of the works are unreleased and all make their first appearance on vinyl. The recordings have been licensed from the group's extensive archive, mastered by Rupert Clervaux and cut by Andreas Kauffelt at Schnitstelle. The release is completed by liner notes focusing on Vox Populi!'s creative process and prolific output. Springing from the rip it up restart of post-punk in 1980 and primarily active throughout that decade, Vox Populi!'s discography is a perfect showcase of an almost unclassifiable group. The often-used 'ethno-industrial' tag - even if not approved by the group - goes some way to describing a melting pot of primarily self-taught techniques and vast cultural influences. Founding member Axel Kyrou's parents were avant-garde musicians and filmmakers resulting in a heavy cultural immersion from a young age. His partner and bandmate Mitra moved from Iran to Paris in 1978 - followed a few years later by her virtuoso brother Arash who joined the group at the age of 14. Based in their 14th arronidissement studio - previously Axel and his brother's family playroom - Vox Populi! quickly became a lynchpin in the Parisian experimental scene and beyond through the burgeoning mail-art scene. The group contributed work to a huge number of independent labels. Their music and approach quickly progressed from rudimentary experiments to harness transcendental spiritual qualities and moments of intense beauty. In this collection, we can feel the vibrations of Don Cherry's Organic Music Society, Faust's communal explorations and King Tubby's forward-thinking studio experimentation. "We recorded everything - every idea. We would always have a cassette or a reel running. We made such different styles - freaky, alternative, experimental, industrial etc. We had no rules and no plans - our main motives were play and pleasure. I think that many people can feel that in the music." Three tracks recorded in 2017 by a reconfigured Vox Populi! sit perfectly with music from 30 years previous - "We were never defined by fashion or the zeitgeist. So we remained ourselves. Our sound is still natural. We had to be turned on by our own music and we wanted the music to have an impact on consciousness. We were the subjects of our own experiments and there was also a kind of mystery - even for us." The Psyko Tropix collection is another magical and mysterious addition to the open-hearted and open-eared world of Vox Populi! "The music of Vox Populi! found me several years ago and it was one of my record digging highlights. Their stark contrast of dark and light paints a beautiful picture of the physical and mental world we all live in. This new album doesn't miss a step in exploring further in both directions" Cut Chemist

Much in demand album from 1986.

Not much is known about the mysterious pop sensation Vumani or his short musical career. Originally from KwaZulu Natal he made his way to Johannesburg in the mid 80’s to follow his dream of becoming a recording artist. He was able to make that dream come true when talent scouts from Decibel Music came across the charismatic youngster. At the time Decibel was still a small fish trying to make waves and the label believed in Vumani they had found the star they were looking for. Being a label with mostly groups signed to the catalog they needed a Front Man to push into the growing demand for Solo Artists that were dominating the airwaves and catching the hearts of youngsters.

Up to this point Decibel had one major hit record. In 1986 they released a single by an artist named David Thanzwane. The music was a direct rip off of the first hit Single by Shangaan Disco pioneer Paul Ndlovu. Copying the music of both sides of the original single the “covers” offered different lyrics and hooks also sung in xiTsonga. This was enough to trick the masses and the single led to record sales for the small label. The unintentional outcome of the single was that from then on the producers and label had one sound they wanted to pump out in hopes of recreating that magic. This desire to create another Shangaan Disco hit would be the backbone of the Vumani sound and what makes his music so special and collectable after all these years.

That same year Vumani would release two Singles, Black Mampatile and Guy Fawkes. Musically these playful and fun singles would have great appeal to youngsters as they sung of daily life in the Townships. Black Mampatile being a game of Hide and Seek, Banana Kari referring to the trucks that would go around the Township exchanging chips and snacks for glass bottles and of course every child’s favourite reason the dress up on November 5th, Guy Fawkes Day. Both singles were received well and a few more tracks were later recorded to create the full album Isiqedakoma. Although he would sing in Zulu the music was unmistakable for Shangaan Disco. The synth heavy bass lines and happy melodies along with relatable fun lyrics were a perfect blend for an album that would make people dance if they were out at a Tavern or Shabeen on a weekend or just enjoying at home with family and friends.

Vumani quickly became the Label’s top priority with managers making sure he always had the freshest clothing styles to go along with his persona, and he never missed any performances or opportunities to impress a crowd. His popularity grew in the Township’s but with that came the unfortunate and all too common problems with fame. He started getting mixed with wrong crowds. He would record another album for Miracle Music, the Decibel sub label that had emerged to focus on the more underground sounds of the post synth pop era. Musically things were going well for Vumani but it would be his life off the stage that would catch up with him. Always known for his commitment to his music and fans one day he uncharacteristically failed to show up and was never heard from again. His body would later be found in a burnt car on the outskirts of Soweto. What led to his tragic death was never known but with the company he kept it is not hard to imagine what one of the many situations that led to that horrific ending could be. His funeral was attended by the entire Township it seemed as people packed the service and flowed out onto the streets, a testament to his popularity and the love the people had for one of their own.

