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Harlem's legendary Disco label Queen Constance has long been a cult favourite among fans of underground dance music for decades.

One of many labels operating under the equally legendary P&P family of imprints Queen Constance was operated by one Peter Brown, a truly colossal figure in NYC's music scene, it's catalogue still fascinates music lovers to this day. Covering a wide range of styles including Gospel, early Rap and Disco the label's output continually finds it way into the playlists of respected DJ's and selectors across the globe. High Fidelity will be the first in a series of Queen Constance rarities to be reissued, an extremely rare and coveted record that can change hands on the second hand market for big big money, avoid those low rent bootlegs that are out there and cop this fully licensed repress.

The group's self-titled sole long-player is a fantastic 6 track set of gritty, soulful and uplifting funky Disco with a DIY edge. Not too much is known about the artists themselves, or even when the record was performed, recorded or released but it certainly sounds like a group who knew their craft inside out. The energy is high across the record and the group sound like they're on fire, just check the outrageously funkified 'Magic Carpet' and you'll see what we mean. Amazing. The whole project has that enchanting lo-fi, back-street feel to it in terms of production and the mind boggles as to how such a record would have come off had it been recorded at a Motown or any other 'big' studio, but no matter as this release is perfect the way it is, an essential piece of street-level NYC Disco straight from the underground.
This is a 100% legit reissue, made in conjunction with Above Board distribution and the Demon Music group, lovingly remastered with love by Optimum Mastering, Bristol UK.

Essential repress of stunning 1977 Disco-soul rarity, written, produced and arranged by the incredible team of Norman Connors, Reggie Lucas and James Mtume. Vitamin E, a a short-lived group that yielded only 2 singles and one long player during their time certainly knew who to work with in the studio. 'Kiss Away' is an absolute belter, raw and raunchy Funk riffing gives way to some ultra smooth, grown-up stepping Soul awash with some stellar string arrangements. This one is definitely for the dancers, it simply glides along with the utmost class and sophistication, an incredibly uplifting and funky cut that features here in it's 1977 special disco version guise as per the original Buddah Records release. On the flip is a cool cover of Neil Sedaka's 1974 hit 'Laughter In The Rain' - a sweet version, no doubt, but the real winner is the stellar A-side. Reissued, remastered and re-presented for 2018 by Above Board distribution - 100% legit and licensed.

"For the final part of SchleiBen 5 - 8, Emotional Response welcomes two Scottish based artists to close out the series. In Jon Keliehor you have a world and music traveler with history from psychedelic rock to fourth world exposure, alongside one of the best electronic producers of the last decade, Lord Of The Isles. As the drummer of West Coast folk rock / psychedelic band The Daily Flash, Keleihor spent much of the mid-60 based in and out of Seattle and Los Angles, playing alongside the likes of Jefferson Airplane, Cream and The Doors, before an increasing interest in meditation and philosophies outside of the 'rock' realm led him to England in the early 70s where he become involved in dance theatre. Teaching Advanced Rhythmic Music Studies at the London Contemporary Dance School, his music composition style became influenced by his studies of world music. Finally settling in Glasgow for over 20 years, while running the Luminous Music label and Gamelan Naga Mas, his earlier recordings for labels like Indipop, Touch and Bruton have seen a recent revival, with music appearing recently on contemporaries Optimo Music and Invisible Inc. The wonderful recordings included here span over 3 decades, from sessions at the Luminous Studio at The Diorama Theatre, London in the early 80s, through to recent field-work based recordings in the Cairngorms. Reconfigured and updated, a common thread appears through the pieces - a sense of longing and appreciation - as Jon's knowledge of outer-national instrumentation alongside equally extensive travels around the globe gives the recordings a seamless blend of organic craft. The tonal consonances within unlikely combinations of instruments, with tuned glasses (tarang), tabla, jaw harps, clay flutes and ocarinas, Chinese instruments that include Xiao-Bo and Xiao-Ping, large Noah bells, small and larges gongs all employed, the recordings have been reconstructed, edited and updated via sampling and digital processing. Featuring the playing of John "Jhalib" Millar - the extraordinarily gifted musician and tabla player - who has appeared with an EP on sister label, Emotional Rescue (ERC029), sadly recently deceased, the contribution acts as a tribute and more. To close, the music of Lord Of The Isles is an excellent companion to Jon's work. Neil McDonald's list of club-based releases on labels CockTail D'Amor, Ene, Firecracker, Permanent Vacation, ESP Institute and Phonica is comprehensive and exemplary, however within his productions has often been an other-worldly element, a space between the beats and occasional fully ambient pieces. Approached originally for series one of SchleiBen, the 7 pieces included were worth the wait, a journey in themselves and the perfect completion. Spanning almost 5 years, the majority were written during an extended exile in the Cairngorms. The lifting, ethereal, but melodic nature of the music fits that aesthetic. Blue skies, snow, long walks, space to think, but with a longing and appreciation of family and friends. The solitary nature found in SchleiBen 8 and the geographical incidence of both artist's recordings including sessions in the Scottish Highlands fits the series ideals and is a nice closure. Enjoy and listen. "

Greatest Hits Was A Major Triumph For Kravitz And A Worldwide Top 10 Chart Performer, Reaching No. 2 In The U.s. And No. 1 In Austria, Italy, And Other Countries. This Compilation Showcases The Many Strengths Inherent In The Grooves Of Kravitz's First Five Albums — 1989's Let Love Rule, 1991's Mama Said, 1993's Are You Gonna Go My Way, 1995's Circus, And 1998's 5 — By Assembling 15 Of The Best Tracks From The First Stage Of His Celebrated Career.- this Greatest Hits Collection Features Early Kravitz Classics And Also Sports A Pair Of Exceptional Non-album Tracks, Including The Previously Unreleased Mid-tempo Version Of again,' Which Reached No. 4 On The Billboard Hot 100 Singles Chart. The Album Also Boasts Kravitz's Incendiary Cover Of The Guess Who's All-time Rock Classic american Woman,' Which Initially Had Been Featured In The Hit 1999 Film, Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me, And Was Eventually Added To A Cd Re-release Of 5.
- the Core Tracks On Greatest Hits All Serve To Illuminate Kravitz's Own Considerable Talents As A Multifaceted Singer, Songwriter, Producer And Guitar Player.

Always Seen With A Smile On His Face, Inja The Poet, Lyricist, Storyteller And Unparalleled Master Of Ceremonies Presents His Debut Album On Hospital Records. His First Drum & Bass Focussed Long-player 'blank Pages' Flexes His Lyrical Style With Heartfelt Sentiment, Roughneck Flows And Quick-fire Wordsmith Wizardry. All Partnered With Heavyweight Productions From Pete Cannon, Nu:tone, Logistics, Serum, Whiney And Anile.
Inja's Back With Partner-in-crime Pete Cannon On 'war Games'. A Funky Bassline Lays The Foundations For This Fear-fighting Tale. As The Breaks Roll Out Inja's Militant And Deep Rhetoric Puts This Track On A New Level, With Signature Percussive Flair From The Sought After Hip-hop Beatmaker.
Inja's Spoken-word Piece For Amnesty International 'she Just Wanna Dance' Was A Viral Online Hit In 2017. It's Now Been Given A Turbo-charged Re-work By Med School Young-gun Whiney. Inja's Poignant Commentary On The Prolific Problem Of Harassment In Club Culture Sits Atop A Grimey Half-time Stepper That Switches Up Into A Lethal Upfront Roller.
Inja Proves He Can 'juk' Any Riddim In 'samurai'. Serum's Steppy Beat And Woofing Bassline Balances Inja's Story Of The Samurai, Slicing Through The Tune Like The Lyrical Sensei He Is.
even With A White Page And Black Ink, You Can Spell Out More Colour Than The Eye Can See.' - Inja

First he had us in Denial. Then he made us an offer we couldn't Resist. Now he's fixing our focus on the most crucial player in this whole house caper: the 'Selecta'.

