Search:northern

Daytoner are a 7 piece funk & soul remix band based in Cornwall, UK fronted by Lucy Richards and led by 'vintage breaks' producer, Moss Daytoner. They have been touring UK festivals since 2016 playing stages including Bestival, Boardmasters, Boomtown, Wilderness, NASS along with special events such as the opening of the Blue Whale exhibit at The Natural History Museum and supporting Craig Charles at his Funk & Soul Club nights.

Daytoner's debut single release as a band features 2 live favourites: the new northern soul stomp of 'Needed You' and the remake of a 60s jazz dance classic 'Sicka' delivered by the southern soul powerhouse that is Lucy Richards, backed with a unique 6 piece band. A second single appropriately titled 'Second Stomp' is to follow on 7' vinyl in May ahead of Daytoner's debut LP in their full live band line-up. Daytoner head off on an LP tour in April, taking in festivals such as Shindig, Great Estate & Boomtown plus support gigs for The Craig Charles Funk & Soul Show.

Radio Airplay: 4 plays on The Craig Charles Funk & Soul Show on BBC6 Music // BBC Introducing Feature on BBC Radio One // Repeat daytime plays on BBC Radio Cornwall and evening on BBC Introducing in Cornwall

DJ Support: Smoove, The Allergies, Renegades Of Jazz, Mr Bird

Next to the entire All is an astonishing work by Danish experimental sound quartet We like We, consisting of Katrine Grarup Elbo (violin), Josefine Opsahl (cello), Sara Nigard Rosendal (percussion) and Katinka Fogh Vindelev (voice).

Although classically trained, all four share a desire for exploring, experimenting and shaping a sound of their own, something which is truly present on this album. Both instrumentation and composition feel glued together with an abundant sense of playfulness and vision. The record starts with the beautiful I'm not for More which sets the tone for the 10 pieces, hurling you back and forth in a whirlwind of sound and musical intuitivity.

Genre bending as the record can be, it can be seen as somewhat of a contrasting work - as much of northern folk traditions as of an avant-classical work in the spirit of György Ligeti and Meredith Monk. Forest Sketches, as an example, starts with minimal woodblocks and percussive rattling while slow building violins, cello and vocals pull themselves in through the unknown before bursting into a Pagan sounding wormhole of screams and looped cellos. The piece ends with minimal vocal sound scapes fading away into almost pure silence. It could be mirrored with a merger of both the opening and closing scene of Kubrick's classic movie 2001 - creating the sense of beginning of humanity versus the far future, with abstractation and the unknown.

Next to the entire All is both a mind bending and grounded piece of work fitting naturally next to other Sonic Pieces releases such as Hauschka & Hildur Gudnadottir's Pan Tone or Christoph Berg's Conversations, while adding a northern minimalism. A record as hard to shake off as it is to describe.

Strata-Gemma's eponymous debut album is set to provide a soundtrack to 2018.

The trio hail from Modena, the Northern Italian motor city. As with the Ferrari and Maserati cars that are designed and manufactured in Modena, Strata-Gemma produce a music of beautiful symmetry.

Strata-Gemma create jazz for the head, the heart and the body. Their sound is shaped by the ambient adventures Miles Davis and Ron Carter engaged in alongside the electronic pulse Mo' Wax and Ninja Tune carved out of clubland. Add to this a touch of Nino Rota's Fellini film scores, employ a pinch of Balkan and klezmer brass arrangements, and you have an instrumental trio who create music so fresh it stimulates the senses.

Strata-Gemma are a collaboration between Billy Bogus, Luca Cacciatore and Andrea Moretti. The trio first took shape as a club jam between DJs and musicians. Their ability to create atmospheric music, pulsing with rhythm but never solely reliant on beats, music that breaks free and explores sonic possibilities, quickly won notice and lead to the trio playing their freeform music in clubs, music venues and festivals across Italy.

Strata-Gemma consist of producer Niccolò Bruni (aka Billy Bogus), horns player Luca Cacciatore, double bassist Andrea Moretti. Bruni is a DJ, producer and founder of Pizzico Records. Over the past two decades he has striven to mix jazz, beats, soundtracks and funk. Coming together with Luca and Andrea allowed Bruni to explore a vision of post-club jazz that is as rich as Modena's food and as elegant as Modena's cars. Strata-Gemma create a sensual sonic storm, music to be savoured and explored, the opposite of much of today's fast-food music.

Lorenzo Bandiera, the London-based Italian founder of Fly By Night Music, heard a Strata-Gemma demo via friends and was immediately impressed. "I thought 'this is great!", he says. "Music as strong as this can't be ignored. I'm excited about releasing Strata-Gemma."

Nat Birchall charts new paths toward spiritual communion, connecting jazz with classical Indian influences guided by the wistful flow of the harmonium.

Cosmic Language sees the UK-based saxophonist, composer and arranger return to Jazzman Records with a cross-cultural approach: an exploration of the parallel musical paths of jazz and Indian ragas. Here he takes influence from spiritual jazz forebears such as Alice Coltrane and Yusef Lateef and introduces the Indian harmonium to his band, where it takes the place of the piano. Making new connections to realise his transcendental ambitions, it's a logical next step in making music as spiritual cleanser.