After the Bend is the second album from Louisville based Flanger Magazine, and the follow up to FM’s 2018 debut, Breslin. Whereas Breslin was the solo creation of Christopher Bush, an album noted for “an astute synthesis of ‘library music’ and solo acoustic guitar,” and “a seamless blend into the uncluttered and airier side of classic 1970’s giallo,” After the Bend is an ensemble affair. An ecosystem, a perfect mutualism bodies forth—of strings, outdoor recordings, electronics, reeds, and percussion—featuring new FM players Anna Krippenstapel (Frekons (Freakwater + Mekons), The Other Years), Jim Marlowe (Equipment Pointed Ankh, Tropical Trash, Sapat), Eric Lanham and Benjamin Zoeller (both from Caboladies). The various combos perform with both a distinguished efficacy and unhurried Sunday drift—charged and beautiful, pulsating and pleasing. The production is subtle and tasteful. Mutating past the old saws of bounded individualism, a strange form of tentacular life accrues, cyborgian-fungral-tangles of the more-than-human variety.

Robert Beatty’s cover art of otherworldly and interconnected river-scape gradients, coupled with song titles like “Reservoir,” “Falls Fountain Removed,” and “Sympathies for the River,” cue and clue the listener toward a river as a singular multitude analogue for the album. Interstitial gaps, clearings and openings give rise and merge into an accumulated flow from the tributaries of spirited improvisational performance, palimpsestic song cycles, and high fidelity studio production. The composite sound-image of After the Bend refuses to put both oars down into any one of the eddies of the folk, sound, chamber, electronic, or jazz idioms, and instead glides along the currents found within the slipstreams between.

Gathering samples, a River Doctor Limnologist inspecting the properties of After the Bend might note the specter of Leroy Jenkin’s free-violin heat-light deepin the water’s thermal stratification. Or mortgage the late-Maestro’s time with Gruppo di Improvvisazione Nuova Consonanza to pay down the growing river heat budget. Or take one’s dirty buckets to the banks of the 19th laundromat where Walt Dickerson plays his vibraphone parts from Divine Gemini with dowsing rods. Or excavate the bedrock in the drainage basin, noting skeletal remains of a Shostakovich string quartet attempting to tune up a Kentucky Fiddle’s subsequent influence on the chemical composition of the water. Or consult the historical revisionist reenactment troupe’s episode of Fishing with John (Fahey) in which Codona, The Sea Ensemble and Nuno Canavarro guest host as their fleet of paddle boats churn river water into a regal lager, and all the fish get drunk in their quest for the leaner enamel Hosianna Mantra GPS coordinates of the Fattened Herb.

Bush and Marlowe recorded and produced the album at End of an Ear Studios, located in the Portland neighborhood, in the west end of the city of Louisville, bordering the Ohio River, between Kentucky’s Upper South and the Indiana’s Midwest, during the first year of the global pandemic, amidst the planet’s sixth great extinction event. As good a time to be alive as any other. (by Kris Abplanalp)

French label Aldente presents their new soul tropical single. On flute, you'll find Jazzamar from the Brazilian Electronic Jazz Nu Tropic associated with french beatmaker Lord Funk under the name Tropical Combo.

The A side entitled "Jungle Fever" talks by himself, a warm time in the African forest we are between "An Elephant Called Slowly" and "The Chackachas".

The B side "Incredible Bongo Flute" is an uptempo track as a tribute to the classic "Apache" with hot bongos, congas & flute. Put the needle on the record and this soul tune will make you think about the pressure on a cypher with B.Boys. Join the battle and make a break!

After a 7 year hiatus Myor are finally back with the fourth instalment of their Tropical Heat series. The formula: 6 tracks by 6 different producers, spanning a wide array of styles and genres.

Motëm and Light Club both provide the half tempo vibes, harking back to the label's skweee and hip hop roots.

Breda native Muxi gets dusty and wobbly on a PO-33 tip with his off-kilter shuffler Strung, whereas Alex Lay-Far lays down some serious mid tempo breakbeat heat, giving praise to early 90s hardcore and golden era trip hop alike.

Finally, new school jungle wizard Sempra and label head honcho Coco Bryce come correct with some 160 cuteness on Touch and Closer respectively.

Limited to 250 copies worldwide.

Croatia's Fiume delivers a full length eight track lp for L.I.E.S., following his cult 2019 Bunker Records release.

Jasmin Mahmić, (who is also known for his Le Chocolat Noir project) returns with his absolute blackened industrial onslaught straight from the depths of the Balkans. Fiume takes us into a netherworld of short circuited electronics, scrap yard soundscapes and foreboding, stark ,straight from your worst nightmare vocals. Barren wastelands, tropical depression, vast nothingness of the modern age, pillaged republics and metropolis' that have gone wrong, this is world downfall music. Let your own irrelevance stare you down in the mirror, minutes crawl like days, horror of life goes on. These are the sounds in your head, try to claw your way out. Recommended!

