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Cut by Rashad Becker at Dubplates & Mastering, Berlin, November 2018
Mastering: Mathias Durand

Translations: Valérie Vivancos
Layout: Stephen O'Malley
Photos: Stéphane Ouzounoff, Bernard Bruges-Renard

Coordination GRM: François Bonnet
Executive Production: Peter Rehberg

SIDE A
Contrée (2013), 20'

SIDE B
Allégeance volatile (2002), 8'46
Esquive (2010), 10'10

The mastering of these tracks was done by Mathias Durand at François Lê Xuân's Studio 101, in Paris. I would like to warmly thank him for this.

Allégeance volatile and Esquive each tackle the same issue in their own way. Overcoming time: whether it be successive, additional, enumerative, or repetitive. However, there is nothing here about the ensuing nature of so-called "repetitive" music. These are types of high-end music. And it is more about insistence, the obstinacy of an individual who keeps knocking on a door that will never open.

Allégeance's rustic drumming, talkative, acidulous, colourful and overarticulated, with almost clownish desinences, eventually dies out in this very respite. The iterative and puffy shimmering of Esquive with its dull, thin and precise sounds, shifts and is engulfed into another sonic world — which appears as a gaping and collapsed response to this prime insistency.

This is, indeed, a 'volatile allegiance' and 'avoidance' from the sonic to the musical elements: the musical phenomenon anticipated and pursued as the non-sound of sound — or, in other words, the void of sound. This seems to be the lesson of the concrete attitude in music. Such is the kind of questioning that stirs the composer.

He returns with another title: Contrée, which, once again, speaks of a counter-event. Here, the movement is broader, more generous, more confident. Time spreads and stretches out. What seems to be a landscape of entanglements, trajectories, influx, masses and points emerges. "Something" rises and presents itself out of the sounds - these escaping beings, these "relatively short combustion flames " (Schaeffer).

The piece consists of five consecutive and uninterrupted parts: Entrée and Stance I — Véhémence de l'air and Stance II — Grande Allure. It is the central section of an electroacoustic triptych with Sables (2011) as the first and Nil (2017) as the last.

Munich quintet Fazer are set to release their second album 'Nadi' on 12th April 2019. 'Nadi' follows the underground success of their self-released debut 'Mara', which quickly sold out on vinyl and became one of the most streamed jazz records of the year. Moving freely between composition and improvisation, the band's spacious, organic sound pitches lyrical melodies from guitar and trumpet over double-drummer polyrhythmic grooves and dub-like basslines. The album title 'Nadi' references a term rooted in traditional Indian medicine. Nadis are channels that connect points of intensity within the body. This reflects the band's feeling while playing of moving as one body. Contrary to the creation of the group's debut album 'Mara', both the writing and recording sessions for 'Nadi' were completed in relatively short periods of time.

Pingipung and Future Nuggets present Cosima, a Bucharest based artist, with two wonderfully poignant songs. Cosima Opa^rtan is widely known as one half of "Raze de Soare" (Future Nuggets). As a solo artist, she files her music under the genre widow pop - melancholically reaching out to the past and the future in one gesture. She sings like someone addressing a beloved but faraway audience, or a trusted, distant relative who can only be seen through someone else's description. Cosima has a background as an architect which she shifted to designing sonic treatments for various spaces such as sound studios. She is also a founding member of the Queer Night, a series of itinerant parties engaging the local LGBTQ+ community and part of Corp., a Bucharest based platform dedicated to supporting and promoting female & female identified musical talent. "Ploaia" has been co-composed and produced by Ion Dumitrescu, known to all Pingipung afficionados for his 7inch as Ion Din Dorobanti (Pingipung 056) who also runs the never failing Future Nuggets label. On the flip side, the two team up with Horatiu Serbanescu, an artist from the Future Nuggets roster releasing music as "Plevna".

Stefan Smith has channeled an elevated reverence for process, texture and synth-extrapolation with the forthcoming release of his self-titled LP on the Sapiens imprint. A relative new-comer to the land of rapid fire releases and dance floor formulae, Smith is deeply steeped in the art of music creation, performance and theory.
As a graduate of Mills College's revered music department, Smith's prosaic understanding of music partially explains his migration to Sapiens, a label headquartered in Paris, France, which, under the direction of techno luminary, Agoria, has been expanding the realm of possibility for what a techno label can become. Collaborating with musicians, visual artists, film directors, shamans and sound designers, the young Sapiens platform releases may include political speeches, radio hits, dance floor tunes, sensorial or cognitive music or a gentle computer
virus'. Smith's LP contribution will definitely fall on the more delicious end of this spectrum, having woven a synth-lovers dream tapestry.

The nine tracks composing the album, Stefan Smith', draw the listener in on a river of oscillators, which push just past the banks of perceptible sound with with flawless production and loving sound treatment. The idea behind the album is very raw and organic. Stefan Smith focuses on atmosphere, mood, tones, and frequencies, rather than melodies. His productions are a response to the subliminal, and about feeling.
This album came together from a natural flow of working with computers and synthesisers, and also from the musical connection fostered Sebastien Devaud (Agoria). His approach to the album's production was to edit as little as possible, keeping the original feeling of chance and temporality intact. We can sense here Smith's intuition as sound designer, a role which has enabled him to work with artist Nicolas Becker and through this association further contribute work to the Philippe Parreno 'Anywhen' exhibition in Tate Modern Turbine Hall. The feedback
generated by studio experimentation gives birth to new ideas for aural shapes and textures. If one were only to lie back and identify the various wave forms, like butterflies and birds flittering through dappled sunlight, in each track's canopy of bountiful synth elements the mind's eye would dance with the steady intervals of Smith's real-time probe of his machinery, however, deep tracts of emotion and effortless grooves won't allow for a purely sensory listen. In the spirit of exploration, enjoy the ride.