The idea for the album was spawned from a one-off performance at a meditation centre, the Maharishi Golden Dome in West Lancashire. Seeking to bring a band set-up that was fitting to the quiet-minded setting, Birchall brought the harmonium with him. A small pump organ, it's an instrument he'd been in possession of for many years but hadn't previously used in his music. Building on the spiritual context of that show, and the associations of that instrument, it led naturally to the musical approach undertaken on the album.

Both the album and the show which preceded it were recorded with the same tight-knit group of players which have featured on Birchall's previous albums. All members of the group are part of the same like minded circle of Manchester-oriented jazz musicians, sharing stages and acquaintances with the likes of Matthew Halsall (a longtime collaborator with Birchall) and GoGo Penguin.

Birchall has always channeled wide-ranging ideas into music that's simple to understand, and this album is no exception. Album opener 'Man From Varanasi' is an ode to Bismillah Khan, one of Birchall's heroes of Indian music who hailed from the northern Indian city named in the title. It also sees him taking cues from the Indian raga tradition which, as with most other traditional Indian music, is a foundation which underpinned Khan's music.

Crucially, the ragas tap into the idea of of music as a means of spiritual release. As Birchall explains, "The whole act of making music is a spiritual experience. It's during performance and when playing music that I look for a kind of truth. It's with music where I find myself feel closest to attaining that 'enlightened' kind of feeling." "On rare occasions I've actually felt as though I was listening to the music being played rather than being involved in making it, almost like an out-of-body experience."

This natural feeling comes from Birchall's attitude toward jazz music. He sees it as an essential part of day-to-day life: instead of brightly-lit, occasional entertainment in lugubrious concert halls, he considers it an everyday, vital source of inspiration. At a moment where jazz-influenced music is undergoing creative renewal and wider appreciation, it's an important perspective that's found resonance elsewhere. His experiences and the world around him are filtered through his music, and he looks to have his music - be it live or on record - absorbed in the same quotidian way. "To me, it's an integral part of society, an everyday thing," he says. "You should hear the music every day."

* THE No.1 Wigan Casino and Northern Soul anthem
* THE most valuable record in the world
* THE first ever legal reissue, outside of Motown
* THE last record ever played at Wigan Casino

EXACTLY 40 years ago the original copy of Do I Love You' arrived on these shores and, for the first time the true identity of its author and performer was revealed.
The story of the world's most valuable record has been told many times and perhaps most authoritatively by Tim Brown in his book 'Wigan Casino Years'. In brief, here are the salient facts...
The tale begins in 1976 when Northern Soul pioneer Simon Soussan gained access to the Motown archive in Los Angeles where he discovered, and purloined, the original, promotional 45. At the time Soussan was the main source for rare Northern Soul that debuted at the famed Wigan Casino, and in due course he sent an acetate of the track to the club covered up as by Eddie Foster. It was an instant hit with the Casino dancers and soon attained exalted status.
By 1978 Soussan had turned his back on Northern Soul and sent his entire collection to the UK to be sold piecemeal. The original label of the disc was now revealed as the Motown subsidiary 'Soul' and the artist was the Motown writer Frank Wilson. The 45 was sold to record collector Jonathon Woodliffe for the handsome sum of £250. After the near collapse of Northern Soul in 1981 Woodliffe's attentions turned to Jazz/Funk and he traded the disc to former Wigan DJ Kev Roberts for £500's worth of disco twelves!
For 9 long years the legendary record languished in a frame on the wall of Roberts' Staffordshire home until a pending divorce prompted the sale to collector Tim Brown for, at the time, the unheard of sum of £5,000. It remains the property of Tim Brown to this day, the pinnacle of a lifetime of record collecting.
In 1997 Detroit producer, Frank Murphy, sold his entire record collection to Anglo-American, a company owned by Martin Koppel and the aforementioned Tim Brown. Lo and behold, a second copy of Do I Love You' was found and subsequently sold to Scottish DJ Kenny Burrell for an inflated sum of £15,000. In 2008, Burrell's copy was auctioned for a staggering figure in excess of £25,000 making history and further cementing the iconic status of the world's most collectable 45.
Today Do I Love You' has transceneded the strange world of Northen Soul and has become enshrined in the wider public's concsiousness due to mainstream radio play, TV advertising (most recently the 'Happy Egg Co.') and in 2017 an appearance on the country's most popular TV show Strictly Come Dancing.
Now you too can own a copy of Do I Love You'...

Try love was originally recorded by Norma Jenkins and pitched to Motown who passed on the track (this version only survives on acetate). Master of the girl group Herb Bernstein picked up the track and recorded the version you hear on this 45 which for whatever reason failed to make a dent until it was picked up first by the Belgian Popcorn scene and later the Northern scene, demand far outstripped supply and this rare 45 became very expensive. A haunting, odd and beautiful record to this day the members of The Sparkles remain a mystery.

First ever official reissue of Ice's rare and in demand North Carolina born soul funk jam 'Reality' via Athens of the North Records and Magnetic Recordings. Super rare modern soul / boogie tune. First played by Ian Wright and a Few others on the Deepfunk scene and then picked up by the Northern soul scene.