Peruvian cumbia, also know as "chicha", brings together tropical music styles from Colombia and Cuba, Western influences such as 60s beat and psychedelic rock, and mixes them with indigenous melodies from the Amazonian jungle and traditional Andean songs. The result is a unique and vibrant style of music which reverberates with life. Vampisoul's compilation includes tracks by the most important bands of the genre. Peruvian cumbia is currently being rediscovered by new audiences and there exists a thriving club and live venue scene in cities like New York, London and Madrid.
36-page booklet with extensive liner notes in English and Spanish plus photos and memorabilia.

All you need is Lava. Lava is all you need…

Disco’s most erotic walking, talking light show Sexy Lazer makes his debut on Riotvan with three delightfully cosmic oddities and odysseys. At points sleazy, at other points sparkling, forever loaded and coded with space, each of the three originals promises full immersion and escapism.
Zone out to the woodwind wonderment of ‘Fluting In Space’, freak out to the synth-powered bliss of ‘Future’ and totally trip out to the much darker and pensive Black Strobe-like ‘Jing Jang’. Meanwhile on the remix front label co-boss Panthera Krause gets his prowl on with the swampy, sweaty tropical twist on ‘Future’ while Axel Boman gets his dub on with his take on ‘Fluting In Space’.

Three stellar originals, two star-gazing versions, one beautiful trip into the deep unknown. Show some lava!

The eagerly anticipated second remix package of André Hommen’s More Than This album is set for release in April on his These Eyes imprint. Following the Remixes Pt.1, featuring Robag Wruhme and Jonathan Kaspar, André recruits heavy-weight’s Donato Dozzy, Michael Mayer and Manuel Tur to deliver the remixes of Pantone. Donato Dozzy kicks things off with a tribal-esque remix. A bass-heavy, rolling drum at the heart of the track is met with intricate percussion and bird sounds, which take you on a tropical journey. Michael Mayer’s remix gets to work with a punchy, up-tempo bassline, perfectly partnered with airy synths and soothing pads. Rounding off the release, Manuel Tur’s remix offers darker drums that progressively build, enhanced with finely chopped vocals that echo in and out combined with minimalistic melodies. Italian native Donato Dozzy is widely acclaimed in techno circles across the globe. Displaying a large variation in terms of sound and method, his releases can be found on Tresor, Spectrum Spools and his own Spazio Disponibile. As a co-founder of Kompakt, Michael Mayer works closely with artists on their releases for the label. With three studio albums under his belt and numerous remixes for the likes of Miss Kittin, Pet Shop Boys and Depeche Mode, it’s easy to see why Mayer has such an acclaimed status in the dance world. Manuel Tur was born and raised in Essen, Germany. He released his debut EP at the age of sixteen and has gone on to release on labels such as Freerange and Running Back.

Favorite Recordings presents Dark Is The Color, the first LP by Alan Shearer reissued on vinyl for the first time. Despite being initially composed and produced for the French library label PSI, this rare
and obscure in-demand gem from 1985 sounds retrospectively like a proper album with great coherence and sophistication all along. Indeed, these 11 tracks will delight synthesizers addicts. Expect deeply emotive instrumental compositions, with ingenious analogue sequencing on stimulating chord progressions. The result is a highly retrofuturistic album, sometimes almost anticipating 90's videogames
scores. Just imagine Wally Badarou in a bunker with Talking Heads watching New York 1997 from John Carpenter.
Composed mostly step by step on a Sequential Pro-One synthesizer, Dark Is The Color is the product of the exciting state of mind from the 80's era with new sounds, new tools and new trends on the music spectrum. Influenced by bands like Talking Head or Japan, the sirens of the new wave scene strongly resonate here with Alan Shearer's familiarity and craftmanship with synthesizers.
Back in the days, Alan Shearer aka Frédéric Viger was working for his father’s music label, “Musique Pour L'image”, and their sublabel “PSI”. He started with Marathon Life under his real name before taking the Alan Shearer monitor. These records were produced for radio, TV and cinema industries but as well for companies’ internal communication. They represented a real investment from the label and these catalogues are usually full of amazing music from great artists such as Martial Solal, Vladimir Cosma, Joël Fajerman, Harlem Pop Trotters and even Manu Dibango.
About his musical illustration process, Alan Shearer tells: "Soundtracks are indeed my biggest influences and I'm a real fan of American composers as Jerry Goldsmith or Elmer Bernstein. I've always considered soundtracks as the new classical music or classical music of our century. There is a real state of mind producing music for illustration: you have to stick to the video. You should not tell what the image is saying but accompany what it is saying. You have to find a unique link, people always told me music should not be noticed for itself in a movie, that's what makes it good.”