The 45 of Everyday People - World full of people is well known on the modern soul and funk scene and it relatively easy to find a copy for maybe 500 pounds. What was always less well known was that there was also an LP by the same band but labels as People Pleasure. I first came across this LP in Turku, Finland in the early 2000s when at the house of DJ and Collector Felix Manell who pulled a pile of rare and interesting bits that day. I did not really appreciate the true rarity until trying to source my own copy. The next copy I saw was in Japan in 2004 but was not going anywhere. Roll on 15 years, Russell Paine, collector, DJ and super record researcher called me saying he had finally unravelled the mystery and was talking to Bill brown & Al Hall Jr. Russel sets himself the hard task of only putting out unreleased material on his own label so we also work together on LPs and Singles on Athens of the North. After we managed to clear the rights the final hurdle was finding a clean copy, not an easy task. After asking loads of deep collectors, Zaf put me onto DJ Nick the Record who very kindly lent me his minty personal copy, a huge favour considering how rare this record is, almost impossible to replace. So we mastered from the vinyl (no tapes exist) and while it still sound pretty raw it is twice as good as the O.G. Been a long time coming.

New album from London-based Dutch-Zimbabwean pop
innovator Rina Mushonga.
Mushonga doesn't follow a linear path. The artist's music -
a blend of Afropop, indie and electro flourishes - is
informed by her own zigzagging life journey: Mushonga
emigrated from Zimbabwe to the Netherlands, then to the
diverse South London suburb of Peckham, where she now
lives and works.
Having read 'Metamorphoses' for the first time,
Mushonga's self-confessed 'year of transformation' ensued,
drawing upon myriad ideas and personal experiences.
Full of reflections on the cosmos and our place within it,
'In A Galaxy' is the musical embodiment of these musings,
whilst Mushonga also admits there's more than a passing
nod to the opening text on 'Star Wars' but on the whole
refers to how relative space and time are in how we
interact.
Four years in the making, 'In A Galaxy' was recorded in
Mushonga's adopted home in Peckham with producer Brett
Shaw, whilst having laid much of the foundations of the
tracks together with musical bestie and synth whisperer
Frans Verburg in his Rotterdam basement studio. The
resultant cornucopia of intelligent, diverse pop - that
Mushonga herself describes as sounding like 'Paul Simon
in a sweaty, African dancehall club' - is a welcome
introduction to 2019.
LP pressed on pink vinyl

Liška, the Czechoslovakian word for fox. Beguiling in its beauty, cunning in it's charm. Said to be one of the most intelligent animals on the planet its global family consists of thirty-seven varieties; all of them recognised, respected and feared for their persuasive, creative, resourceful and elusive nature. The Liška we will talk about today is no exception to these hereditary rules and within the grooves of this record Finders Keepers present an 'elusive' musical artefact that best exemplifies every facet of this composer's animal namesake.

Had he not been born in the small Bohemian town of Smecno in the early 1920s the story of The Fantastic Mr. Liška might have well taken a different course. Alternatively, fettered by the hampers of communism, this lifelong resident of Czechoslovakia would never quite find his seat at the same table as the likes of John Barry, Ennio Morricone, Michael Nyman and Stanley Myers, nor drop enough phonographic breadcrumbs to track his legacy. But having waited patiently behind the borders of the wider landscapes of international cinema, Liška's musical brood, spanning multiple stylistic decades and generations, has now started to walk proudly amongst his would-be, latter-day compeers. In an era where music lovers have almost become immune to adjectives like 'lost', 'rare' and 'unreleased' in a climate where previously lesser-known off-kilter master composers such as Vannier, Kirchin and Axelrod have become widely revered, it is perhaps the perfect time for discerning listeners to advance above the feeding trough and seek out this truly pioneering and revolutionary Eastern European composer. Rivalled only by the likes of Krzysztof Komeda and Andrzej Korzynski in Poland, alongside Alexandr Gradsky in Russia, and often splitting workloads with fellow Czech composers like Luboš Fišer, Zdenek Liska's filmography of over almost 300 fully formed movie scores virtually eclipses the achievements of these socialist era luminaries. Respected unanimously in both Czech and Slovakian by studio bosses, producers, directors and actors alike Liška is widely known for his ability to take the existing energy in a reel of film and literally change the polarity to suit his own interpretation while maintaining the full support from his 'client' who would in-turn end up working under this composer's creative direction. Not only was Liška a genius of emotive orchestral and coral composition, his grasp on small group arrangements and intimate, minimal scores set him above the competition. By utilising primitive sample techniques by 'looping' a films existing ambient noise, or rearranging found sounds and dialog into subtle melodic arrangements, Liška would independently develop his own techniques which had simultaneously become known in Paris as musique concre`te. It is a direct extension of these experiments that saw Liška also draw parallels with Walter Branchi (Ennio Morricone's main electronic sidekick) in Italy as well as Daphne Oram in the UK, making Liška a relatively untravelled pioneer of early electronic composition and sound design due to his unlikely global environment. Imprisoned, preserved or reserved; time has been kind to Liška's music.

The second release on AF Trax, again with all profits being donated to Hope Not Hate, is the debut from Al Jerry who has the following to say -

I was initially picturing Al as an ambivalent character trying to evoke in his music deep issues and emotions related to Middle Eastern cultures, but not without a certain self-depreciating sense of humour and a questionable taste for stereotypical arabesque harmonies.

On a personal level, I'm from a family who is half-French, half-Armenian (from Turkey). I grew up with this sort of historical ambivalence in mind, born and bred in the relatively untroubled French culture but not completely oblivious (how could I) of the troubled past of my modern Armenian ancestry who had experienced the first genocide of the 20th century - which as you may know some people and countries still deny its very existence as we speak now in 2018. So, instead of doing something purely on my personal history and origins, I just wanted to celebrate/acknowledge the modern history of the both fascinating and chaotic Middle Eastern cultures.

When I introduced that vague idea of a project/alias to B with an early version of Sana'a Riots, he got instantly into it. The hybrid feel of the project really allowed us to experiment and mess around with odd tonalities and enthused solos. It was the first time for both of us that we manage to collaborate on an EP with someone else. We had never tried something together before and it actually turned out to be a lot of fun. More to come from Al then :)

AF Trax = Against Fascism Trax and is a new label project instituted by JD Twitch/Optimo Music. Its aim is to make a musical and cultural protest in opposition of rising far right politics and ideology in the world. Encouraging artists to make music intended to interrogate these toxic ideas, and with all label profits donated to Hope Not which campaigns to counter racism and fascism. Against Fascism Trax's intent is to provoke conversation, inform and financially support the opposition to fascist thinking. Its simple idea is that we must do something more than just talking. The moral thing to do is to act

White Shadows In The South Seas is the title of a book written in 1919 by Frederick O'Brien as part of a trilogy he wrote based on his experiences living in the Pacific islands in the early part of the 20th century. His book was taken as the starting point for a film to be directed, initially, by Robert Flaherty (famous at the time for his groundbreaking documentary / fiction film Nanook Of The North) with W.S.Van Dyke as his support. The film, ultimately, apart from the title, had little to do with O'Brien's book and Flaherty left the film after a few months leaving Van Dyke to finish it.