Boris Bunnik is no stranger in the worl d of electronic music. He released several albums and ep's under a variety of monikers since 2007 on labels like Delsin, Shipwrec, Frustrated Funk and his own Transcendent imprint. Fauxpas Musik welcomes him for a new project called Severnaya. Originally hailing from the Island of Terschelling, the most Northern and remote part of the Netherlands he now made a piece of music dedicated to this special place. Severnaya means north in Russian and refers to the bright frozen landscapes of the northern archipels. Boris often plays with the influences and elements of ambient in his music. If we have to believe the man himself, Polar Skies is his most personal sound trajectory to come from his mind. Drum programming is scarce and what remains is a lush and profound listening experience floating on scapes and melodies. We clearly hear his roots and intentions represented in the airy, tranquil sound design of this new album project. Things sound spacious, and life is at ease in these melancholic compositions. Crispy crackling percussions and icey pads place you in the midst of a resonant arctic landscape. You can hear influences drawn from producers like Biosphere, Pub, Brian Eno but we also hear more contemporary influences from modern day film composition but most of all we here Boris his own signature. The tracks were composed over a couple of years (2015-2017) in a more contemplative mindset. At some point this selection formed a consistent piece of music and as a result you hear his most personal and fragile works to date. Fauxpas Musik is proud to release this new project in 2018. written and produced by Boris Bunnik aka Conforce at the PasadenaOceanlab Studios Special thanks to family, friends and Fauxpas

- A spectacular reimagining of one of the all time greatest
Northern Soul tunes, Timi Yuro 'It'll Never Be Over For Me'
whilst the original can change hands for upwards on £2000 a
group of young Argentinian Mods and rude boys have come
up with a reggae version.

- On paper it shouldn't work but it does. The most requested
song on Eddie Piller's Eclectic Soul Show on Soho Radio in
2017 following a chance meeting with guitarist Kevin Finigier
from Los Aggrotones in the studio.

- Acid Jazz are proud to release this as a limited edition vinyl
single (backed with one of the bands original organ
instrumentals) as a taster for the labels release of their
European debut LP later in 2018.

Releasing an album into the world is a special moment for any artist but when you're an artist who grew up in remote northern Ghana with no schooling, spending a life herding cows and goats, building your own instruments and teaching yourself to sing, then there's a particular sense of occasion and celebration in finding recognition and an audience for that music.

This is the case for Guy One, an utterly unique artist who is writing and performing Frafra music, a style that originates from a small area in the north of Ghana. Whilst Guy One is already loved and adored locally by now - building up a fervent following in local villages in which no funeral or wedding would take place without his soaring voice and deeply rhythmic playing, before then transforming into an award-winning, TV appearing artist in Ghana - his music is now to find a much wider audience through Max Weissenfeldt's Philophon label (Jimi Tenor, Hailu Mergia, Alemayehu Eshete) on this Berlin meets Bolgatanga release.

Guy One's international debut #1 is an album rooted in tradition as much as it is the contemporary ("Frafra music Made in Germany" says drummer producer Max Weissenfeldt if he's forced to put a label on it) but given the fact that the traditionalism of Frafra music itself is a largely unknown force, the results are more even more potent and stirring in their creations. Choirs, trumpet, organ, bass, drums, synthesiser, vibraphone, saxophone and piano, the album is as bursting with instrumentation as it is ideas and innovation.

The album's perfect positioning between the old and the new and in taking that middle ground and launching it into completely new territory is enough to completely unglue the definitions of what music can be.

Early 80s. Christiane F and Tron meet over a brutalist landscape. Clock is ticking. Electronic pioneers bang up post punks. Dirty hits. Take more. Time is running out. Northern European sub-cultural appropriation to destroy the dance. Still, it sounds good. And it looks nice. Nice sleeve art. Move along. Move along.

This 2XLP album, EUROPA, is dedicated to and inspired by events in 2015 & 2016, which saw the spectre of global crisis come knocking at Europe's doorstep.During this time, more than a million migrants and refugees fled their homes in the Middle East, Northern Africa, sub-Saharan Africa and other conflict ravaged areas in search of a better life. For many, hopes of a future for themselves and their families lay in continental Europe.As already said about the preceding 12' single with the same name - One of the most well- trodden paths on this journey was the Balkan route, a trail leading through Turkey, Greece, and the former Yugoslavia.. This route was not without its dangers, and the dreams of thousands upon thousands were dashed by impassible security fences and discordant EU politics, as one by one they were turned away at borders, or worse, forcibly returned to their countries of origin.Europa was recorded during long jam sessions in Belgrade as the media spotlight started to dim. The city became the purgatorial destination for a large number of migrants, whose journeys had been cut short.
This double LP reflects the atmosphere of disillusionment and uncertainty about the future, which descended on the Serbian capital. Dark and melancholic saxophone playing on top of heavy kicks and Mediterranean percussions dominate the epic 17 minutes title track. The collaboration with Jerusalem in My heart continues the melancholic atmosphere, adding to it JIMH signature delayed baglama sounds, to create a 12 minute emotional journey, tearing away abstract concepts of 'longing' and 'home' with ever growing tension and magnitude. Genre-less, illusive and not easy to categorize, Tapan's debut album on Malka Tuti is an original soundtrack of a fragment in time and space, capturing a moment and transcending it musically for the rest of the world to experience.