Come again 'Selecta' is yet another crystalline acid body workout from the Ovum boss who's been dishing out single sinewy shell-outs in a seriously rich vein of form of late. Galvanised by heavily swung drums, loaded and coded with a venom-like funk and characterised by a big soundsystem vocal that tears out of nowhere and disappears just as quickly; it's yet another unique piece of 303 witchcraft, the likes of which only Wink can conjure. Deeply groovy, unabashed darkness and just a nuance of mischief with the vocal, it's yet another precision piece from Mr Wink who's also kindly provided an instrumental for your added creative pleasure.

Selectors, this one's for you. You know what to do...

Betty Harris' The Lost Queen of New Orleans Soul collects together the steady stream of amazing soul and funk singles issued by Betty Harris from 1964 to 1969, under the musical guidance of legendary composer, musician and producer extraordinaire Allen Toussaint, a collection which truly captures the heart and soul of the city of New Orleans during this era.
Betty Harris's powerful, fiery soulful vocals found a perfect accompaniment with the New Orleans' players that Toussaint put together to back her, which by the time of her funk classic 'There's A Break In The Road' were the legendary super-tight, super-funk New Orleans group The Meters.
With the extraordinary song-writing skills of Allen Toussaint alongside the powerful, soaring, confident and emotive singer and the groove of The Meters, you have an unbeatable combination. That Harris never in fact lived in New Orleans (she flew in from Florida for all her sessions with Toussaint's local in-house players) seems almost an irrelevance, a geographical aside to the defining New Orleans sound captured on the recordings featured here.
All of these singles featured here were released on Allen Toussaint and his business partner Marshal Sehorn's local New Orleans label Sansu, widely distributed in the southern city but in only limited quantities elsewhere. As a consequence, Betty Harris' music failed to achieve the commercial success of other New Orleans artists such as Lee Dorsey (who she recorded with) and The Meters (who backed her). And so at the end of the decade she stopped recording, retired from the music business to raise her family in Florida.
This is no reflection of the stunning musical quality of all these songs which encompass everything from southern soul, heavy funk, deep soul ballads and northern soul. Betty Harris has been a cornerstone of Soul Jazz Records' New Orleans Funk and New Orleans Soul compilations. Always soulful and always funky, Betty Harris' music contains the essence of New Orleans music. She is the Lost Soul Queen of New Orleans.
This collection is released on CD, heavyweight gatefold double LP vinyl (+ download code) and digital and comes complete with full biography, original label artwork.

Wade from Hello Records called Mr. PC "Detroit's hardest working DJ" about a year back, and the fruits of his labor shine through on this curious beatdown and jazz funk re-edit record. In his own words, "The scene doesn't need another hand-stamped and numbered vinyl-only disco edit label, so I went ahead and took the proverbial razor and tape to some jazz-fusion-disco-not-disco tracks that influenced me coming up as a bass player, now fully capable for DJ dance floor elevation." 450 hand-stamped and numbered

2 Track Single From Hot Rocks Released By High Music/dub Store Records

Franco Micalizzi CHI SEI(Four Flies Records - FLIES 17)

LP 180gr. Limited Edition 500 copies

liner notes byALFONSO CARRILLO (Rendezvous, LA)

lettering & artwork restoration byLUCA BARCELLONA

Considered one of the finest and most successful works composed by Franco Micalizzi. A 500 limited-edition LP which includes two tracks never before released on vinyl, a reworked painted lettering title designed by Luca Barcellona, and extensive liner notes by Los Angeles'RendezvousDJ/film event founder, and Four Flies collaborator, Alfonso Carrillo: "A film score that was quite unheard of in horror - a funk and disco-tinged soundtrack, with a sound reminiscent of a blaxploitation film. Director Ovidio Assonitis'Chi sei(1974, American title:Beyond the Door) offered horror fans both a familiar sto- ryline and a stylistically unusual score. Recorded in the States, and using American session musicians, Micalizzi created one of horror's most unique soundtracks. He utili- zes soulful lead vocals (sung by Warren Wilson) along with sax and synthesizer, both of which are featured prominently on the score. Along with superb percussion work, this soundtrack features virtuosic musicianship by top session players and easily stands up to the test of time. This was an early foray into the world of soulful funk and an early in- dication of future-funk to come from the maestro". Alfonso Carrillo (Rendezvous, LA)

Artist and musician Alex Puddu, whom many already know for his "Danish Pornography" series and solo records, has written and produced the second album for his soulful band The Moonfires. A second coming that showcases strong R&B classic melodies, Afro vibes and tight funky grooves that take the listener up to a level of great bands like New Birth, Ohio Players, Mandrill, and Black Heat. This is Alex Puddu at his groovest!!!

Word Of Advice To Funk Lovers, There Is Not A Minute To Lose. Get On Board Of The Big Hustle's Spaceship. Before We Take Off, Let's Do A Little History. The Band Was Founded In 2014 By Bass Player And Composer Sébastien Levanneur And Its Aim Is To Bring Together 70's Old School Funk With The Hippest Actual Sound Laced With Influences Spanning From Steely Dan And Headhunters, To Snarky Puppy And Soulive. With Mighty Horn Players, A Rock And Funky Rhythm Section, The Big Hustle's Music Has A Very Large Variety Of Soundscapes.

The First Destination Takes Us To The Washington, D.c. Area With turn Up'. The Groove Is Clearly Go-go Music Flavored With The Trademark Sound Of Cowbells And Of Course It Reminds Us Of Zapp By The Use Of The Talk Box On Lead Vocals, Performed Here By Saad El Garrab. And Don't Miss Out Shaun Martin (snarky Puppy, Erykah Badu, Kirk Franklin Amongst Others) As A Very Special Guest Performing The Talk Box Solo! Second Stop Is a Curse, A Blessing'. It's An Instrumental Very Much In The Freddie Hubbard Vein During His Cti Years. The Last Leg Of The A Side Ends With An Instrumental Interlude Titled flying Donut'. Double Tribute To Jay Dee And Flying Lotus, The Music Is A Simple Hip Hop Loop Based On Samples.

The B Side Takes Us Back Into The Past With Two Brilliant Covers, Involving Rod Temperton The Late Great British Songwriter Who Scored Some Of Michael Jackson's Biggest Hits. Now The Idea For This B Side Is To Do The Opposite Approach From The A Side. Taking 70's And 80's Original Music And Make Them Travel Into Time To 2018. We First Land With A Heatwave Song Named the Star Of A Story' From Their 1976 Central Heating Album. Track 2 Is A Herbie Hancock Song Named gettin' To The Good Part' From His 1982 Lite Me Up Lp. This Time Traveler Ep Journey Ends With An Interlude. Called gimme Dat', The Song Deals With The Need Of New Music, New Sound.