I purchased O'Brien's book, along with many others, from Basement Books, a secondhand bookstore in Melbourne/Australia. Part of my 'Islomania' and on going fascination with all things Pacific. When I discovered there was a 1929 silent film based on the book I sought it out and started to present it as part of my 'Live Music/Silent films' repertoire. Tabu by Frederick Murnau, which coincidently also had Flaherty as co-director originally, was the first film I ever wrote / improvised a score for and presented as a live film/music performance. My repertoire extends to over 23 films now.

My eclectic and diverse musical and artistic interests extend into 'Hawaiian', 'Exotica', 'Ambient' and 'Electronic' Music. I have produced several volumes of so called 'Electronic, Ambient, Exotica' on CD and Vinyl, including Kiribati, Globe Notes, Rayon Hula ( on Vinyl, CD and digital format ) and most recently, New Globe Note on Vinyl and White Shadows In The South Seas on CD.
White Shadows In The South Seas features some of the music presented in my live screenings of the 1929 silent film.

The film is the story of Dr. Matthew Lloyd, an alcoholic doctor who is disgusted by the exploitation by white people of the natives on a Polynesian island. The natives dive for pearls, however, numerous accidents occur and one diver dies. In anger, Dr. Lloyd punches Sebastian, the employer. As revenge and to prevent further interruption of his activities, he tricks Dr. Lloyd onto a ship with a diseased crew (thinking they are ill) and his men rough him up and send the ship off into a storm. Dr. Lloyd survives and is washed ashore on an island where none of the natives have ever seen a white man before. Lloyd is rescued and ultimately falls in love with the chief's daughter, who is Taboo, hence Lloyd is prevented from pursuing his love for her. An incident occurs and a young boy is thought to have drowned but Lloyd is able to revive him, earning him points and permission with the chief's daughter. Lloyd begins to realise that the local islanders have no sense of the value of the black pearls which grow in abundance around their island and he starts to dive for them and collect them. One morning the white man Sebastian unexpectedly turns up on a scooner and starts to offer the islanders trade for their pearls. Llloyd tries to interrupt the encounter and is shot and dies. His wife and the islanders morn for his dead body and, symbolically, the passing of a way of life.

Mike Cooper plays - Electric and acoustic lap steel guitars / electronics / Zoom Sampletrack / Kaos Pad / Casio SK1 / Korg Drum Machine / Self Made Instruments.

It also features field recordings made on Pulau Ubin by Mike Cooper during a month as Artist In Residence for The Artist Village / Singapore.

I would like to acknowledge and thank Lawrence English (Room40 Records) for his assistance and encouragement with the original recordings and the CD version of White Shadows In The South Seas.

All music written and played by Mike Cooper PRS/MCPS - except Po Mahina (trad. Arr. Cooper) and Hilo Hanakahi (trad. Arr. Cooper)

Recorded and Mixed at the Steelworks in Rome 2012/2013.

A White Shadow In The South Seas
In February 2014 'A White Shadow In The South Seas' was the title of an audio-visual installation I made at the Teatro In Scatola in Rome, Italy, presented as part of a series of sound installations titled 'Visitazioni' produced by Proposte Sonore.

The essay below, as well as our collection of Hawaiian shirts, Exotica and Hawaiian vinyl records, was an inspiration for this installation.

'..the transformation and reconstitution of the souvenir commodity as an indigenous ethnic art form and a scarce relic of Hawai'i's romanticized past...' from - Clothing and Textile Reasearch Journal - From Kitsch to Chic by Marcia A. Morgado.

And....
Michael Thompson's Rubbish Theory (1979)
' ...a critical aspect of Western culture is the pre-disposition to see objects in terms of two overt categories: the transient and the durable. Objects identified as transient have finite life spans and lose value over time, whereas those identified as durable have infinite lives and over time increae in value....category assignments are arbitrary, but once assigned a category membership determines relative value. Fashion apparel-by defenition-is assigned to the transient category; paintings commonly are designated durables....how is it that transient objects.. ( e.g. Hawaiian shirts and vinyl records ) ..sometimes become durables.

Objects assigned to the rubbish category are largely invisible, have no value and, ideally, no life span. Fashion for example, no longer worn and relegated to the back of the wardrobe has fallen into the covert rubbish category. But rubbish can be rescued and transformed. Thompson says ' What I believe happens is a transient object gradually declining in value and in expected life span may slide across into rubbish. Here it exists in a timeless and valueless limbo where it has a chance to be re-discovered and be successfully transformed to a durable. Such transferes are radical: objects gradually slide from transcience to rubbish, but the transformation from rubbish to durable involves an all-or-nothing leap across two boundaries, that separating the worthless from the valuable and that between the covert and the overt. Things drift into obscurity but they leap into prominence.

The delightful consequence of this hypothesis is that in order to study the social control of value we must study rubbish.

The rubbish-to-durable transformation is accompanied by the development of highly specialized knowledge derived from the discovery of subtle variations and complex details that went unnoticed in the objects transient stage. The discoveries initiate renewed interest in the object and its market value begins to climb. As prices soar beyond the reach of ordinary people, the object becomes available only in high priced collectors' markets. Furthermore, as market values rise, the aesthetic value of the object undergoes a reassessment as well, and it becomes increasingly apparent that the objects intrinsic beauty has been overlooked. Ultimately the object is re -assigned as a durable and becomes recognized as a timeless classic.

Exotica, Ambience and Pacificism - A dialogue with Mike Cooper & Professor Philip Hayward Deputy Pro Vice Chancellor of Research Southern Cross University, Lismore, Australia.

Jabal is the title of the forthcoming release by Kendojubaki and Dj Ali through Berlin based Label 'Live From Earth'. The release is the second instalment of the labels Live From Earth Klub series.