Mitch Stahlmann's solo debut release Into The Wish is a kaleidoscopic adventure in sound. Resulting from the Oakland-based musician's personal practice of experimenting with ways to process and reintroduce the flute, the music on this record draws inspiration from the instrument's everlasting breath. Paying respect to its archaic history as well as leaving room for more strange, clownish impersonations, Into The Wish is a varied collection of flute-inspired pieces. The album traverses seamlessly between what sounds like ancient, sacred incantations and more playful, chaotic collage pieces where the flute is processed, reprocessed and performed using samplers.

Each piece offers a glimpse into a whole world that could be explored in depth, but Stahlmann's curiosity is ceaseless. The opening “Petrified Cloud” is a gentle piece, a velvety, digital introduction, whereas “Moon Arch” follows with more mystery and tropical drama. “Flat Earth” offers sonic depth and channels Hassell's fourth world music ideas into immersive, winding flute passages. “Paris 2107”, “Mega Mart” or “Real Life Drama”, on the other hand, move largely beyond the sound of the flute, burying it in layers of digital processing and (re)sampling. While extremely diverse, Stahlmann's Into The Wish is a fascinating, colourful exploration of his instrument.

Some things take time to happen, some things perhaps take a bit longer than they should but, finally, we are delighted to present an issue of the iconic, and sought-after, Brazilian album 'Alucinolândia' by Zito Righi e Seu Conjunto from 1969.

The trippy, surrealist 60s cover design with hands holding eyeballs is somewhat confusing. Rather than the stoner acid rock record that the art may suggest, 'Alucinolândia' is actually a quintessential 60s gem, mixing samba, MPB, bossa nova, quirky organ-led mod-jazz groovers and easy-listening crooners with a relaxed cool swagger.

Zito Righi aka Isidoro Righi, the Brazilian saxophonist, instrumentalist, conductor and composer brought together an illustrious cast for this masterpiece, including the much-loved vocalist Sônia Santos. Sônia delivers a masterclass on the album's opener, and maybe its crown-jewel 'Poema Ritmico Do Malandro’. The song is fierce and driving with an enticing funk intro that bursts into a Samba / Batucada workout. A real monster that works magic on the dancefloor. Sônia would later re-visit this track in 1971 on a recording for Copacabana Records, which Mr Bongo released as part of the Brazil45 series. The Brazilian songwriter Roberval penned three tracks on the record, including another highlight and the far too short 'Birimbau'; a catchy Brazilian jazzy-samba dancer at its finest. Other musicians include the drummer Fernando who also recorded with the greats Dila & Guilherme Coutinho.

The fact the record was released in 1969 meant it was probably a bit out of step with its contemporaries in comparison to the works of artists such as Os Mutantes, Gilberto Gil et al. The core of 'Alucinolândia' is that of a more optimistic early to mid-sixties party feelgood vibe rather than the angsty, psychedelia, and rebellion of the Tropicália movement. Over 50 years since its release, the work can finally be judged on its own merit; and what a beauty it is.

Ltd to 100 copies

Yearly compilation album RADAR by KEROXEN, introducing the second volume in the series of themed based albums showcasing the talents and misfortunes of carefully selected musicians/bands based in the Canary Islands.

Where Radar Vol.1 (KXN012, 2020) focused its sights on rock oriented music, Vol.2 looks at the more experimental, free flowing side of electronic and sample based music, also Made in Tenerife this last year (2021).

The format stays the same as Vol.1: 4 different artists are invited to contribute 2 tracks, no rules other than do their own thing. The result being an extraordinary amalgamation of various genres and styles of the electronic music cannon including: smoky dub beats by King L. Man, tropical casiotone divagations by Usted, inverted & polyrhythmic workouts from the Tupperwear duo, ultra precise dub-tech-2step edits by Postman and organic psychedelics by freak trio Lagoss.

Yet another crucial document from a region you usually do not associate with forward thinking music, more than a simple compilation, RADAR 2 unveils the thin veil of new and uncompromising music being produced in and around the orbit of the Keroxen Collective.

It seems the Atlantic isolation works as a catalyser here, judging from the copious amount of different and challenging music we’ve been seeing from this corner of the world over the last few years. We invite you to dive with us, in the wild remote tropical waters of RADAR vol.2.

Repress

Growing Bin burst into 2018 with a bang, crash and symbol splash, uniting a premier pair of per-cussion obsessives for a supernatural mission into the heart of the rhythm.
Dressed in the pitch black of Du¨sseldorf stands Wolf Mu¨ller, master of the tropical drums and seven time Salon Des Amateur breakdance champion. Repping Cologne and Berlin is Niklas Wandt, Germany's funkiest drummer and a mixed musical artist as adept in experimental jazz as demen- ted Euro dance. Standing toe to toe in a no holds barred, no drum unstruck groove contest, these two titans will make you swing your pants like a Crash Bandicoot victory dance...so stretch out and step in to ‚Instrumentalmusik von der Mitte der World'.