Forriner is Lee Forster and Oli Worriner.
I made music together with Lee for years (alongside Mick Rolfe) as Last Waltz.
He also worked as Lizards with James Hadfield (James released solo for Me Me Me 02),
Oli Worriner, is a talented young northerner who's already making a great name for his solo output, both under his own name and his Traela Alias, as well his label 'Tunnyl Recordings'
I'm really flattered that they've let me release their first full solo release, and I love how they've brought out each others deeper and more emotive sides in these 2 tracks.
Shit Robot is a hero of mine. I basically wore out the grooves on a bunch of his DFA stuff from just over 10 years ago, and I've avidly bought everything he's released since.
I met him this summer for the first time when we shared the bill at a festival, and was so happy to find that he's also lovely guy in real life.
They say you should never meet your heroes, but I don't subscribe to that as this meeting led to not one, but two fantastic remixes for Me Me Me 08.
The originals are a bright mix of melodically analogue left leaning house, while the remixes zero-in on a punchier dancefloor vibe, with an epic version Goodnight, as well a more heads down Disco Dub.
So yeah, links within links, and keeping it Northeastern again I guess.

Seattle artist, and From 0-1 co-owner Sone, issues his debut vinyl EP, 'Auroras'. Aptly titled, this EP embodies the characteristic ethereal nature of these light formations seen in the far northern and southern hemispheres. Deep heady atmospheres, and constant driving rhythmic motion perfectly embody the artist's vision.
'Australis' opens the EP with hypnotic rhythms and enigmatic textures. Milkplant continues the theme while ratcheting up the energy level, and injecting a touch of grit. 'Borealis' brings the funk with undeniable groove and tracky percussive power; serving as a great DJ tool. UK artist Operator (aka Rich Jones) turns the focus with heavy driving force, and an organic, acidic chug.

Excise is a vinyl-focused label based out of San Francisco, California. Each release pairs a regional Californian techno artist and a local visual artist, thus serving as a platform to fuse the two local creative scenes. Its first release features label co-owner Muon with 3 hypnotic raw analog tracks. Many of these tracks received heavy play time in the San Francisco underground, and now are seeing a broader release for the first time.

Artist biography:

US based artist, Muon (real name Marc Kelechava) spent his formative musical years in Brooklyn, NYC, but has resided in Northern California since 2013. His initial release on Excise is an attempt to combine hypnotic synth work with heavier dance floor elements: music to get lost to.

As a DJ, he now co-manages the iconic Direct to Earth crew, which started as an Oakland underground rave in 2011. The group's primary goal is to help bring international stars to the San Francisco community for the first time. This year alone they've hosted (or will host) Phase, Cosmin TRG, Yan Cook, Ansome, Marla Singer, and Ben Sims. Muon's an opening mainstay with his hypno-aggressive mixing work.

Step Time Orchestra was the collaborative work of producers Jori Hulkkonen and Toumas Salmela, who began producing music together in the nineties whilst studying in Oulu, Finland. Whilst all their friends would be getting up early to go to university, they would only just be going to bed, having spent the night listening to house records from New York, drinking Whiskey and programming their MPC 2000!

Step Time produced a slew of tracks during this time, some of which were licensed and pressed on 12" singles during the late nineties/early noughties on labels operating in North America and Europe, but not everything they made saw the light of day. Heavily influenced by labels like Ibadan and Spiritual Life Music at the height of the New York House Scene, 'Jazz Error NYC' and '2am in Africa' were never signed, not fitting the profile of their other releases at the time, they were left in the drawer and sadly forgotten!

Skip forward to Winter 2016, and FBNM's Lorenzo, whilst over on a DJ excursion, visits Jori in Finland. Keen to keep working together, he presses him for something uniquely special. Magically, the Ajos E.P jumps out of the drawer into Hulkkonen's hand, and as it turns out, it has aged with a rather remarkable grace. Written using a combination of MPC sequencing and an Atari ST powering vanilla Cubase for some midi programming duties, it features the sounds of the Italian made Siel Opera 6, an Alesis S4 Rompler and other vintage Roland, Yamaha and Kawai Synths. They went full out on this one, even finally learning to play keys for that jazzy piano action. It was recorded live through a soundcraft analog board with outboard Fx, creating a sound that transcended it's time to feel remarkably fresh today!

The Ajos EP is named after an area in their native city of Kemi, Northern Finland, which is where they wrote and produced it in 1999.

Excise Records' 2nd vinyl release is a celebration of both Northern and Southern Californian techno. Oakland's Milkplant has been making heady dancefloor bombs for 2 decades, and Los Angeles icon Developer jumps in with a beautiful retro-hypnotic remix of Far Star. Milkplant's Dust Cloud is a 10 minute epic build with dreamy synth work shattered complex metallic percussion and anchored by a shockingly weighty bassline. The original Far Star is a wild romp with psyched out synth arps and relentless spit-fire hi hats.

Artist biography:

US based artist, Milkplant (real name Justin William Pennell) is originally from Milwaukee,Wisconsin; but has resided in Oakland, California since 2010. He relocated to the West Coast in 2004, lived in Seattle for six years, and started the internationally recognized Techno label and artist collective, From 0-1; with fellow artist, Sone. Schooled in the Midwest and developed on the West Coast, his work encompasses over 30 years of combined DJ/production experience, and 9 years of record label operations.

In autumn 2014 he released 'Time Dilation', a four track 12" EP on From 0-1. Charted by Gary Beck, Paul Mac, and Ben Sims at #2, #1, and #26 in their November 2014 Juno charts, this was a turning point for him. Since then he has released on Planet Rhythm, Wall Music, Dark Net, Etichetta Nera, From 0-1, and Excise. His productions have drawn critical acclaim from many notable artists; showing up in mixes and charts by Ben Sims, Jerome Sydenham, Bryan Zentz, Joachim Spieth, Tommy Four Seven, Submerge, Tadeo, Mattias Fridell, Mr. Jones, Electric Indigo, David Meiser, Samuli Kemppi, Arnaud Le Texier, Abstract Division, DJ T-1000, and many others.