'Jabal' translates to mountain in Arabic. It is also where the two artists roots trace back to in their home country of Lebanon. The listeners receive a glimpse of the socio-political issues surrounding the jabal areas across Lebanon through unique sampling

KendojubakiKendojubaki is the pseudonym of Adam Rajab, an Australian-Lebanese Sound Designer and producer currently based in Melbourne. As the son of Lebanese refugees he spent parts of his childhood working in his parents Middle Eastern supermarket. In times of recreation he and his relative Ali would pretend to be an Arabic wedding band playing the tabla and the mijwiz to imaginary dabke dancers.Hatched from these activities and through years of back-and-forth between e Middle East and Australia, Adam has captured a unique sound-language which amalgamates traditional sounds of the Levant with modular synthesis, drum machines and industrial elements of unrelenting vim. His thematic music dwells on commonly unfair socio-political issues surrounding the east and the west, displacement and identity.

As a Dj Kendojubaki's sets are filled with long Arabic intros, old school hardcore rave tracks and tempos above 140. In his own productions and live sets, kendo recombines his sound design influence into powerful and cathartic riddims, along with thick echoes un-natural like drums.

Dj Ali Dj Ali is the stage name for Ali Chahine, an Australian-Lebanese live hardware act currently based in Melbourne, Australia. In his productions, Ali fuses sounds from his archive of field and foley recordings along with 90's hardcore rave melodies to create an emotive flow of fast techno music.As the son of Lebanese refugees, Ali also shares stories of conflict and socio-political issues through his music and art. In 2018 Ali joined the collaborative label 'Al Gharib' with relative Adam Rajab who is most commonly known as 'Kendojubaki's'. The two are collaborating on a 12' release named 'Jabal' in December, released through Berlin label Live From Earth.

After the solo album Paths Of The Errant Gaze in 2016 Reinier van Houdt returns to Hallow Ground with Igitur Carbon Copies - an album based on the unfinished gothic tale Igitur, a collection of texts that eventually was abandoned by its author Stéphane Mallarmé in 1869.

Connecting with Mallarmé's obsessions about chance and destiny, Igitur Carbon Copies is the fragmentation of all the roots that ran under its predecessor Paths Of The Errant Gaze and brings these to a provisional close: guided by David Tibet's voice reading the reworked text we descend through spheres of deserted anthems, disembodied voices, morse signals, crank calls, corroded tapes, radio statics, stones, while doing counting games. Here the acoustical spaces are manifold, blended or shifted in a heartbeat, where far and near, up and down are relative, where Riemann's god is pointless and angels are enjoying their space. Here perception is a vice that constantly hallucinates realities.

Reinier van Houdt started experimenting with taperecorders, radio's and objects at a young age. Later he studied piano at the Liszt Academy in Budapest and the Royal Conservatory in The Hague. He developed a fascination for all matters that defy notation: sound, timing, space, physicality, memory, noise, environment - points beyond composition, interpretation and improvisation. He has built himself an unusual repertoire that consistently resulted from personal quests; from composing with non-musical sources, from collaborations with composers and musicians, from research in archives or from unorthodox studies of classical music. He has collaborated with artists like Francisco López, Maria de Alvear, Robert Ashley, Luc Ferrari, Annea Lockwood, Alvin Curran, John Cage, Christian Marclay, Walter Marchetti, Charlemagne Palestine and joined the legendary outsider-collective Current 93 in 2012.

Limited Colored Edition - 1000 Copies

Arguably one of the most acclaimed and loved bands of the past 20 years, by both fans and their musical peers alike, The Beta Band formed in St. Andrews, Scotland, in 1996. Innovative and singular, their unique musical and aesthetic approach to everything they did set them far apart from their musical contemporaries. Together for a relatively short period of time, the three albums and three EPs they released between 1996 and 2004 would nonetheless help define them as one of the most exciting and cherished bands of their generation. 'Heroes to Zeros' is the third and final studio album by The Beta Band released in 2004. It was mixed by famed producer Nigel Godrich and rose to number 18 in the UK charts.

Arguably one of the most acclaimed and loved bands of the past 20 years, by both fans and their musical peers alike, The Beta Band formed in St. Andrews, Scotland, in 1996. Innovative and singular, their unique musical and aesthetic approach to everything they did set them far apart from their musical contemporaries. Together for a relatively short period of time, the three albums and three EPs they released between 1996 and 2004 would nonetheless help define them as one of the most exciting and cherished bands of their generation. Released in 1999, the album The Beta Band' followed the critically acclaimed compilation The Three E.P.'s' (1998). With high anticipation for The Beta Band, the band originally planned to record the album in four separate continents, but financial constraints slimmed the recording locations down, however, the album was still recorded in a variety of locations and pulling inspiration from sources as diverse as Jamaican reggae, Disney's movie The Black Hole' and Bonnie Tyler's Total Eclipse of the Heart".

Time for some completely fresh business from a relative newcomer to the scene, though we're sure the name Cosmonection will be on your radars soon enough. The Parisian producer knocked us off our feet with a beautiful debut back in March this year on the fledgling Pont Neuf imprint. His '10 Feet Before The Horizon EP' was loaded with the just the kind of spaced- out, synth-heavy deep late night house that gets us all aquiver over here, so when a demo popped into the inbox we were all over it like a donkey on a waffle.

Here we present you with the Menorca EP; three blissed-out synth jams which explore the space between Balearic euphoria and Detroit futurism. On the title track a mournful Moog lead takes centre stage floating over a rising chord progression whilst punchy 909 drums bring the groove to the dance floor.

Next up, You picks up the pace for a deep and dubby house workout where soft focus pads converge with clattering percussion. Fragments of chiming melody bouncing around the stripped back groove.

Flipping over we have Light which shows Cosmonection at his most musical, layering up arpeggiating synths lines through a slowly building intro until a heavy groove with hefty kick joins the scene. The arrangement ebbs and flows as the rhythm drops out, rising synths creating anticipation and tension. This track feels like an ambitious fusion of musical styles and textures with 90's ambient colliding with Underground Resistance and coming up with a fresh sound for 2018 in the process.

Rounding off the record we have Delusions regulars, DJ supremos and all- round good guys Session Victim taking the reins on a remix of You. Keeping the warm, feel-good pads, the German duo inject a new found shuffle to the groove, bringing a wide-screen sensibility which adds a sublime yet dance-floor pleasing dimension to the release.