Again, This Blend Of Deep Rooted Funk Laced With A Contemporary Edge Is To Be Consumed Without Moderation. And Do Not Forget That E.p. Also Stands For Extended Pleasure.

The first time the album has been released on vinyl
- Includes bonus tracks and remixes by Tiga, Jason Nevins and Almighty
- The release will be announced by a trailer through Dannii Minogue's Facebook page which has 409K followers
- Dannii will promote the release via Instagram stories and posts to her 276K Instagram followers
- Dannii Minogue is available for promo and interviews throughout pre-order period
- "It's one thing to create an excellent three-and-a-half-minute dance-pop song, but another to sustain the appeal over an entire album. Kylie managed it with Fever, Madonna followed suit on Confessions on a Dance Floor. Dannii's contribution to the genre on Neon Nights is every bit as good as those classics." - IDOLATOR
- A veritable pick and mix of the European dance scene at the time, Neon Nights spawned four Top 10 hit singles in the UK 'Who Do You Love Now' (No.3), 'Put The Needle On It' (No.7), 'I Begin To Wonder' (No.2) and 'Don't Wanna Lose This Feeling' (No.5).
- The album reached No.8 on the UK Official Albums Chart and was certified Gold. In Australia it was nominated for "Best Pop Release" at the 2003 ARIA Music Awards.
- Dannii says: "When I embarked on a solo recording career and released my first album in 1990, music was only released on 7' and 12' vinyl. Fast forward through my album releases and throw in a bunch of technology changes, cassingles, cassette albums, CDs, Mini CDs and we are finally back to vinyl! Neon Nights never had a vinyl release - it was the 90's, and the industry was entering the digital age, and no-one was looking back at this experience of music listening. Thankfully Gen Y has embraced the nostalgia of the record player, so you finally get to Put The Needle On It with these tracks (please turn the volume up loud enough to annoy your neighbours!)."

James Stewart is the host, resident DJ and co-promoter of monthly night 'Black Atlantic Club' at Le Sucre in Lyon. Borrowing the term 'Black Atlantic' from renowned scholar Paul Gilroy's 1993 book, Stewart presents 'black music' as a transnational, incredibly diverse cultural exchange. An avid lecturer on the subject and founder of the Blog Afrosouldescarga, he merges an intellectual approach with the musical and creative side of things: as an active conga player and percussionist, member of Voilaaa Sound System and showhost at Radio Nova. This EP is the work of of a mature and thoughtful musician, combining different musical influences at a high level of production. Alma Negra Records are proud to present James Stewart with his Cotonou EP!

Fresh on Francis Harris' Kingdoms imprint comes Rasmus Juncker's 'Ophold' - six tracks of sublime atmospheres and textures. The Danish musician, sound composer and DJ fits perfectly with the label's aesthetic, joining the dots between ambient, leftfield electronica and modern classical.

Juncker has a background in studying jazz drumming and has been playing improvised music within the jazz domain for many years. He also started to DJ at the age of 14 and was introduced to the world of electronic music production at the same time.

When Rasmus started to think about his debut album he spent several months trying to find his own way to combine his favourite musical influences, improvisation, electronics and classical music. 'Almost a year later', Juncker says, "I went to a sensory deprivation floating tank in Copenhagen while researching for another performance and while I was lying there, floating in the water, deprived from most of my senses, I got the idea to do something drastic in my musical process. Philosophers like Immanuel Kant describe this deprived state as a mental 'Cesura', which became some sort of guideline for the album."

So Juncker decided to start working on the album by leaving the process as well as the final result completely open. 'I wanted to create sounds and music that I had no idea what they would sound like, but would feel like a mental 'Cesura', an 'Ophold' (in Danish)' he states.

He invited musicians, one after the other, to his studio. "I had an electronic musician to improvise patterns and new interesting sounds based on my experience in the deprivation tank. I chose some of the takes and some weeks later I invited a jazz guitarist to listen and improvise on top of what he heard. Then a classical string quartet and a double bass player came to my studio months later, and finally I recorded myself on percussion and drums.

Throughout the recording process I've been experimenting with special microphones in various setups, used noises from the recordings and the room became absolutely essential for the pieces." Juncker states.

"The material I used was all first take improvision which I arranged, layered and edited into compositions. The final pieces were mixed by Andreas Pallisgaard with the same improvised and experimental approach of the recording and the production. None of the musician met each other, but their sounds developed into something completely fantastic I think. The presence of the acoustic instruments and the depth and complexity of the synthesized layers gave some kind of an indescribable sounding music from another galaxy.

Track by track:

'Norddrum' starts proceedings - ethereal, grainy sounds merge and disassociate, as a distant rhythm gradually finds its way to the fore.

The second track, 'Sora' , clocking in at under 2 minutes, is an interlude full of strings, pads, and percussive hits, rich in feeling. This strong sense of sound design and seemingly disparate sounds woven together into a whole carries through into 'Eksotisk Tirsdag' - the strings, plucked instruments and electronics harking back to 4th world adventurers like Jon Hassel and Brian Eno.

'Cyklus' dives into drone textures, pulsing and modulating to create an unearthly soundtrack.

'Havekunst' is another 2 minutes interlude, this time bringing a fully charged rhythmic barrage to the front.

'Cesura', the final track is in essence the EP's centerpiece - a sprawling 8 minute journey that traverses tense, fibrous sections and on into pulsing modular passages, before opening up into glorious moments of wonder and brightness. It's a hugely bold yet fragile endeavour, in line with the whole release.

Factory Benelux presents a new vinyl edition of Swimming, the debut album by Belgian new wave group The Names, originally issued in June 1982, and now issued in a limited edition of 300 copies on clear vinyl.

Between 1979 and 1982 The Names recorded a string of excellent records for Factory, Factory Benelux and Les Disques du Crepuscule, all helmed by legendary producer Martin Hannett. Recorded at Strawberry Studios in Manchester, Swimming has come to be regarded as a European cold wave classic, combining strong songwriting from Michel Sordinia and poised, tasteful delivery by guitarist Marc Deprez and keyboards player Christophe Den Tandt.

"Exhibits many of the fine qualities of early 80s avant-rock: icy brutalism, spectral reverb, tormented vocals, techno-tribal rumbles" (Uncut, 12/2000); "Swimming retains a gorgeously shrouded, sepulchral mood" (Mojo, 12/2011); "Intelligent and imaginative" (The Face, 7/1982)
Bonus tracks include the popular singles Calcutta, Nightshift, Spectators of Life and The Astronaut, as well as the band's John Peel session from February 1982 - the first ever recorded by a Belgian band. The gatefold sleeve features original artwork and poster design by Benoit Hennebert, and photographs by Marc Portee.