As a DJ he can be found playing a combination of vinyl and CDJs. He has played in various cities across the US, most notably in Detroit at the Blank Code - Droid Interface/Scene party for Movement 2016. His mixes have been featured on Droid's D-Node podcast, the Warsaw Torture Boyz podcast, Blank Code podcast, Drone podcast, and Error Sessions. Regarding upcoming releases: 'The Distance' vinyl EP arrives autumn 2017 on San Francisco based label, Excise; his remix of Sone's 'Australis' arrives on vinyl late 2017 via From 0-1.

ALFIE DAVISON first came to prominence in the early seventies as a DJ on the New York dance scene breaking cutting edge singles such as Soul Makossa' by Manu Dibango. Eventually he hit with his own song -- Who's Gonna Love Me' -- recorded by The Imperials and breaking the U.K. Top 20 in December 1977. Davison did record his own version which saw a release in the U.S.A. on the RCA imprint, but it failed to chart.
However, it was his sublime single - Love Is Serious Business' - that propelled him into the Northern Soul Hall of Fame. Released on Mercury Records in 1979, in both 7 and 12-inch formats, it was an instant hit in the North of England where it packed the floor at Wigan Casino courtesy of the forward-thinking DJ Richard Searling who, at the time, favoured the rare 12-inch import.
Sadly, the song failed to chart despite a favourable reception in the trade magazine Billboard, although, oddly, it was reviewed in the Pop', rather than the Soul' section. Davison was completely unaware of the serious' club action that the song received in the U.K. and he never performed it in public, until Ian Levine met up with him at the dawn of the new millennium, in Brooklyn, for the filming of The Strange World Of Northern Soul'.
Alfie Davison passed away in 2014 and leaves behind a small but precious legacy that will be forever cherished in the Hearts and Souls of Northern Soul fans worldwide.

Belgium 'Popcorn' borrows its name from the 1969 James Brown LP, The Popcorn, which also became the moniker for the Popcorn Club in Vrasene, Flanders which, in its heyday, attracted 3,000 youths to its Sunday sessions. It was DJ Gilbert Govaert who pioneered the sound, blending blues, soul, jazz, latin, doo-wop and high-school pop in a unique melting pot that appealed to dancers seeking that chugging cha-cha beat.
Our POPCORN SOUL PARTY carries on the tradition with many tracks culled from the original playlists and others, such as the incredibly elusive Willie J Charles Feelin' Kinda Lonesome' which has become popular in more recent times.
This unique set will appeal to Popcorn oldies fans, new breed Northern Soul fans and R&B collectors alike. Look out for new-to-vinyl reissues courtesy of Ki Ki Page and Chance Halladay!
The Party Continues...

The Passport To Paradise gang are in fine form as they serve up four more tripped-out disco edits for the globally-minded savant.
We take sail with the excellent 'Thru Wit' Waitin'', a beefed-up guitar chugger reminiscent of 70s AOR in its steady percussive work and misty sax solo. It's the guitar line that really shines here, lifting the tune into funk transcendence in the bridge.
'Anybody Out There' reaches out to the disco trippers with its northern Italian cosmic kitsch feel: starry-eyed synth pads float above reverb-soaked guitar musings and playful French vocal samples. A particular highlight. On the flip, PTP take things south with a soulful West African shuffler guaranteed to elicit some arresting footwork. The EP leaves us with resounding vibrations from the Far East: 'JP Wave' explores ethereal planes, building up a dense rhythmic fabric punctuated by bass stabs and ornamental chimes. This is a clever bunch of edits for the more discerning selectors and enthusiasts out there- act fast.

(180 gr) Mark Barrott steps away from the Balearic sound he's become synonymous with to take a journey back to the territory he first explored with Bepu N'Gali. The Pathways Of Our Lives is a joyous, life affirming piece of 70's Afro Soul with amodern twist, continuing Barrott's love affair with African Polyrhythms and 70's Philly Strings.
It's also the first time since 2014's aforementioned Bepu N'Gali release that he has worked with a full band and sees The Grünewald Quartet return to string duties after collaborating on Barrott's Sketches from an Island 2 album last year.

The Bside, Music for Santoor, Bansuri, Tanpura y Sarod is another track recorded live during one of his spring meditation sessions in Northern Ibiza, with India's Vishnu Quartet performing a 2 hour piece with Barrott directing and later editing it down into the form you hear today.

After a busy and productive first half of 2017 in which Barrott released his Music for Presence EP and two Talamanca System releases, this summer sees Mark Barrott step into high gear with his work at La Torre in Ibiza, where he is sunset resident and has compiled the second edition of their compilation
series (last year's debut charting high in best mixes of the year by Resident Advisor).

Pathways invites the listener inside Barrott's mystical world, where stillness and meditation are the foundations, non-attachment and non-judgement are the windows, and through the music he mindfully sketches a vista into the next chapter in his career.

Pitchfork calls International Feel's "Pathways Of Our Lives" incredible. Hell of a track.

The Allergies' debut album introduced the world to the way they effortlessly fuse funk, soul, disco, hip-hop and breaks into dancefloor-ready nuggets of ear candy. Taking classic sounds and reshaping for the modern age is the signature that won them plaudits across the globe.