Arguably One Of The Most Acclaimed And Loved Bands Of The Past 20 Years, By Both Fans And Their Musical Peers Alike, The Beta Band Formed In St. Andrews, Scotland, In 1996. Innovative And Singular, Their Unique Musical And Aesthetic Approach To Everything They Did Set Them Far Apart From Their Musical Contemporaries. Together For A Relatively Short Period Of Time, The Three Albums And Three Eps They Released Between 1996 And 2004 Would Nonetheless Help Define Them As One Of The Most Exciting And Cherished Bands Of Their Generation. After A Short Hiatus The Band Gradually Gravitated Back Into The Studio And Recruited Noted Uk Producer Colin Emmanuel, Aka C-swing, To Oversee The Process Of hot Shots Ii' Which Was Released In Mid 2001. Notoriously The Band Had Intended To Release squares", Which Featured A Sample From The Günter Kallmann Choir's 1970 Version Of Wallace Collection's daydream", As The Lead Single. However After Filming The Music Video And Taking The Single To Radio It Suddenly Transpired That Another Single daydream In Blue' By I Monster Featuring The Sample From Günter Kallmann Choir Recording Was Also To Be Released At The Same Time Causing The Band To Release broke' Instead. Touring Extensively And Supporting Radiohead In August 2002, They Made No. 3 On Q Magazine's List Of 50 Bands To See Before You Die".

LMYE first came to light in 2016 on Funkineven's Apron imprint with the LMYE EP, which quickly became a regular fixture at the London label's infamous parties and bbqs as well as with house DJs worldwide. Since then the pair have been relatively quiet, only appearing once on record, with a release for Bristol's Idle Hands in 2016.

The paucity of their output though belies a busy production schedule behind the scenes. Tracks from those sessions have surfaced occasionally in the sets of DJs like Shanti Celeste and Ben UFO but they have never seen the light of day on a full release until now.

As you would expect from their first releases, the self-titled LP treads a line between classic house and UK garage with a nod here and there to boogie and Latin freestyle, genres which have inspired their production techniques.

From barnstorming new jack house cut 'The Gift' to the classic UK funky sound of 'Hypnotized', LMYE have selected only the most weighty numbers at their disposal, with the aim of offering an LP that will catch the ear of those at every end of the house spectrum.

That's not to say that this is an LP of dancefloor-only cuts though. 'Long Island at Night', which features Bristol's Typesun and Adam Davies live in session, shows the softer, more musical side of LMYE's output. Meanwhile 'XTC Rising' is a uk garage cut with a classic edge which nevertheless still feels modern and up to date in its outlook.

In short, 'LMYE' collects the highlights of a number of years' work, with the aim of finding a home in the boxes of the most discerning and listeners for years to come.

Foul & Sunk is proud to present 'Morello', a cathartic EP from upcoming producer star D.Y.A. As an university educated jazz drummer the concept of improvisation and aspiration for that one special musical moment is surely no secret to D.Y.A. So both tracks 'Morello' and 'Cosy' are melodic groovers with the extra portion of soul. Beside this there are Johannes Albert and Shan on remixing duties. Albert is taking it to a deeper level, while Shan delivers a 9 min. monster remix with his emotional melodies and deep grooves.

About D.Y.A
City: Berlin (DE)
Labels: SOLIDE / Foul & Sunk
Growing up in a family where D.Y.A was surrounded by all kinds of different music led
to the mindset of appreciating each genre as equally important and eventually got him
to draw inspiration from all kinds of music. As an university educated jazz drummer the
concept of improvisation and aspiration for that one special musical moment is surely no
secret to D.Y.A.

While being Berlin based and a founding member of - SOLIDE', a label and collective he
runs along with fellow producers Kalyma and MYNY, translating these rather complex
concepts from jazz into house music, wether we are talking about production or DJ Sets,
has been one of D.Y.A´s main goals. Looking back to a relatively young discography, this
summers forthcoming EP´s on Solide and Foul & Sunk, with remix guests like Johannes
Albert, Panthera Krause or Shan, will fall in nicely to showcase D.Y.A's influences and his
quest for a special musical moment.

Arguably One Of The Most Acclaimed And Loved Bands Of The Past 20 Years, By Both Fans And Their Musical Peers Alike, The Beta Band Formed In St. Andrews, Scotland, In 1996. Innovative And Singular, Their Unique Musical And Aesthetic Approach To Everything They Did Set Them Far Apart From Their Musical Contemporaries. Together For A Relatively Short Period Of Time, The Three Albums And Three Eps They Released Between 1996 And 2004 Would Nonetheless Help Define Them As One Of The Most Exciting And Cherished Bands Of Their Generation. After A Short Hiatus The Band Gradually Gravitated Back Into The Studio And Recruited Noted Uk Producer Colin Emmanuel, Aka C-swing, To Oversee The Process Of hot Shots Ii' Which Was Released In Mid 2001. Notoriously The Band Had Intended To Release squares", Which Featured A Sample From The Günter Kallmann Choir's 1970 Version Of Wallace Collection's daydream", As The Lead Single. However After Filming The Music Video And Taking The Single To Radio It Suddenly Transpired That Another Single daydream In Blue' By I Monster Featuring The Sample From Günter Kallmann Choir Recording Was Also To Be Released At The Same Time Causing The Band To Release broke' Instead. Touring Extensively And Supporting Radiohead In August 2002, They Made No. 3 On Q Magazine's List Of 50 Bands To See Before You Die".

Rhythmic Brutalism' is the title of this release, available as a two CD set or two separate LPs, the title is also a very apt description of the music itself. Romanian-born Alexandra Atnif was fascinated by the harsh, grey concrete beauty and minimally repetitive force of the brutalist post-war architecture of her homeland, and this fascination has given rise to the music here. Vol. 1 is an EM Records edition, compiled from an earlier self-released double CD featuring recordings from 2014-15. Vol. 2 consists of previously unreleased recordings from 2015 to 2017. Using elemental, inexpensive technology, Atnif' s music is heavy and harsh, stripped down to distressed skeletal frameworks, rhythmic noise, rusting metal and weathered concrete, a distorted DIY realization of her beautifully brutal vision. With a background in European modernist/avant-garde music, Atnif has been influenced by early rhythmic industrial music such as Throbbing Gristle, Esplendor Geometrico and Muslimgauze, as well as later practitioners of rhythm and noise including Pan Sonic, Autechre, Winterkälte, Prurient and Scorn. Across the relatively brief span of years contained within these two volumes, we hear the rhythmic structures begin to fracture and fray, and the outlines darken and become more obscure, with Antif's sensibility evident throughout.