Sing a song fighter have never been more proud and happy than to finally announce and release this unissued and unheard fantastic recording South African in exile Johnny Dyani was one of the greatest bass players. Played with Don Cherry, Chris McGregor, Archie Sheep, Dollar Brand / Abdullah Ibrahim etc etc. He also made many great albums as a bandleader. And a few rare minimal albums where it was mostly him and his upright bass. He died way too early, in 1986. Karl Jonas Winqvist (Sing A Song Fighter) ranks some of Dyani's works ("African Bass", 'Witchdoctor's Son" with Okay Temiz and "Good News From Africa', with Dollar Brand) as "the most natural, creative musical force there is'. KJW investigated for years if there was more recorded Dyani material waiting to be heard. And where After e-mailing endlessly with the National Radio Museum in Switzerland he finally found what he was looking for.In 1978 graphic designer Niklaus Troxler arranged the great Willisau Jazz Festival in Switzerland. A lot of legendary artists like Max Roach, Jan Garbarek, Elvin Jones and Don Cherry were performing, and Johnny Dyani was one of them. He did this rare solo concert with some of the material that two years later would end up on his great album "African Bass". This LP contains the concert from beginning to end, showing Dyani at his very best on piano, gong, bass and vocals. Spiritual, adventurous and truly free,beautiful music.Gatefold cover, with extensive liner notes from Francis Gooding and Niklaus Troxler

Raga Abhogi
1) Alap
2) Jod
3) Jhala

Raga Vardhani
4) Alap
5) Jod
6) Jhala

Zia Mohiuddin Dagar : rudra veena
Annie Penta : tanpura

Concert recorded at the home of Shantha and Niranjan B. Benegal, Seattle, Washington 9 March 1986.
Recorded by Niranjan Benegal. Files obtained from Jeff Lewis.
Mastered & Cut by Rashad Becker at Dubplates & Mastering 1117 & 0318.

Liner notes by Renaud Brizard, edited by Stephen O'Malley & Ian Christe.
Front and back cover photos by unknown.
Interior photography by Niranjan B. Benegal, Dan Neuman & unknown, Seattle 1978-1980. .

Around ten years ago, deep into a cozy and hazy night following a concert with my sound brothers Daniel O'Sullivan and Kristoffer Rygg in London (as Æthenor), they graciously introduced me to a recording of rudra veena (a kind of noble deeper bass relative to the sitar, in a way) as performed by dhrupad master Zia Mohiuddin Dagar.

Dhrupad, for those who do not know, is a branch of Hindustani classical music said to "show the raga in its clearest and purest form". It's pacing concentrates heavily on the slow, contemplative alap section and works with specific microtonal gestures and deep characteristics of resonance ... in short I was hooked on this new (to me) and ancient form of music from the first listen, and feel that a more or less continual listening & reviewing of Zia Mohiuddin Dagar's recordings in the years that followed have influenced my own approach to music quite heavily (if, albeit, indirectly).

In early 2015 I was able to make contact with Zia Mohiuddin Dagar's son Bahauddin and some of his American students/disciples, primarily Jeff Lewis. Over time we developed a friendly and educational exchange, access a massive archive of recordings and developed these two paired titles for my label. It's been a long path to arrive at actually releasing them but also probably in many ways one of the most significant releases I've worked on. And I'm proud to be able to reveal these to date unreleased archival recordings of one of the masters of dhrupad, Z. M. Dagar, to the public for the first time.

Zia Mohiuddin Dagar was the nineteenth generation in a family tradition known as Dagar gharana, a rich lineage which continued and performed the musical form of dhrupad (Bahauddin Dagar continues the lineage as a master rudra veena dhrupad player of note today). Initially, dhrupad was a rigorous, austere, devotional genre that was sung in Hindu temples. But between the 16th and the 18th centuries, it became the preeminent genre in royal courts in North and Central India, and the Dagar gharana developed and continued publicly following the eventual loss of court patronage for dhrupad in the 19th century. The French ethnomusicologist Renaud Brizard covers the story of Zia Mohiuddin Dagar's life and teaching (a long story also in Seattle, my hometown!), the Dagar family and gharana, the rudra veena and more topics in an extensive set of liner notes in this release.

Ragas Abhogi & Vardhani were recorded in a private house concert in Seattle at the home of the Benegals in March 1986 (the week before the accompanying release SOMA029 Raga Yaman was recorded). The Benegals were friends (& Shantha Benegal was also a student) of Dagarsahib who sometimes hosted Hindustani music concerts in their home. It's a rare glimpse of a more intimate, personal and perhaps different kind of performance considering the form of dhrupad.

-Stephen O'Malley, March 2018, Paris, France

Stephen O'Malley would like to especially thank Bahauddin Dagar, Jeff Lewis & Jody Stecher for their enthusiasm, cooperation, patience, insight & advice toward developing these editions. Thank you also to Laurel Sercombe & John Vallier from the University of Washington Ethnomusicology Archives, Shantha Benegal, Philippe Bruguière, Dan Neuman, Ira Landgarten, Renaud Brizard, Ian Christe, Peter Rehberg, Rashad Becker, Daniel O'Sullivan & Kristoffer Rygg, all for their direct or indirect cooperation, assistance & patience.

Raga Yaman
1) Alap
2) Jod
3) Jhala
4) Gat (Composition in Chautal)

Zia Mohiuddin Dagar : rudra veena
Manik Munde : pakhawaj
Gayathri Rajapur & Annie Penta : tanpuras

Recorded by unknown at the University of Washington, HUB Auditorium, Seattle, Washington 15 March 1986 , concert co-sponsored by the UW Ethnomusicology Division and Ragamala.
Original digitally processed audio recording made with Panasonic PV-9000 VCR, Sony PCM-F1, PZM mics. Mastered & Cut by Rashad Becker at Dubplates & Mastering 1117 & 0318.

Liner notes by Renaud Brizard, Stephen O'Malley & Ian Christe.
Front and back cover photos by Niranjan B. Benegal, Seattle Center Folklife Festival 1979. Elizabeth Reeke & Annie Penta on tanpuras.
Inner gatefold photography by Niranjan B. Benegal & Ira Landgarten.

Around ten years ago, deep into a cozy and hazy night following a concert with my sound brothers Daniel O'Sullivan and Kristoffer Rygg in London (as Æthenor), they graciously introduced me to a recording of rudra veena (a kind of noble deeper bass relative to the sitar, in a way) as performed by dhrupad master Zia Mohiuddin Dagar.

Dhrupad, for those who do not know, is a branch of Hindustani classical music said to "show the raga in its clearest and purest form". It's pacing concentrates heavily on the slow, contemplative alap section and works with specific microtonal gestures and deep characteristics of resonance ... in short I was hooked on this new (to me) and ancient form of music from the first listen, and feel that a more or less continual listening & reviewing of Zia Mohiuddin Dagar's recordings in the years that followed have influenced my own approach to music quite heavily (if, albeit, indirectly).

In early 2015 I was able to make contact with Zia Mohiuddin Dagar's son Bahauddin and some of his American students/disciples, primarily Jeff Lewis. Over time we developed a friendly and educational exchange, access a massive archive of recordings and developed these two paired titles for my label. It's been a long path to arrive at actually releasing them but also probably in many ways one of the most significant releases I've worked on. And I'm proud to be able to reveal these to date unreleased archival recordings of one of the masters of dhrupad, Z. M. Dagar, to the public for the first time.

Zia Mohiuddin Dagar was the nineteenth generation in a family tradition known as Dagar gharana, a rich lineage which continued and performed the musical form of dhrupad (Bahauddin Dagar continues the lineage as a master rudra veena dhrupad player of note today). Initially, dhrupad was a rigorous, austere, devotional genre that was sung in Hindu temples. But between the 16th and the 18th centuries, it became the preeminent genre in royal courts in North and Central India, and the Dagar gharana developed and continued publicly following the eventual loss of court patronage for dhrupad in the 19th century. The French ethnomusicologist Renaud Brizard covers the story of Zia Mohiuddin Dagar's life and teaching (a long story also in Seattle, my hometown!), the Dagar family and gharana, the rudra veena and more topics in an extensive set of liner notes in this release.