Not ones to rest on their laurels, it hasn't taken long for them to deliver more of the goods on their second full-length album, 'Push On'. As well as taking the successful formula of the first record and expanding on the sound with raw Funk, Psych, Northern Soul, and Boogie influences, The Allergies enlisted two giants of underground Hip-Hop to bless mics on the album as well.

After a hugely successful collaboration on their debut LP, once again the dynamic lyricism and production skills of the inimitable Andy Cooper (Ugly Duckling) are present and correct in this new collection. Besides bringing the party on tracks like 'Main Event', he also settles scores with 'It Won't Be Me', before destroying all-comers on the battle Rap behemoth, 'Buzzsaw'. Also joining in on the action is UK MC veteran, Dr Syntax (The Mouse Outfit, Foreign Beggars) who prescribes some more healthy Hip-Hop advice on the track 'Remedy'.

Other highlights include the vintage Soul stomper, 'Entitled to That', Sixties uptempo groover, 'Hold You Close', and the fantastic little strutter, 'Get Down On You'. All in all it's a brand new set of future classics from your new favourite funky beatmakers, The Allergies.

Looky Looky is the new project from Jeffrey Sfire and Ian Clark, both residing in Detroit, Michigan. The pair met in the late 90s when Ian was performing as one half of Le Car with Adam Miller of ADULT. Ian also recorded under the moniker Perspects, and released on Clone, Ersatz Audio and Interdimensional Transmissions. Jeffrey has released a series of singles and remix EPs with Samuel Long as Sfire on CockTail d'Amore Music and Ultramajic.
.
The duo released their 8-track debut album 'Part Flamingo' in 2016. All 8 tracks represent one body of work but are presented as 2 distinct concept EP's: 'Part Flamingo' and 'Nurse Coven'. They're loose, fun pastiches of 80's movie soundtracks with accompanying imagery. For the 'Flamingo Boots' EP we chose 4 songs from the album which the pair extended for maxi 12' throbbing dance mixes. Looky Looky describe the project as equal parts light and dark, a contemporary recasting of Italo, Hi-NRG and electro. The songs infuse bright '80s sonic textures with a seedy, sweaty thump. The Motor City duo is about a year into the project, but is already known for their hardware-heavy live set after playing the Honcho Summer Campout last year and the 2017 edition of Gays Hate Techno in northern California.

Re-issue of the seminal 'Dust On Common' LP, from Led Er Est (Sam De La osa, Shawn O'Sullivan and Owen Hutchinson) was originally released in 2009 by the seminal Brooklyn based record label Wierd Records.
.
The band's first full-length release showed the three piece clearly breaking out of the minimal synth underground they have been a vitally integral part of since its inception in Brooklyn to create an undeniably contemporary set of highly crafted and restrained, icily psychedelic pop songs.

Synthesizing countless disparate musical influences from first wave British industrial music to house, disco, and the largely unknown cold wave (aka 'La Vague Froide') tradition in Northern Europe, the trax on Dust fly by, straight out of the frozen hot, lonely cold plains of vocalist Samuel Kklovenhoof's native central Texas. After digesting a few songs of this rich dust, the listener can do no other than lie down in the wild weird Laredo bunker to revel in the refreshingly brisk blast of hedonistic analogue pleasure dancing through the airwaves in the sky above...

DJ, musician, former saxophonist - there's a combination of skills you don't get to see too often. Get acquainted with DEMIAN, then, aka Damien Pontonnier, a French artist who relocated to Paris after an influential career as

electronic music pioneer and party organizer in Northern Spain. Now an accomplished producer with releases on labels such as Correspondant or Clouded Vision, he presents the MILESTARS EP for Kompakt - a quirky and vibrant track trio with an obvious knack for catchy melodic details in a kinetic techno corsage.

Having amassed quite the experience portfolio when it comes to grassroots club culture, DEMIAN knows a thing or two about inspiring a dance floor - but that doesn't necessarily account for the artistic versatility or genuine lust for sonic adventures and happy accidents that these cuts exhibit: opener DÉCLICA boots with deliciously stoic cowbell-isms that leave the doors of perception wide open for some iconoclastic, yet surprisingly effective synth action.

Meanwhile, the title cut invests in texture-rich atmosphere without forgetting about the precise amount of momentum you need to tip the floor over the edge. Closer NO HYPE FOR THE FISH takes things in a more hypnotic direction, intertwining freeform arpeggios and tape delay with smart beatmanship. Simultaneously lush and lean in its overall aesthetic, the MILESTARS EP will feed both the nerd and the dancer in you - a swiss army knife with all the right tools for masterful crowd control.

Infernal Sounds is discharging its fifth hefty, system-affine release, adding another highly regarded talent to their roster. Having featured revered producers like Von D, Sepia, Causa, Shu & Perverse, the label has clearly positioned itself in the front row seat of the modern dubstep movement. Representing a combination of upholding the values of system music with a 21st-century take on sound - the next release, catalogued as 'IFS005' is stylistically congruent and adds to the discography in total.