Taking to their task with the joyful abandon of two big kids getting creative with the Kindergar- ten music tray, Mu¨ller & Wandt marry dripping electronics, Froesean pads and rubber-limbed basslines with tribal polyrhythms, C2 claps and Indonesian shakers - and that's only on the A1. Comprising of three trance-inducing epics, a handful of medium-sized movers and a couple of freeform interludes, this dynamic double pack could almost pass as a lost Library masterpiece, but our mind guides go Furthur, fusing esoteric funk and free-jazz freak-out a truly transportive experience. Prepare to enter a world of techno totems and neon skulls, shades of Yello and excel- lent birds. Within these grooves lies a transdimensional pathway between the Temple of Doom, the Twilight Zone and De Palma's Paradise, brought to life in a shamanic rite.

Forget the healing frequencies of Growing Bin's ambient outings, this time we're dancing for mental health.

(words by Patrick Ryder)

Les Disques du Crepuscule presents a new double vinyl remaster of two seminal albums by German synth wave pioneers Gina X Performance, whose groundbreaking singles Nice Mover, No G.D.M. and Kaddish remain enduring electroclash staples after four decades of club supremacy.

Remastered for vinyl in 2021 by Zeus B. Held and Lars Lafeyette Fassbender, the double album set is housed in a gatefold sleeve with new artwork and pressed on clear and green vinyl + digital copy. This pressing is limited to 1000 copies only worldwide. The inner sleeve features a brand new interview with Zeus.


Formed in Cologne in 1978, the core of Gina X Performance composed vocalist Gina Kikoine and producer/keyboard/vocoder wizard Zeus B. Held. ‘I had in mind science fiction-inspired tracks,’ explains Zeus.‘Really cold sounding music, with no blues-ey chords or melodies, no guitar and nothing rocky.’

Originally issued on German imprint Crystal 1979, icy, noirish debut album Nice Mover spawned two radical Eurodisco hits, with gender-bending single No G.D.M. becoming a firm favourite at the legendary Blitz Club in London’s Soho. At the same time Zeus B. Held also became an in-demandproducer, working with John Foxx, Fashion, Rockets and Dead or Alive.

The third GXP long player, Voyeur, from 1981, followed a brief spell on EMI and saw the duo return to their experimental, avant-gardist roots, the material by turns seductive, provocative and confrontational. Since then countless electronic artists have acknowledged or betrayed the influence of Gina X Performance, including Depeche Mode, Propaganda, Ladytron and Peaches.
Critical praise for Gina X Performance: “Pioneering electro-pop from 1979 with hints of Kraftwerk, Nico and Studio 54-era Grace Jones” (Mojo); “Like an artier Moroder” (Uncut); “No G.D.M. is one of the most influential songs to come out of the Continent” (Q); “Disco for the intellect” (NME)

Colorado-based RUMTUM (aka John Hastings), an acclaimed visual artist and up-and-coming producer returns to Bastard Jazz with his first full-length offering: "Isles In Indigo." Arriving after a slew of successful singles (many of which can be found on the album) and EPs, "Isles In Indigo" both stays true to his established sound, and expands on the artistic vision; a luscious combination of aquatic ambient, lo-fi hip-hop, and mellow, melodic electronic, the record traverses the depths of the ocean to the outer reaches of the cosmos.

New offerings on the album include "Lost My Heart In Space" - an ethereal, downtempo cut - "Half Set Valley," which explores instrumental lo-fi replete with distant, chopped and edited spoken word samples, "Coastal Ruins" with nods to breakbeat, "Mystic Symbols," a trippy minimal track, and the album closer, "Commit Way," which journeys from washed-out ambient to spacey hip-hop. Of course the LP also includes many RUMTUM mainstay singles, including "Shade Fader," "Tropic Air," and "Borealis."

Electronic producer and instrumental enthusiast RUMTUM has a unique approach to crafting his melodic melodies. May it be his love for native spirits, mystic symbols or even sea life, sampling the natural world plays the biggest part in the dynamics of his writing. Ambient loops and saturated synth lines set the tone while the bass and drums do most of the story telling.

"Isles In Indigo" is a stunning freshman release from a budding artist on the rise. Stay tuned for the physical LP arriving March 2022, complete with an original art insert.

Legendary Italian musician Sergio Messina serves up his 13 track Sensual Musicology on Hell Yeah this March. It comes a couple of years after he first released on the label's Buena Onda compilation and takes in everything from demented waltz to grown-up jazz, groovy beach music to heart-aching melancholia with artwork by virtuoso Italian AD DeeMo.