Raga Yaman was recorded at a public concert in Seattle at the HUB Ballroom at the University of Washington in March 1986 (the week after the accompanying release SOMA028 Ragas Abhogi & Vardhani was recorded) at the end of his last tour of the United States. Yaman was a special raga for Zia Mohiuddin Dagar, one of his signature raags. For centuries, Yaman has been considered as one of the most fundamental ragas in Hindustani music and is one of the first ragas which is taught to students. A deep knowledge of Yaman gives a key for understanding many other ragas. It's filled with tranquility, contemplation, pathos and spiritual yearning. .

-Stephen O'Malley, March 2018, Paris, France

The Scar Journey Continues With The 'born Again Ep', A 3-tracker Synonymous With The Duo's Much-loved Sound Accompanied By A Digital Bonus Featuring The Incredible Martyna Baker.

Following Up Their Recent Remix For Artificial Intelligence In Impeccable Fashion, This Is Scar's Fifth Ep For Metalheadz, Not To Mention Their 2016 Long-player, All Of Which Have Solidified Their Position In The Label Family.

Recorded in Philadelphia in 1969, The Deirdre Wilson Tabac's sole album is a beautiful blend of funk, jazz and soulful pop. Possessing the complex grooves, thrilling breaks and ethereal weirdness that The Rotary Connection pedalled so brilliantly, the LP failed to connect with audiences upon its original release.

In the decades since, it has deservedly attracted a considerable cult following. However, almost inevitably, it has become increasingly tricky to pick up a copy in good condition for anything less than eye-watering sums. As such, we're delighted to present the first officially licensed vinyl reissue of this undoubted masterpiece of freaky funk-rock, limited to just 500 copies.

The Tabac were, in fact, a trio. Discovered, managed and produced by Svengali Sonny Casella (who'd earlier managed garage band The Magic Mushrooms), they comprised Deirdre Wilson, Stu Freeman (formerly of said Mushrooms) and Barbara Payne (formerly with the James Brown Revue). They were backed by session players including jazz guitarist Chuck Anderson, bassist Hugh McDonald and keyboardist Roy Bittan (who went on to be a long-term Bruce Springsteen sideman).

Their first single coupled two fine Casella compositions, each featuring powerhouse vocal workouts, the supremely funk-fuelled blues beat of "The Other Side Of Life" and the psychedelic-flavoured "Look In My Face" - both of which are featured here. This 7" picked enough up airplay to merit an album, which duly appeared early the following year, but, as is often the way with these lost classics, it received barely any press. Correspondingly, sales where low and the trio didn't last long.

And herein lies the real tragedy. The rest of the LP deserves to be heard from start-to-finish - it's that good. A beguiling mix of funky folk and rocky jazz tracks, with some deep, string-drenched harmony soul ballads and a handful of remarkable covers elegantly presented througout. Indeed, they put some sauntered head-nod funk into The Beatles' "Get Back" whilst tearing through a version of "Sittin' On The Dock Of The Bay" which gives Otis' original a real run for its money.

But the real standout cut for most - with its soulful, haunting vocals, swinging hammond organ and stabbing horns, is the incredible 6/8 time jazz dancer "I Can't Keep From Cryin' Sometimes." Staggering.

A seminal album of the 1980s DC Punk sound, the album was the first to feature drummer Dave Grohl, who replaced Stax for the album, and stayed with the band until they disbanded in 1990.  This was the first ever album the now world famous musician ever played on.

Since disbanding, several incarnations of Scream have reunited/resurfaced for tours and recordings since. Members of the band went on to form countless other influential acts, including Nirvana, The Foo Fighters, Wool, Queens of the Stone Age, Goatsnake, The Suspects, and others.

Southern Lord is proud to be chosen to reissue Scream's everlasting 'No More Censorship' album. The band found the original multi-track tapes and Southern Lord had them baked/prepped for a remix at Grohl's 606 Studio. The new mix sounds vital and intense; the entire packaging, layout, and design are completely different from the original, including unreleased photos of the band during that era.

Scream was formed in 1981 by vocalist Peter Stahl, and brother Franz Stahl on guitar, Skeeter Thompson on bass, and Kent Stax on drums. The next few years would see the addition of second guitarist Robert Lee Davidson and keyboard player Bobby Madden, following three LPs through Discord Records — "Still Screaming" (1983), "This Side Up" (1985) and "Banging the Drum" (1986) — Scream's 'No More Censorship' was released via reggae label RAS Records in August 1988.

Re-mastering by: Ray Staff at Air Mastering, Lyndhurst Hall, London

For a label that wasn't around long, Strata East achieved the same sort of label recognition that Impulse! or Blue Note managed to build. In other words, you knew what you were getting when you bought a record on the label, even if you didn't know the names on the outside of the cover.

"Don't Look Back" is an album led by American saxophonist Harold Vick recorded in 1974 and released in the wake of Harold Vick's recovery from a heart attack, which may partially explain the passion with which he approaches his playing throughout.

One of the best-ever Strata East sessions! The album's a masterfully conceived session by reed player Harold Vick - best known to the world as the funky tenorist from albums by John Patton and Jack McDuff in the 60s, but emerging here as an incredibly sensitive soul jazz player, capable of turning out some incredibly sophisticated and emotional compositions. Vick produced and wrote all the material on the album. A treasure all the way through. (Dusty Groove, Inc.)

Somewhere between electro soul and melodramatic pop. Music focused towards the youth set in some strange dream. Not sugarcoating anything.
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Aset was a collective founded by a group of individuals deeply involved in community improvement initiatives and the struggle for justice and equality. A project that would link motivated adults with talented young people in the Washington, DC metropolitan area.

The compilation takes songs from three released projects of Aset, and one semi-unreleased single. Latonya, a spunky 11 year old kid singing about divorce, love, and dancing. The poster child of Aset. Treo, a trio of high school gals in harmony singing about love and relationships. Whax, the high school boys who were a bit stranger, the silly side of Aset. All backed by The Aset Players.

Release comes housed in a newly designed jacket with inner sleeve containing info on the label/artists and an interview with the label director, Mba Mbulu.

Since the early 1990s, keyboard player Jessica Lauren has been a familiar part of London's alternative music scene. Jessica's keyboard skills have augmented the live performances and studio recordings of world renowned artists such as Jean Carne, Tom Browne, Dexter Wansel and James Mason, Japan's United Future Organisation, and UK soul diva Juliet Roberts.

Her previous Freestyle album 'Jessica Lauren Four' (2012) highlighted Jessica's minimalist approach, something rare and refreshing in the jazz world: she instills her compositions and playing with a refined sense of space which makes her music as much about what she doesn't play as what she does.

The albums' opener - Kofi Nomad is a deeply percussive afrocentric epic, featuring the beautiful baritone saxaphone of Tamar 'Collocutor' Osborn, one of the most in demand woodwind players working today, underpinned by a powerful foundation of percussion courtesy of Richard látúndé Baker, Phillip Harper and drummer Cosimo Keita Cadore.