Maschinenbau Was A Label Run By Djscud From Ambush And Nomex From Adverse Which Released Only Two 7's In 1997/98. The First, Eurostar/piling Machine, Was Limited To Just 300 Copies. It Combined Psychogeographical Exploration And Field Recordings With Amiga-produced Non-conformist Breakcore And Noise-abuse, While The Second One, Total Destruction, Became A Classic Of Breakcore / Noise Crossover With Several Appearances On Compilations Such As Collision Drive On Pias (compiled By Kevin Martin, Aka The Bug), But Nevertheless Fell Into Relative Obscurity - Like Most Of The Great Early Breakcore - During The Following Decade. Listening Back One Can Only Be Astounded By The Raw Energy And Urgency Of These Tracks.
Twenty Years After The Original 7's, Praxis Is Proudly Releasing A 12' With All Four Original Tracks In October 2018 With The Catalogue Number Praxis 56.

German producer and DJ Boys Noize has announced the release of his much-anticipated cover version of Adamski and Seal's 1990 rave classic 'Killer' on 12 vinyl, via The Vinyl Factory and Boysnoize Records.

Featuring vocalist Steven A. Clark, the original 12 version is backed by an instrumental, both of which you can listen to below:

As Boys Noize says: 'Being a '90s kid I kind of grew up with this song which later became one of these tunes I'd play out at the end of the night. When I met Steven and heard his voice for the first time I immediately thought of that track and the idea of doing a cover version was born. It was initially just for fun but it turned banging and lit the dance floors wherever I'd drop it.'

Adamski and Seal's original represented something of a breakthrough for both the producer and vocalist, spending four weeks at the top of the UK Singles Chart in the summer of 1990.

Speaking to journalist Dave Simpson in The Guardian in 2013 Seal explains the impact the song had on his career: 'Within a week, I went from being a relative nobody - this weird guy at raves, with silver bits in my hair - to a household name.'

Boys Noize' 'Killer' is out now digitally and on 12 vinyl, limited to 500 copies.

It is said that every generation casts its mind back to a previous era in times of crisis; the resources that will allow us to decode the questions of our moment may lie in the myths of another era.

Le Renard Bleu, the new musical and cinematic collaboration between Lafawndah and composer Midori Takada, and filmmakers Partel Oliva, takes a cross- generational echo as ground zero for recovering a crucial myth for uncertain times: the blue fox.

As transmitted by Takada, the fox appears in both ancient Senegalese and Japanese folktales as the trickster archetype; belonging both to the heavens and to the earth, the fox is the agent of chaotic good, shaking the world up when its energy has become stagnant. Above all else, the fox is famous for its cunning nature.

Renard Bleu marks the first new music released by Takada in nearly twenty years; it would be difficult to overstate the importance of her return to the public eye. Her first solo record, 1983's Through the Looking Glass, has been rediscovered and heralded as a lost classic; the influence of her percussion trio, the Mkwaju Ensemble, continues to permeate and inspire a new generation entranced by its lucid beauty, playfulness, and sensual patience. Takada has performed in numerous film score orchestras, including the ensemble for Akira Kurasawa's Dreams, coincidentally a key influence on Renard Bleu.

In the ensuing years, Takada has worked closely with theater group the Suzuki Company of Toga on productions of Electra and King Lear, an experience, she says, that allowed her to pursue 'a unity of music, body and space.' Recent live solo performances have evinced the depths of her exploration of all three.

Equally, it is Lafawndah's freedom of tone, decentralized maps of ancient and modern music cultures, and alloying of devotional intensity with modern songcraft casts her as a distinct relative of Midori Takada's.

Over the course of two EPs, self- directed music videos, and countless live performances, Lafawndah has drawn out an uncompromising exploration of how theater, situational intervention, and choreography can amplify the affective palate of forward pop music. One can trace the influence of artists such as Meredith Monk, Carlos Sara, and Andy Kaufman as much as musical antecedents AR Rahmann, Missy Elliott, or Geinoh Yamashirogumi.

It is in a mutual commitment to this unity that Lafawndah, Takada and Partel Oliva find fertile aesthetic common ground.

The music of Renard Bleu originated in Takada's preoccupation with the legend of the fox; after constructing a vivid instrumental composition dramatizing the spirit animal's journeys through waterphone, bells, marimba and various forms of drums, Lafawndah responded - in her inimitable mix of fairytale and undertow-- with melodies and lyrics capturing a dialogue between her and the fox himself. Eventually, the duo met in Tokyo for a week of communing with the material at Avaco Creative Studios, where new elements were composed on site.

Created in partnership with KENZO and premiered today via their channels, it was Partel Oliva who imagined a contemporary cinematic frame for the myth of the fox to re- appear, creating a hybrid of choreography and narrative around Takada and Lafawndah's performance of their joint composition (also titled Le Renard Bleu.) Returning to film in Japan for the third time, Partel Oliva's moving image work (Club Ark Eternal, The Pike and the Shield) has set the standard for and revolutionized the fashion art film. Their deployment of original music, dance, and a highly stylized mis en scene coalesces here in the casting of Los Angeles krump artist Qwenga as the eponymous fox, stalking the halls of the ancient Noh theater in which Takada and Lafawnda's performance takes place.

Why call up the myth of the fox now In Le Renard Bleu, Lafawndah and Takada's collapsing of distance between generations, styles, and milieus intimates that the relationship to time must be shaken. The future lies in fragments in the past; to remember is to recover it; the fox rises to thicken the plot.

Ahead of the release of his new album Book Of Life, Erased Tapes will re-issue Stories, the first in a trilogy of vibraphone solo albums by Berlin-based composer Masayoshi Fujita. This quietly exquisite album is like a book of illustrations, evoking scenes of natural beauty and poetic poignancy that combines climactic crescendos laced with electronic detail and luxurious melody. Stories is the beginning of Masayoshi's mission in bringing the vibraphone — a relatively new invention in the history of instruments often kept in the background in orchestras and jazz outfits — into the spotlight. Having trained as a drummer, Masayoshi began experimenting with the vibraphone, preparing its bars with kitchen foil or beads, playing it with the cello bow or using the other end of the mallets to create a more ambient texture of sound. Focussing on the vibraphone in this way sets Masayoshi apart, dedicating his artistic life to celebrating this fascinating and often under appreciated instrument and making his take on ambient and modern compositional styles a unique one.