Now based in Lombardy, Sergio was there at the birth of pirate radio in the mid-seventies and eventually produced Radio art for national broadcaster Rai. At the same time, his DJ career took off and he helped establish Hip hop in Rome before taking his own live show to the stage with a mix of PCs, samplers and tape recorders as early as 1989. Frank Zappa declared himself a fan and in the years since Sergio has done everything from radio art to producing Neapolitan reggae and hip hop band 99 Posse, producing his own solo albums and writing for monthly music magazine Rumore. On top of this, he has both written books about and delivered lectures on the digital porno revolution, as well as teaching History of Pop Culture at the Istituto Europeo di Design in Milan. All this makes him a truly original creative thinking who has long been immersed in many niche facets of popular culture.

Sensual Musicology took several years and four different locations to happen. Its release has been delayed by the pandemic, during which Sergio lost many friends and relatives close to him. As a result, the album is dedicated to all of them. It is a record that addresses many topics from economic migration to jazz piano, 60s blues motifs to corruption, pollution and racism via Michael Jackson covers, odes to West Coast guitar albums and spaced-out pieces of electronica.

Opening with the beautifully delicate Mingus melodies of 'Goodbye Porkpie Hat' the album roams through the bluesy Italo-American-Jamaican groove of 'Amara,' slow melancholy of 'Sometimes Remember' with classy vocals from chanteuse Valeria Rossi and 'The Way You Make Me Feel', an acoustic rebuild of Michael Jackson's hit song. Then comes the serenade that is 'Just Because You're Dead,' and ‘Sono Stufa di Tutto’ which is based around a protest speech recorded from the radio in the 1980s. Jon Hassell Beach Bar' is a musical hybridisation for dancing pleasure.

The second half of the album takes in 'Ouana Di lambo' which is the Four Twenties taking you to a cocktail bar in the tropics, 'Benjamino Placido' which is a melody for a man who inspired Sergio to start writing his columns, and 'Nowhere Special' which is a tribute to West Coast guitar albums. Closer ‘Switchblade Bolero' has a Zappaesque theme.

Sensual Musicology is a rich and diverse musical world that is as thought-provoking and deep as it is emotionally rewarding.


Early DJ Support:
Leo Mas, Phat Phil Cooper, Calm, Chris Coco, Andy (We are The Sunset), Severino (Horse Meat Disco)

Voltaje Raizal is the first album of the tropical futurist music project Rizomagic, an electronic music duo, that consists of Diego Manrique, director of the avant-garde cumbia orchestra Niño Pueblo, and Edgar Marun, director of the ethno-afrobeat ensemble Dorado Kandua; Two outstanding projects from Bogota's new thriving alternative psychedelic scene.

The sounds of the album are rooted in the Afro-Caribbean musical tradition, in the mixed ancestry that defines Colombian culture, and IDM. The melodic construction of the album takes inspiration from variouscultures, including Indigenous chants from Colombia’s Embera people, the traditional scales from Mali’s Bambara ethnic group, and the Ghanian palm wine guitar interpreted by a Caribbean millo flute. The mix and mastering carried out by Eblis Alvarez (Meridian Brothers, Pirañas, Chupame el Dedo) and Camilo Manchego offered the final touches that make Voltaje Raizal a fresh proposal to Colombia’s futurist tropical scene. "Rizomagic set out to recontextualize their sources. It’s no coincidence that their name comes from rhizomatic, the botanically derived term for a subterranean, horizontal network of roots".

Tropicantesimo is a music ritual extended over time and a celebration of sound and dance. It all started 10 years ago at the Fanfulla club in Rome. Nothing more than a party that over the years has transformed into a collective listening experience out of time and space. Meanwhile the collective animated by DJ Hugo Sanchez, Lola Kola, Rocco Bartucci, Gabor and Egeeno moved to a new club called Pescheria, and opened up to spontaneous live jams and collaborations with musicians and DJs from various backgrounds. Rhythms are incessant while the BPM is slow and hypnotic. Vocals flow between songs, messages and pure sound, while music is an organism which produces energy. The fruit of all this lives through extensive production work based on recordings collected over the years.

"Tropicantesimo Session 2" is the second of a series of three EPs presented as anticipations of the Tropicantesimo Gitania album release.

Like the first EP, this new chapter contains three songs recorded and mixed at Pescheria, the Tropicantesimo laboratory. "Perfidia" is a jazz and easy listening "classic" from the 1940s, re-sung on a recent techno dub track produced by Donato Dozzy and slowed down to become a new, sexy and enchanting tune. Egeeno's fluidity gives new soul to the piece and projects it right into the future. This is one of those pieces born during live sessions, even though the recorded version reflects the truth of the moment in which it was recorded. An Instant classic! ‘Oro Rosso’ comes from a summer session in which we decided to work on a song by a raw garage band called Gli Offesi. This is a song about submission, sexism, racism and eventually revenge, even though Lola Kola's singing opens up further interpreta ve scenarios. As for most of Pescheria sessions, guests can be very unpredictable, and here we have Maria Violenza the Punk queen. 'Bolla Napoli' is a journey through timeless sounds and feelings. From Neapolitan storytellers to the sublime world of Erik Satie with Lola Kola and Egeeno joining in a jam inspired by two classic songs "Maruzzella" and "Anema e core" both combined with the unpredictable sound texture of the backing track.