Jessicas' amazing skill for writing simple, understated yet superbly memorable and catchy hooks remains undiminished. Highlights in this new collection are almost too numerous to mention, but Amalfi is a breezy bossa, which conjures up images of easy living days and sun dappled Mediterranean coastlines, whilst the angular and brooding Simba Jike has something of an Eddie Harris style deep, dark groove over which Jessica riffs and solos beautifully on grand piano - and Tamar once again blows freely, whilst 'level' Neville Malcolms' upright bass figure roots the entire thing in a solid, almost primeval sound.

The albums closing statement Argentina is a masterpiece of pathos and perfectly demonstrates Jessicas' approach which is almost akin to a minimalist architecture style of composing and playing, such is the strength of its atmosphere and subtlety.

Crying Bamboos is a translation of the pidgin description of the sound of sacred flutes: "Mambu i cry, i cry, i cry".

Sacred flutes are blown to make the cries of spirits by adult men in the Madang region of Papua New Guinea. Pairs of long bamboo male and female flutes are played for ceremonies in the coastal villages near the Ramu River. There are seven male initiation flute cries from Bosmun, four flute cries from Bak: Borai with occasional single garamut percussion and two flute cries from Kaean, one with vocals and hand drums. The flute players were of the last generation to have learned this skill during a complete cycle of male initiation. These previouslyunreleased recordings were made in 1979.

Recorded by Ragnar Johnson

Notes by Ragnar Johnson and Jessica Mayer

Photographs by Ragnar Johnson

Tape to digital transfer and mastering by Dave Hunt at

Dave Hunt Audio, London

Cut by Rashad Becker at Dubplates and Mastering, Berlin

Since the release of their critically acclaimed debut album in 2013 on Names You Can Trust, La Mecánica Popular has quietly been contemplating the evolution of the group's sound, philosophy, and overall approach to making music. Band leader Efraín Rozas' experimental nature has continually pushed the boundaries of his own definition of not only Latin American music, but its broader relationship with music's global culture and history. The sound of "psychedelic salsa" that LMP helped capture in their debut was destined for further outside-the-box interpretations, and with the formation of a new quintet lineup over the last few years, LMP began to incorporate a more free, improvised and instrumental-focused performance of Rozas' increasingly radical compositions. The band subsequently took this liberated approach directly into the studio, recording Roza Cruz live, in its entirety. It was a cathartic experience, a necessary methodology for the new album's concept that embraced the intimate performance of its players and did away with standard techniques of isolation and overdubs.

The evolution of the band's sound on Roza Cruz brings forth a blend of styles rarely heard together, a touch reminiscent of electric-era Miles Davis or Eddie Palmieri at his most experimental, as the driving force of timbales and congas provide a bed for a wave of lush, analog amplification that mirrors the dueling leads of fuzz guitar and electric piano. But as far out as those instruments take the listener, the raw rhythm — the clave — always keeps it tethered to the earth and the dance, a cerebral yet visceral gift for the mind and feet.

S3A, a fundamental player in the French house scene and resident at Paris' famous Concrete between 2012 and 2016 has been making serious waves with releases on labels such as Gerd's 4lux, Local Talk, Hold Youth, Lazare Hoche, Quintessentials, his very own Sampling As An Art records and in 2016 he debuted with his track "Antois Benime (Austral Parc)" on the second release of Quartet Series. This cut became a major summer hit, played by nearly every house music DJ, including Byron the Aquarius during his wicked set on the Boiler Room stage at Dekmantel in 2017. We decided this greatly deserved a follow up and we're proud to finally present Climax EP with S3A's signature sound written all over it....

Opening on the A side is "Presentiment", a collaboration with Mika Blaster. Starting off with majestic strings then suddenly dropping into a massive beat with haunting samples flourishing over the thriving percussion telling you to dance... THOU SHALT DANCE!! The second track "Something More" picks up where Antois Benime left off. A genius mix of uplifting samples and 909 percussion makes this another club ready weapon, bound to leave smiling faces on the dancefloor.

When flipping the record you'll dive into S3A's deepness with "Wu Impact". Soft and sweet Rhodes chords, an insanely groovy bass line with percussion and those mellifluous strings again. Finishing off the release is a deep slammer that goes by the name of "Influences", again a display of S3A's ability to use a wide array of elements within a single tune, molded together to one coherent, lovable and danceable piece. Boy did we wish we had the sampling skills of this master.

A must have record for any House Music lover. On y va!

Another fierce and unique act from the depths of the Glasgow underground appear on Optimo Music with their debut Green Door studios recorded four track EP.

Keyboard player Jim McKinven was previously in Altered Images, worked for many years in Martin Rushent's Genetic Studios, was in One Dove and previously appeared on Optimo Music as one half of Organs Of Love. He is however but one component of this transgenerational band.

They describe their music far better than we could - "Seedy Electronica, consisting of 2 Basses, Electronic Drums, Synths and Dark Vocals. Inspired by the avant-garde that influenced the electronic music scene of the late '70's and early '80's.'

2x12"

Losoul returns to action with his first long player in almost ten years, and delivers a stunning collection of compositions for the Hypercolour released 'Island Time'. Otherwise known as Peter Kremeier, the German producer has mesmerized us for many years with his organic and emotive house music, largely released on the influential Playhouse label, but of late has seen him release singles for Karat and Tardis Records, as well as his very own Another Picture label. Fans of Losoul won't be disappointed, as a diverse yet utterly familiar sound aesthetic pours out over the album's seven tracks in his own inimitable style. The jazzy broken beats of 'Gold Tooth' shine with their micro-sample chops, whilst 'Mean Time' is a dense and dubby slow stomp, teasing the drums with space echo and injecting sparse bass work where it matters. Inventive, spongy house grooves are delivered on 'Boppin Lower' and 'Square Down Smoother' whilst the album closer, 'Lava In You' is a master class in ambient sonics and shimmering keys over a lo-fi swinging groove. It's been over 20 years since Losoul's signature single 'Open Door', and the German producer continues to pour out honest and rewarding music.

The band Gruppenbild was named after Heindrich Böll's famous novel and was the first musical output by the versatile Stijn Meuris (Noordkaap, Monza). Drummer Frank Coonen would later go on to be a member of 90ties indie powerpop trio 'The Romans'. Also joining in here are Luc Vrancken (Bass), Marc Guffens (Guitar) and Stijn's brother Koen Meuris on the Keyboards. As legend has it Meuris got the idea of starting his own band through his history teacher in the small provincial town of Overpelt. Said teacher was the bass player of 'De Brassers', a by then already notorious new wave punk band who had made it to the finals of Humo's Rock Rally in 1980. Blown away by the sheer simplicity and power of De Brassers music, the teenage 5 piece Gruppenbild was formed that same year. Taking inspiration from both British postpunk cornerstones as well as Belgian bands like 'Siglo XX', 'TC Matic' and the Dutch band 'De DIV' 2 years later they too found themselves in the finals of the Rock Rally. Noordkaap (Stijn's future band) would win the contest in 1990. Onbereikbaar On the Gruppenbild 7' one can already hear Meuris' melancholic singing style and his ability to write excellent lyrics in Dutch that would define the future of his musical career. The Tranquillity EP was originally released on Blitz Records in 1982, this was the band's first & only release & has become quite the rare collectable that is fetching hundreds on the second hand market. Now finally back available as a limited 7' EP (500 copies), released exclusively for Record Store Day Belgium 2018.