It is now time for highly talented Sub Basics (Tom Woods) to augment the imprint's discography with his ridiculously massive incarnation of bass music. His debut vinyl release on the Canadian imprint 'Visceral Vibrations' in 2015 has garnered ample amounts of positive reception by esteemed figures in the scene like Versa, Syte and J:Kenzo. After an equally praised 10' dubplate release ( Give Dem') in 2016, we now find ourselves in the silence before the thunderstorm, that is this very record. His upcoming release includes three tracks, two of which will feature on vinyl (A. Horus/ B. Cartel), while the third 'Northern Lights' will be a Bandcamp-exclusive.

Diving into the sound at hand, his arrangements are closely aligned and firmly true to the origins of Dubstep - conjugated with extreme clarity, as well as preposterous amounts of weight and gravitas. The impeccable execution of his minimalistic sound design will leave this release rumbling on soundsystems around the globe - and will most stay a fan's favourite draw from the record bag for a good while.


Perfectly displaying a refined sense of dynamics with 'Horus', Sub Basics effortlessly squeezes every available ounce of air out of the system, while preserving an immense sense of space. The highly infatuating groove of 'Cartel' is mingled with a sweltering foundation - tied together through his meticulous attention to detail. As etheral pads complement the gnarly drum reverberations and bird's cries recoil - the listener is left in a surreal world of the 'Northern Lights' - apprehended by the sonorous magnitude of the bassline. Completed by creamy atmospheres with tape-echo-esque characteristics, this whole release is sure to tick all your boxes from top to bottom - IFS005 has already received support from J:Kenzo & Foamplate among others, therefore the pre-order is strongly advised.

Italian Roberto Clementi has really struck a chord in the hearts of Northerners, with releases on Scottish Soma, Danish Echocord Colour and Swedish Kontra-Musik. Perhaps it's his ability to create evolving and often emotional melodic landscapes over raw, punchy beats that's especially appreciated north of The Wall. This is very much true for True Rotary Recordings, in any case, bringing Roberto Clementi in for the label's second release. 'To Balance a Tide' is perfectly set in the True Rotary Recordings universe, combining analogue warmth with genuine musicality. There's no question Roberto Clementi has soul and has willingly poured some of it into this release, the music has a considerable thickness to it that's very pleasing to the ear, yet it's still exceptionally artful. Clementi's soul seems to be an ancient one, given the timelessness of his tracks - old SVEK releases come to mind but with an added futuristic twist. This is music for dancing and music for dreaming, all in one package.
True Rotary Recordings is run by Joel Alter and Ena Cosovic. Stemming from a longstanding mutual appreciation for the combination raw techno with more seductive sounds, the label is a natural development of Joel's and Ena's musical and personal partnership. True Rotary Recordings represents their mutual musical vision and vibe that they love. Keeping it raw and genuine.

'Ela Mandou Esperar' is a stomping, soulful Brazilian funk taken from Cassiano's sought after 'Imagem E Som' LP from 1971. A big hint of Northern Soul to this one to!

'Uma Vida' - big drums, piano and lush backing vocals as you would expect from Dom Salvador - a dramatic start that flips into joyous call-and-response funk/ soul. Taken from the awesome 1971 'Som, Sangue E Raça' LP.

When faced with the decision to take a different direction at the risk of getting lost in a synthetic sound or to further explore the same musical path, Vaudou Game didn't need to consult the oracle for very long when putting together their new album. Since their first acclaimed album, Apiafo and its irresistible single "Pas Contente", these Lyon natives never turned down the heat on over 130 stages across Europe, Africa, America and Asia. Peter Solo has displayed his amulets, charisma and yellow pants around the globe.When time came for them to harness their Afro-Funk sound for the second time, they turned their attention once again to their analog strengths. Vintage material, instruments produced in the 70's and cassette tapes were the "grigris" (or lucky charms) which proved most effective to ward off digital corruption of their music and return them to a tight-knit group with a solid groove.This unbeatable trance rhythm, inherited from James Brown and Fela, icons of Funk and Afrobeat, becomes trident when joined by Mawu, the creative voodoo divinity hidden in each of the group's notes. This inspiration transcends their spirit of communion, plunges them deeply into Mother Earth and results in the telepathic trance which is directly connected to Togo Peter's native Togo.Each song then becomes a celebration where the listener becomes the group's voodoo doll, embraced by the rhythm, submitting itself to the mercilessly metronomic cutting of guitars, struck by the copper-colored flashes of lightning forged by the African voodoo deity Hevioso, pierced by the psychedelic visions generated by the organs and a six-string guitar, cheerful songs, and hypnotic incantations.KIDAYU means "sharing" in Kabye, the language spoken in northern Togo. Sharing, is the philosophy of Vaudou Game - both in their recorded music and on stage.Vintage African funk tinged with voodoo chanting: Togolese Peter Solo and his fellow musicians from Lyon electrify us in a frenzied ceremony" - Télérama

After a few digital releases, Lunar Convoy delivers a masterfully executed debut EP to inaugurate newcomer belgian imprint NORITE's vinyl series. Counting Northern Electronics, Hypnus Records, Semantica and Prologue among his main influences, Lunar Convoy's first effort is utterly coherent while not failing to evoke a plurality of emotions. Imbued with sacred atmospheres, infiltrated with mysticism, ritualistic melodies and aesthetically charged rhythms, Outer Rim Territories is a testimony of his love for deeper realms. On the A side, Seswenna's trancey lead synth and pumping bass opens the EP with an excursion towards distant planets. Ryloth ventures into darker fields, scattered with whirring and saturated analog complains and haunted by ancient voices. On the flip side, Eriadu sets a more mystical pace with syncopated kicks and floating eerie pad, to embark on a parallel dimension. Allen's take on Ryloth is symptomatic of the US-based producer, speeding things up and offering a stripped down version filled with devastating hi-hats and firing toms to end this solid 4-tracker with the hypnotic-yet-effective sound that got him signed on Attic Music, M_Rec Ltd, PoleGroup or more recently Granulart Recordings. With such a captivating release, Lunar Convoy has set a high bar for the upcoming releases and left us under his sway.