For the next release we head to Barbados and 1985 for the first official reissue of ‘Exit’ by Fire Flight. The best reissues succinctly capture a moment in time and this album provides a snapshot of Island life in the Caribbean region of the America’s in the middle of the 1980’s. The LP encompasses new wave, funk and early house rhythms with a backbone of calypso.

The idea for Fire Flight started with Carl “Beaver” Henderson, a musician, arranger and producer who initially provided back up band services for the Royal Bank of Trinidad & Tobago’s annual staff Calypso competition. In 1981 the idea quickly evolved into the 15 piece band that was Fire Flight who took Trinidad and Tobago’s performance spaces and annual carnival by storm with their electrifying life performances. The band also travelled to Toronto, Montreal and New York for their annual carnivals. In 1984 the band entered the now defunct Coral Sound Studios in Barbados to record their debut album. The driving force behind the LP was the band’s main songwriter Francis Escayg’s desire to explore alternative avenues of recognition for the band and to perform and thrive in the carnival off season. Highlights from the LP include the slow new wave funk of ‘Best Shot’ & ‘White Horse’, the melting pot of calypso, zouk and reggae influences on ‘Hard Life’ & ‘Mornin Lovin’ and the tropical proto house of ‘Wantin U’ that was a highlight of the Fire Flight live show.

The LP is pressed on heavyweight 180 Gram Vinyl with new full sleeve artwork from Bradley Pinkerton.

Reissue of George Duke's classic 1976 jazz-funk-fusion album 'Liberate Fantasies'

This 1976 album, the last one of the MPS fusion series, continues George Duke's tendency to couple his fusion world with accessible R&B songs. Once again, he shows a discernible vocal development. In "Tryin' And Cryin" the Californian together with rock singer Napoleon Brock overlays multiple vocal tracks.
On "Seeing You" Duke lays on a glaze of soulful tenderness, whereas "What The…" is 30 seconds of frivolous funning around. "Back to Where We Never Left" is a witty gem in which Duke bundles his pool of synthesizers into a united groove, whereas "I C'n Hear That" shows off synth and marimba tonal colors in dialogue, with the bass riffing on the bottom.

The album flows into the final bend carrying along the sonorous richness of Brazil. "After the Love" plays with the languorous erotic colours of the tropics, whereas all the band members are allowed to shine on the epic circa ten minute title track with its hot samba flair: the rhythm section with "Ndugu", Al Johnson, and Airto Moreira's percussion arsenal, Daryl Stuermer with his rock interludes on guitar, and Duke himself with inspired virtuosity on all sorts of synths and
keyboards.

Reissue of Oscar Peterson's 1969 album 'Motions & Emotions' pressed
on blue vinyl
On 'Motions & Emotions' Oscar Peterson presents jazz versions of popular pieces
from pop, easy listening and classic songwriters, as the quartet of long- time
companions are washed in rich orchestral colours. Arranged and conducted by a
magician of the guild, the great Claus Ogerman, who had previously worked for
Tom Jobim. The Brazilian is also represented with his standard "Wave", in which
the orchestra builds a luminous tropical backdrop for Peterson's fantastically
dragged phrasing. Peterson and Ogerman pay tribute to another great orchestra
leader, Henry Mancini, in "Sally's Tomato" with feather- light trilling brilliance.
Jimmy Webb's "By The Time I Get To Phoenix" experiences a metamorphosis
almost into the classical - Ogerman opens infinite sound spaces here with the
distantly indulging strings. Bobby Gentrys "Ode To Billy Joe" cleverly abducts
Countryfolk into Bigband Jazz by means of fiery keyboard playing.
Finally the hits: from soul comes Bobby Hebb's "Sunny", whose theme the pianist
here cleverly harmonises out to then decorate it bluesy in dialogue with the wind
instruments. Burt Bacharach's "This Guy's In Love With You" shines with a
leisurely late night mood and a pompous finale. Yesterday" is provided with a
sparkling bossa substructure, while the second Beatles homage "Eleanor Rigby"
oscillates between loose groove, deep melancholy and swing. Peterson plus
quartet plus orchestra: Enthusiastic detail work also in the popular sector.
"The question about favourite albums is basically not an easy one, except in my
case, because Motions & Emotions by Oscar Peterson is actually my absolute
favourite album. I think Motions & Emotions might even be the perfect
instrumental album." - Till Brönner (German Jazz trumpeter and professor)