The backroom club was packed with the hottest kids from the street. The movers and shakers wore their finest clothes to get down to the boassanova rock whilst the gangsters and players watched on from behind luxurious red curtains. In the murky shadows some exchanged more than just pleasantaries in the form of parcels and goods. They were devilish figures who existed only by night, when the streets were no longer safe for the do gooders to walk. This was a rough and ready town.
CYRK is set to release a new EP on the infamous Rawax record label. A charming assortment of well crafted house and some sophisticated electro cuts for the club. Rounded up by a fantastci remix from Claude Young!

On the back of their acclaimed debut album which was shortlisted for BBC 6 Music 'Album of the Year', The Hempolics release their latest ofering for a Record Store Day 2018 exclusive on limited editon 12' vinyl. On the A-side John Holt's version of 'Riding For A Fall', a song originally released by the Tams, is given the full Hempolics treatment featuring a power-ful vocal from Nubiya Brandon. On the fip-side is a reinterpretaton of Nirvana classic 'Come As You Are' but with an original Hempolics riddim drenched in atmospheric dub. Both songs come with an instrumental so the soundsystems can get their own players involved.

Absolutely fabulous'
Shaun Keaveney, BBC6
Absolutely one of the best reggae acts in the UK right now.'
Chris Hawkins, BBC6
Super special'
David Rodigan, BBC1Xtra

Haiku's Raw Waxes label is delighted to welcome the famously unconventional Stanislav Tolkachev with a new track EP of experimental techno and IDM sounds. Entitled Champions' Breakfast and with brilliant artwork from German Benedikt Rugar, the releases features six cuts, one of which is a previously digital-only track landing here on vinyl for the very first time.

Haiku has long been a fan of Ukrainian Tolkachev having previously collaborated on a remix for the label, while Tolkachev has also released on Haiku's other label Inkblots. This new EP is one that not only shows off the label's willingness to take risks and put out diverse and interesting electronic music, but also one that proves Tolkachev is a truly unique artist with his own musical voice. He has been that way for more than a decade now, and has put out three long players as well as countless EPs that get heavy support from the tastemakers of the day. This latest offering contains his take on the essentialness of groove, enriched by his use of atonality, dissonance and acid-not-acid textures, all in a minimal style.

The deep 'Shady' kicks things off with spangled synth lines and eerie pads off in the distance. It's a lonely and insular piece with kinked rhythms that keep you locked. The excellent 'The Main Thing Is To Survive' is then less constrained, with kicks that rock back and forth as off kilter synth lines warp and wrap around each other in mind melting and tripped out fashion. Switching up the mood with ease, 'Fuck This Guy' is a dark and musty passage of humid ambient techno with static electricity buzzing about over smeared pads that are filled with menace, then the curious 'Hair In My Mouth' is about blurting, busted frequencies, loose and scattered drums and glassy melodies. It's a mangled and mashed up track that sounds like little else. 'Negative Space' is horror soundtrack techno with urgent, driving drums and nervy sound design that keeps you on edge, and closer 'Self Destruction' is built on broken, bristling beats. A rhythm slowly emerges from the haze and it is one that is physical and restless and sure to make a big impact in the club.

This is a varied and vital EP that oozes essential electronic invention.

Over the past few years orchestral instrumental music from outside the classical establishment has become huge, and Neil Leiter and Margaret Hermant of the Belgian Echo Collective have witnessed the evolution and extraordinary rise of this movement right up close. They've worked with some of the most important players, including Stars Of The Lid, Dustin O'Halloran and Adam Wiltze's A Winged Victory For The Sullen and O'Halloran's solo projects, as well as Jóhann Jóhannsson. And though the Echo Collective members themselves very much do come from within the classical music establishment, they don't care which side of the fence they are seen to be on. It was this which grabbed the attention of German music hub !K7's new sub-label 7K! - who have signed them for a two album deal: first to release the Amnesiac reinterpretation, then for a record of Echo Collective's own compositions. Not only that but they have been signed for publishing by Mutesong, which led to a hook-up with Mute mainstays Erasure, re-arranging and re-recording their latest album World Be Gone with classical instrumentation backing Andy Bell's vocals. This ability to flow easily from black metal to Radiohead, from Erasure to Stars Of The Lid shows exactly what kind of musicians Echo Collective are. The album, which features artwork by the renowned photographer and artist Roger Ballen, will be released on 30 March on CD, 2LP and digital platforms.
- New album by belgian band Echo Collective covering Radiohead's classic Amnesiac'.
- Perfect balance between classical, neoclassical & indie.
- Past and ongoing collaborations include Erasure, A Winged Victory for the Sullen, Stars of the Lid, Johann Johannsson and Dustin O'Halloran.
- Echo Collective have produced, arranged and performed on Erasure's upcoming album due to release early March on Mute.
- Artwork by renowned photographer / artist Roger Balle.

Both D-Malice and Kid Fonque are well-established players in their native cities, both boasting long-term involvement and impressive credentials. After meeting in 2013 and nurturing a very natural and obvious predilection for golden era hip-hop, 90s R'n B, soul and trip hop they decided to pool their creative resources and rope in a wealth of talent from their combined networks under a new moniker. Enter rkls.

On this debut offering the pair have worked with LA's broken beat visionary Marc De Clive-Lowe, legendary emcees John Robinson and Kev Brown, dazzling new vocal and production talent from South Africa - Sio, Melo B Jones, Daev Martian and White Nite to name but a few.

This diverse list of guests flex their dexterity allowing the album to shift easily between ballads and more up-tempo beats effortlessly. Punctuated with spacey interludes, the resulting twelve tracks glisten with sumptuous textures, swelling harmonies and organic instrumentation. Familiar but fresh, rkls feels like you're meeting an old friend with enthralling new stories to tell.

Born in Cameroon, Vicky began banging the drums at the age of 9. By 13 he had moved onto bass and within a couple of years he was playing every night from 10pm to 5am in the Castel Douala Cabaret. At the age of 19 Vicky moved to Paris to study Banking and Commerce and cram in even more music. He took classes at Épinay-sur-Seine Conservatoire music school and it was here that he met Bandmates of his Dikalo project.

Word spreads and he soon becomes one of the most sought after bass players in the Afro arena. His session work features on many scenes stars, Manu Dibango, Eko Tala AM, Kemayo, Sammy Massamba, Toto Guillaume and many more. A chance meeting with the Gibson brothers also see him play on two of their hit albums. In the 80's Vicky moved to the US for spell and excels as a session bassist and touring musician.

We pick up the story in 1981. With his stature as a musician and bass player riding high he takes a detour to Nigeria to record with the Afrodisia label in Lagos. The "Thank U Mamma" album is the result. It is repressed for the first time, here in 2018 on the revitalised Afrodisia label.

Musical proceedings open up with the heartfelt ode to his mother "Thank U Mamma", smooth pop meets afrobeat boogie. "Marina Drive" slows things down with its smoldering jazz. Side Two opens with "Its Not Serious" a catchy vocal number underpinned with funky guitars and striding basslines. "Stormy Rain" is lazy guitar jazz swansong. We close off the album with the ever so funky "You". Slick funk grooves powered along with a dose of slap bass. As a side note Vicky actually plays left handed but with a "upside down" right handed bass. This upside-down precursor making his effortless slap playing even more impressive.