The long awaited answer from the notorious southern-hemispherian sound system, Subtle Sound System. This debut release from their record label aptly named Subtle Recordings is bringing some heavy weight straight out of Christchurch, New Zealand, first up with local legend Headland. Exquisitely imprinted 'no holds bar' by the masterful Optimal Media in a full art sleeve, this 180 gram, vinyl only, no-repress recording superbly ushers in a new beginning for the sound system and is another pillar of foundation to the future sound of bass music.

Headland, with his atmospheric soundscapes, sparatic drums, jarring percussion and punishing basslines, has been taking his unique sound to the world for the past few years and has sequentially been picked up by some of the most forward thinking labels in the bass music scene. From notoriety like Innamind Recordings and Zam Zam Sounds, Headland is one of the most noteworthy artists on the scene today and is a staple in sets from artists including, Samba, Mala, VIVEK, Commodo, Sleeper, just to name a few. Headland's infamy continues on Subtle Recordings debut release with the two outstanding tracks, Quiver and Deathbed.

From a spacious beginning, Quiver quickly builds pressure, manifesting into a track that by the end of, you'll have to regroup your crew as all would have been taken on their own solo journey. Navigate through high level percussion, sonic stabs, sub-temperate basslines and menacing vocals, all encompassed within a 130 bpm landscape where the richters leave you feeling vulnerable and insignificant. Quiver is a force of nature not to be taken lightly. After setting the stage, this behemoth pushes to another level, with erratic note changes and misplaced beats, before opening up to a plateau of relative safety within rolling basslines and familiar haunts. Recollecting yourself, you are once again thrust into unknown territory. A barrage of death blows commences until eventually you find yourself on the other side, disorientated, demoralised, but thankfully unharmed. With support from dons like Gantz, Boofy, J Kenzo, Mr K, Quiver has begun to leave its mark through the next frontier of bass music.

A usually silent, still and chilly affair, Deathbed is anything but, with its uplifting groove, conscious beat scape and warm bassline. But don't get too cosy, cause this assortment of frequencies is cold. Foreboding basslines. Wholesome mids. Trademark Headland accents. Deathbed builds in monumental 140 bpm splendure, in a simplistic formation, that will have you calling home to tell Mum of your triumphant return. Bask in all the glory as the track sheds back into its essential ingredients before collapsing into a well rewarded breakdown. Another confident drop will re-immerse you within the ride, reminiscent of what has been conquered and celebrated in the dystopian sound Headland has crafted in this atmospheric masterpiece. Banging dancefloors worldwide by artists like, Commodo, VIVEK. Deathbed produces the goods for an old fashioned shelling.

'Turquoise', that is Turkuvaz, is a French-origin word inspired by the color of the Mediterranean, located within the borders of Turkey. Meaning; blue is the color that plays the green. At the same time it is relative. Because both colors are in it, if you love blue you will see blue, if you love green you will see it green. It means heaven and earth. The eternity is turquoise... The eternity is infinite. At the same time; the boundary between the earth and the sky. Some will find love in it , some will find serenity, some will remember the loneliness and find sadness, embracing some with zeal and reminiscent of the return to the nest, the power of holding hands tightly with two hands.And according to my opinion, the concept of life, the mortal world, is how we see these lands curtained until the last breath of life that we have been living on for centuries.There are billions of beings in our sky and on Earth that do not attract our attention, We can not see, can not hear, can only feel, there are enough lights to count and never disappear in the stage. This EP that you hold in your hand is a reflection of it.
Music was the easiest way to reach you. In doing so, the motto was 'never disappearing at the stage'. I know, because if nobody hears me, God, the real dominion of light the true owner of all the darkness will hear me.

Each sound I created, I filled it with a light and I added a little more sand to the clock. Sounds I created is to show you your own technique of finding your way to light, to make you understand that you are not alone, and that there is someplace really there for you. Without much effort, resting and reviving.

I believe that every one of us who lives on earth has a specific, holy purpose. The important thing is to find and catch it. Our inner journey is to be able to complete our enlightenment as spiritually as possible. And I still believe that we always need music to do that. Because the sounds; they will never disappear.

Turquoise, which is the work of this enlightenment period, which I have lived and found to be my self, will be a source of light for you and help you find God who lives in you.

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

After an excellent 12inch on Rosten label SSTROM drops his first full length Otider, which is by far the most diverse offering of the project encompassing elements of different genres and putting them in woolen and dense sonic textures. Otider could be loosely translated as un-times or non-times. It positions the tracks out of specific context and rather represents them as some rediscovered artifacts relating to personal experiences of the artist. Otider slightly distances SSTROM from techno label as the compositions elegantly drift between lush transparency and thick grooves of outsider/lo-fi house as in Kronofobi or Svvaren or sensitive, yet subtly monolith and mellow techno on Damm and I Huvudet. In Modernisten we can even trace echoes of coldwave/synth aesthetics with melancholic guitars sweeping over hypnotic rhythmic patterns, while closer Sov Nu introduces something which reminds a darker form of garage music with light synthpads constantly surfacing among raw mechanical beats. All the tracks were created over a relatively long period between 2010 and 2017 by employing the process where he let his hands work automatically without interference from his head. This freedom could be felt across the release, which juggles with different musical forms so lightly and organically, but at the same time maintains a coherent vision, which illustrates the vast scope and diversity of the artist.

Flexure is a collaboration between Jamie Behan & Stephen Mahoney. Both have been DJing since the mid-'90s, but Flexure is a relatively new hardware-based project that sounds like a mashup of techno, acid, electro and Chicago house. In Orbit is Flexure's second EP, a collection of unhinged machine bangers.

Orbit is the A side, a smash of a stomper, massive claps and a wild hook with vocals swirling claiming Orbit as a peak time destroyer.
B side contains Computers, a floor filler with a massive acid hook, total dancefloor killer. Next is Opioid a deep growler mof a track that is sure to find its' way into a multitude of sets.

Glyn Bigga Bush has been producing electronic and sample-based music since the early 90s when he formed Rockers Hi Fi, going on to release numerous albums. Since the turn of the century he has produced and DJ'd as BiggaBush as well as various side projects such as Lightning Head (Sonar Kollektiv), the Dandelion Set (Buried Treasure) and the Magic Drum Orchestral (Tru Thoughts).