Reissue of Oscar Peterson's 1969 album 'Motions & Emotions' pressed
on blue vinyl
On 'Motions & Emotions' Oscar Peterson presents jazz versions of popular pieces
from pop, easy listening and classic songwriters, as the quartet of long- time
companions are washed in rich orchestral colours. Arranged and conducted by a
magician of the guild, the great Claus Ogerman, who had previously worked for
Tom Jobim. The Brazilian is also represented with his standard "Wave", in which
the orchestra builds a luminous tropical backdrop for Peterson's fantastically
dragged phrasing. Peterson and Ogerman pay tribute to another great orchestra
leader, Henry Mancini, in "Sally's Tomato" with feather- light trilling brilliance.
Jimmy Webb's "By The Time I Get To Phoenix" experiences a metamorphosis
almost into the classical - Ogerman opens infinite sound spaces here with the
distantly indulging strings. Bobby Gentrys "Ode To Billy Joe" cleverly abducts
Countryfolk into Bigband Jazz by means of fiery keyboard playing.
Finally the hits: from soul comes Bobby Hebb's "Sunny", whose theme the pianist
here cleverly harmonises out to then decorate it bluesy in dialogue with the wind
instruments. Burt Bacharach's "This Guy's In Love With You" shines with a
leisurely late night mood and a pompous finale. Yesterday" is provided with a
sparkling bossa substructure, while the second Beatles homage "Eleanor Rigby"
oscillates between loose groove, deep melancholy and swing. Peterson plus
quartet plus orchestra: Enthusiastic detail work also in the popular sector.
"The question about favourite albums is basically not an easy one, except in my
case, because Motions & Emotions by Oscar Peterson is actually my absolute
favourite album. I think Motions & Emotions might even be the perfect
instrumental album." - Till Brönner (German Jazz trumpeter and professor)

Limited Edition Vinyl LP – 1971 album cover, thick tip-on sleeve, 700 copies only

Finally putting an end to a long wait for library music lovers, Four Flies Records is proud to present the first reissue of Piero Umiliani's Paesaggi – a record that, despite remaining for many years pretty obscure compared to other titles in the maestro's discography, is now regarded by collectors and experts as the gold standard in Italian library music.

Originally released in two versions with different sleeves, the first on Liuto Records in 1971 and the second on Ciak Record in 1980, the album features tracks composed by the maestro himself (under his alias Zalla) and performed by the legendary super-group of Italian session players I Marc 4, this time with Angelo Baroncini instead of Carlo Pes on guitars (which probably explains the name being spelled with a 'k' instead of a 'c' on the album cover).

The Italian word paesaggi means "landscapes", and that is exactly what the music in the album has been designed to evoke – a journey of moods and emotions, through exotic and pastoral scenery, with loungey sounds that caress your ears like the song of an enchanted nightingale. Mysterious yet captivating soundscapes transport you to a faraway and peaceful place, possibly somewhere in rural Asia. While listening to the record, you'll feel as if you are sitting under a pavilion, right in the middle of a tea plantation, enjoying a freshly brewed green tea and watching the calm sunset.

In addition, Paesaggi is paradigmatic of Italian library music and its genre-defying nature. By using a multitude of instruments, such as flute, vibraphone, harpsichord, sitar, gong and others, it brings together a variety of arrangements, styles, and genres spanning from bossa nova to jazz, easy listening to psychedelic, Latin, exotica, and many more.

Under Umiliani's brilliant direction, the pianos and keyboard instruments of Antonello Vannucchi, the guitars of Angelo Baroncini, the bass of Maurizio Majorana, and the drums of Roberto Podio dance together and – enriched by other instruments played by top session musicians like Bruno Battisti D'Amario (sitar), Franco De Gemini (harmonica), or Franco Chiari (vibraphone) – create the sound that makes Paesaggi so unique.

With the honour of reissuing this masterpiece so many decades since its release comes a responsibility to do full justice to one of the greatest Italian composers of the 20th century and his now celebrated legacy. Four Flies have done their best to put out a record that replicates as closely as possible the value of the original as a cultural artefact, providing Italian library connoisseurs and novices alike with an exquisite sonic, and tactile, experience.

Favorite Recordings proudly presents the new 12" of Magic Source. The all-star group around producer Björn Wagner (known also for his cosmic and tropical-flavoured disco music as Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band and The Mighty Mocambos) creates here a hypnotic four-on-thefloor sound that is both earthy and spaced out and all their own.
Recorded on 16 track analogue tape with inexpensive vintage gear, the crew explores the more unusual facets of disco music off the beaten track in favour of more otherwordly and international stylings. In their music, one could hear echoes from lost tropical disco records, cinematic flavors from library soundtracks and a healthy dose of DIY garage funk rawness.
On A side, "Riviera Drive" is an extended Mediterranean disco groove based on hypnotic percussions and soulful horn themes that alternate with trippy keyboard excursions. The tune is equally at ease on the dancefloor as in a chill-out zone, but of course, prefers to be in its natural habitat in a classic car somewhere between Nice and Monaco.
On the flip, Tom Tom Club's "Genius Of Love" is reimagined as a jazzy yacht soul instrumental with an echoed flute taking the lead. You'll also find a shorter Radio Edit of "Rivieria
Drive".