Vicky went on to record a two other albums and still tours and plays as an ever-in-demand session musician.

The Lucid Dream return in April with the release of new single 'SX1000', the first taster from the recently completed 4th album. 
Driven by fans raising £10,000 to hell replace all equipment robbed after a Paris show in early 2017, a new album became the instant focus for The Lucid Dream in the summer of 2017.

The track is a slice of pure acid house, and will again see them acknowledged for venturing into pastures new, setting themselves apart from 'genres', 'scenes' or what any other band are currently doing. 

'SX1000', as with the whole album, was penned over the summer by Mark Emmerson (vocals/guitar/synths), using only the classic Roland 303/808 synths, bass and vocals as tools for writing. 
Inspiration for the writing was formed via continuous listening to the Chicago to UK acid house works of 1986-1992, the focus predominantly on the groove. 5 months on from those writing sessions and The Lucid Dream have competed their 4th album in 5 years, this track a perfect indicator as to what awaits. A record made for the dancefloor.

The Lucid Dream formed in Carlisle, Cumbria, in 2008. A string of sold-out 7s was followed by the debut longer player, 'Songs Of Lies and Deceit', in August 2013. The album gained critical acclaim from the likes of Uncut, Q, Rocksound, Clash, The Quietus, and leading French culture magazine, 'Les Inrocks', to name a few. The initial vinyl pressing of the debut album (500 copies) sold out within 2 days, and was backed by a main stage slot at Kendal Calling, and supports to Death In Vegas and A Place To Bury Strangers (full UK tour).

The bands 2nd album ('The Lucid Dream') was released in March 2015 to further acclaim. This included 2 BBC 6 Music sessions, and press from Uncut, The Skinny, Louder Than War, and Drowned In Sound, who named the album #7 UK album of 2015. Further supports to Clinic and A Place To Bury Strangers coincided.


3rd album, 'Compulsion Songs' was released in September 2016, on Holy Are You Recordings. The vinyl pressing of the album sold-out within a day, prompting an immediate 2nd press, with pre-sales of the album topping 1,000 before release. The album was backed by a headline UK tour, and a main slot at Liverpool International Festival of Psychedelia (for which they were singled out for major plaudits from The Quietus, The Skinny and Drowned In Sound). The album again received acclaim from the likes of Mojo, Uncut, Classic Rock Magazine, BBC Radio 2 (Huey Morgan) and across the board on BBC 6 Music (Lauren Laverne, Marc Riley, Tom Ravenscroft, Gideon Coe, Stuart Maconie).

In a scenario of overwhelming number of instruments, musicians often do not take the time to deepen and explore the creative possibilities of each gear they possess. One Instrument aims at counter-acting this tendency by challenging and limiting each artist in producing a composition by using only one instrument of their choice.

The LP opens with a composition by In Bloom, the new project of Martino Bertola, who drives us directly into a melodic ambience. To follow it is the dense, polyrhythmic experiment by Fabian Kempe's project 'Korridor'. Serena Butler's piece is built around spacey sounds and breezy rhythms.

Yhdessa, the newly born Dutch-Italian duo formed by Grand River (Aimee Portioli) and Enrica Falqui, leans towards ambient atmospherics and ominous sonorities with a refined Northern European touch. Yair Elazar Glotman ventures us across his contrabass player skills giving an acoustic touch to the record.

Swedish producer, Fjader (Ida Matsdotter), handles the flip with a moody techno cut filled with evasive analog acutes.

Claudio PRC delivers an electroacoustic soundscape created with a tiny, graceful drone machine.

The Dutch duo, Wanderwelle, closes the LP with a dreamy and delicate excursion evoking the mysterious sides of nature.

There are some records that manage to sound both of a time and utterly timeless and Bon Voyage Organisation's Jungle Quelle Jungle (a nod to Supertramp's Crisis What Crisis) is one of those albums. Its silken-smooth production, irresistible grooves, funk-tinged guitars, lush soundscapes and general glowing presence could easily lead one to believe that have dug up a lost disco gem from the 1970s. However, behind the disco-pop gleam lies eerie dystopian sci-fi ruminations of a futuristic bent and tones that can often feel as French as they do Asian or African.

This sort of cross-continental exploration is an expansion on BVO's previous two EPs, the man behind the Organisation, Adrien Durand, says. 'I tried to continue the musical expedition between dystopian Science-Fiction Haunted Africa - plus Haitian Vaudou on 'Soleil Dieu' - and futuristic Asia. Addressing, in a double entendre manner, some of the political issues that I am sensitive to.' In fact the jungle in question in the album's title is a metaphorical one and one that creates a vast series of environments for Durand to explore such subjects as world trade, utopian ideals and themes of idols, as well as of time and communication. However, one will need to speak French to decipher such explorations, as well as shake off the natural impulse to move with every glorious beat on its 13 tracks, of which are moved along by Maud Nadal and Agathe Bonitzer's golden vocals.

Durand is a full-time producer based in Paris, working with the likes of Amadou & Mariam, so it makes sense that this record would absolutely sparkle in this department. Durand feeds off the variety of musicians coming and going during recording sessions as well as the rotating members and numbers of people involved with the band but fundamentally he writes all songs on piano first before bringing them to record live. 'We recorded a rhythm section of five - drums, percussion, guitar and myself on bass/synth bass and keyboards - at La Frette which is a studio located in a mansion outside of Paris and fitted with a beautiful 1973 NEVE desk. We only used analogue gear, by taste really, and found it a pretty reliable way of doing things. This simply consists of putting good players together in a room and waiting for the right take to happen.' Two four-day sessions and a 'cooling off' period (to let the recordings settle) soon followed before Durand picked the material back up to give it a final polish.

The resulting album is one loaded with intricacies and idiosyncrasies, something that Durand puts down to his own unique approach. 'I don't consider myself much of a songwriter but I love arranging rhythm sections and I'm pretty proud of the ones on this record.' This applies when it comes to working with such musicians as Inor Sotolongo Zapata, who with Durand used traditional Cuban percussive instruments and explored Haitian rhythms. When Durand expands on some of the ideas and influences that were funnelled into the record, you begin to get a sense of the vastness of the sounds that fill his world, from Trevor Horn's production work on ABC's Lexicon of Love, to the literary work of JG Ballard to the visual flair of the original Blade Runner and even the Tuareg sounds of Tinariwen, due to the fact that his studio neighbours their manager's and he would hear their rhythms bleeding through the walls. You therefore end up with an album that offers tracks such as 'GOMA' that fuses Chinese and African rhythms as well as 'SI D'Adventure' a piece of pop music that is dazzlingly hook-laden.

As a result of this cooking pot of sounds, influences, thoughts and creations, Durand has more of a gumbo approach to making this music than a set-out scientific formula. 'There is no definite recipe for me to like the production of a record,' he says. 'Of course it really sticks out that my work is really influenced by the 1978-1983 period, the golden age and last stand of analogue studios and session musicians.' Whilst Durand adores the traditional and conventional music, he really views this as something bigger and wider. 'I have a taste for the otherworldly vibe from records coming from less sought-after musical scenes, particularly Poland, Haiti, Ethiopia, Somalia, Congo and early Cantonese pop. Languages and the rapport of the people involved in the making of those records really inspires me. I particularly hate the use of the word 'World Music' as a potpourri for everything that doesn't sound quite western enough.'