During their European tour earlier this year, Canadian duo Jokers Of The Scene stopped over for a couple of days at Club Bizarre studio in Northern France. The two pair of producers locked up and came up with Betaville and Breakwater, two killer lo-fi and spaced out tracks. Betaville is a fuzzy dream that will make you dance in slow motion with your head in the clouds. Boasting a strong melodic and nostalgic feel, it unfolds its warm analog synth pads, old school sequences and drum machine to psychedelic effect. Imagine Boards Of Canada wanting to make you dance.. Even slower is Breakwater, a dirtier, chunkier track that ditches the softness of Betaville in favour of a more 'in your face' bass line and all together rougher attitude. It chugs along to old fashioned beat box claps and percussion and quirky synth melodies. Lastly Betaville gets the Timothy J Fairplay treatment of being violently pulled apart and chucked in all corners. Reminiscent of early Chemical Brothers music, a heavy beat slaps over agressive drugged up analog sound effects while a repetitive, haunting melody screams on top and reverberated vocals whisper in your ears. Scary.

NORTHERN SOUL doesn't get much better than this iconic 1968 anthem, Time Will Pass You By', one of the famed 3 Before 8' as played every Sunday morning at Wigan Casino during it's 8 year reign. Presented here - FOR THE FIRST TIME - coupled with the original demo, recorded by the writers at the Impact studio, Detroit, 1965. We also include a spoken word introduction recorded exclusively for Outta Sight by writer and producer John Rhys... now ain't that just Outta Sigfht!'

SALES POINTS:
One of the all-time great Northern Soul tracks, a 3 before 8' classic
Exclusive commentary by writer John Rhys
As featured in the film Northern Soul

The late Dena Barnes reputedly recorded four sides for Harry Balk in the Impact studios circa 1966-67, two are featured here, the other two have yet to surface... oh what joy! If You Ever Walk Out Of My Life' IS Northern Soul to many devotees ever since it was first spun on the UK club scene some 40 years ago. Co-written by Gar'dena' Barnes and Duke Browner, during his glory years, and arranged by Detroit royalty Mike Terry. Surely this iconic double-sider demands to be in every soul fans collection.

SALES POINTS:
All time Northern Soul Classic - Two fabulous sides
Massive appeal to ALL Northern Soul fans

Zaquoir alias Matthias Groß is a producer and musician currently living in Leipzig. After sending us more than 10 GIGABITES of great music, we sat down together and tied a selection of his really eclectic styles of production together into one LP, creating some sort of showreel created in the timespan of over 15 years.

Zaquoir himself sees the record as a reminiscent mood of a donkey in the Sardinian sun and describes the record as a trip in itself, allowing the listener to traverse the lines of various acoustic landscapes.

The tracks on the LP where produced in six different places, including a historic house in the centre of Vilnius, the artist residency "Blumen" in Leipzig, a French-German art association and a village in Northern Bavaria.

OUTTA SIGHT celebrate five soulful years - in association with Passion Music - with the release of the coverted Northern Soul classic I Got To Find Me Somebody' by The Vel-Vets. This special 45 is coupled with the driving, funky, You Don't Mean It' by Towanda Barnes.
I remember queuing and walking into Wigan and hearing The Vel-Vets I Got To Find Me Somebody' which remains in my top ten just because of the memory of hearing it that first time at the Casino' DJ Ginger Taylor

Classic Big Bucks Northern Soul Sides On Nice Lookalike Label Reissue 45

Repress!

Classic Big Bucks Northern Soul Sides On Nice Lookalike Label Reissue 45

Belgium, not the first place you'd think of when it comes to Latin or Afro funk. Yet one of the greatest records to blend both styles came from the small northern European country, masterminded by Nico Gomez and his Afro Percussion Inc.

Ritual was originally released in 1971 on the Dutch label Omega International (Gomez was born in Holland before moving to Belgium in the late 40s) and is being reissued by Mr Bongo in 2013, bringing its blazing funk grooves to both new ears and those already tuned in to this masterpiece's legacy.

Across its 11 tracks Ritual delivers the kind of production, arrangement and musicianship that rightfully belong in a dictionary next to the definition of professional. Gomez' band was tight and they knew it, showing it off on their covers of Perez Prado's 'Caballo Negro' and 'Lupita' by injecting the originals with a deep funk that blends both Afro and Latin influences. On 'Samba De Una Nota So' and 'El Condor Pasa', another pair of covers, they switch to soulful downtempo with mesmerising ease. The title cut remains one of the album's highlights, a devastating dancefloor groove with horns to match that has aged beautifully and was heavily sampled by Liquid People for 'The Dragon'. 'Pa! Pa! Pa! Pa!' adds touches of rock with fuzzy guitars for one of the album's headier experiences.

Classic Northern Soul Sides Courtesy Of Philadelphia Producer Jerry Ross Transferred From The Original Master Tapes