Bigga's latest project 'Sunken Foal Stories' represents a departure from much of his other work in that it is not primarily based on beats. Instead, his working method was to go with fascinating samples, accidental juxtapositions and irregular loops - inspired by pioneers of sound such as Faust and the audio experiments of Julian House as well as early stereo test records, soundtracks and library music.

The 21 concise tracks of Sunken Foal Stories link into two 15 minute segments on the LP. Bush explores the random elements created by overlaying disparate samples, where chimes of baroque psychedelia clash with ascending classical strings, or a haunting Eastern European folk song is looped into an eternal cadence of longing. Various voices float over the speakers, lost poets, disturbing therapists, dreaming vampires, chuckling cabaret singers. Sourced almost entirely from charity shops and carboot sales, the source material speaks of a forgotten yet relatively recent period, when stereo was something new and exciting, when home entertainment first came into its own and suburban homes thrilled to the exotic sounds of home organs, primitive beatboxes, LPs bought in unusual holiday destinations and 'glamorous' soundtracks.

Mannik has already blown peoples minds with his debut track on Death To Digital (KF70). And his first full EP delivers on that promise. Pure, original hardcore, as it was meant to be. Unusual in concept, sonically devastating, and showing a rare confidence and power for a relatively new artist. This EP sounds like it is 1992 again. It fits somewhere between Sublove, Automation, Hyper On Experience and all NRG without sounding like any of them. Along side Idealz's 'Run The Tune' EP (KF72) they are showing how this renaissance of old skool hardcore can grow and develop without being a simple copy of what came before. This is forward thinking yet rooted in the ethics of the past. This is what Kniteforce is about.

Club / DJ Support
Billy Bunter, the Fat Controller, Glowkid, Slipmatt, Dj Jedi, Dj Luna-C, Dj Brisk, Clayfighter, Jimni Cricket, Bustin, Sc@r, Doughboy, Saiyan, Dave Skywalker, Ponder and many others

* Paul Bradley is a long time hardcore soldier, someone who has lived and breathed the breakbeat scene since its inception, and who finally took the plunge into producing relatively recently. His music is direct and uplifting, with no time for subtlety or overly clever trickery. Each track on the EP is dedicated to moving the dancefloor into a state of euphoria, frenzy, or both. Pounding breaks and piano lines are compliments by some strange and amusing sample choices, leaving you never quite sure of what will happen next.

Club / DJ Support
Billy Bunter, Slipmatt, Dj Jedi, Dj Luna-C, Dj Brisk, Bustin, Sc@r, Doughboy, Saiyan, Dave Skywalker and many others

Gitkin sold guitars. To be precise, he re-branded, sold and traded knock-off Gibsons. A lone, travelling salesman, he toted his counterfeit wares to guitar stores and music emporiums. His trade took him to most corners of the USA, passing through big, smoggy cities and nowheresville small towns. His nights were spent at not-so-salubrious motels. It was at those nocturnal stop-offs that he'd often cross paths with newcomers to the States. His fellow travellers were mostly immigrants, newly-arrived, from places like Ethiopia, Mexico, Indonesia.

Or at least, that's the story as Brian J Gitkin has been able to piece it together. This album, '5 Star Motel', is by a different Gitkin, an ode to the one described above. Or to put it another way, this is the younger Gitkin's homage to his elder relative: the elusive, guitar salesman uncle he never met. A steady drip of anecdotes have construed an image of his relation's itinerant, huckster lifestyle. Finding a cassette of his recordings, it spoke of the effect of those encounters: lo-fi and scratchy, the music leaped seamlessly, in difficult to discern ways, between different far-flung styles.

On '5 Star Motel', that younger Gitkin (henceforth referred to simply as Gitkin) has sought to expand the philosophy he encountered on that tape. The guitar is common thread, the raft to navigate a sun-dappled stream of ideas. It's an embrace of cultures where folkloric stringed instruments still rule, or where they've led to a more recent embrace of the electric guitar. He traces the loose, meandering paths which join them together.

It's about America, the world outside its borders, and the inscrutable, inevitable dialogue that exists between them. Take 'Cancion Del Rey', where the sound of Peruvian chicha - steady-moving, alluring, and lyrical - winds its way through Gitkin's fuzz-filtered licks, and the rhythm underpinning it. Or 'Yama', where Middle Eastern influences echo out of grooving, cyclical riffs. Touching on the distinctive tones of Tuareg music and the Sahara, too, 'Grand Street Feast' charts a sand-dusted, melodic misadventure.

NHK yx Koyxen walks at any speed and on any surface he desires to trance-scend. His "Parallel Tempo EP" takes a mindful plunge into layers of rigorously murmuring gestures. Speed is relative to size. As they are streched and bent, the planes engage in parallel movement. This is an exploded drawing, unlocked from time.

The Japanese artist and producer NHK yx Koyxen contiunes to unveil his unique vocabulary, as the "Parallel Tempo EP" builds on a series of releases for L.I.E.S., Diagonal, DFA and The Trilogy Tapes. Publishing drawings and music alike, NHK yk Koyxen aka Kohei Matsunaga offers playful and sometimes unexpected glimpes of the "almost common". Performing on electronic music's timeless DNA, he offers those who step in a resonating space, in which loose objects are bound to embrace each other.

The third and final release from Halocline Trance for the calendar year is Perfect Lung, a collaborative album from Istanbul-based composer Ipek Gorgun and Ceramic TL aka David Psutka (Egyptrixx, Anamai, Limit). A decadent yet durable offering of material sound, recorded remotely during 2016 + 2017 in Toronto, Ankara and Istanbul. Seven songs of original, accidental music that span colour and feeling; the petroleum psychedelia of Ceramic TL framed by Gorgun's precise and emotional landscapes. Inhaling/exhaling full register slabs hint at the multi-dimensionality of optimism and voicelessness...multiple things in multiple ways. Chill melodies plod then dissolve entirely like a casual toil. Whatever you like. All creative output is eco-political in nature but this record avoids directive and cliche. Moments of clarity glint through piles of junk; total quantity mimics eruptions of precious material - an unrealistic examination of the concept of material value as defined by its relative scarcity...this album is a lot. A fixation with excess contrasts the corporeal impermanence of humans with the material half-life of their consumer existence. Our legacy is trash - stray objects inside the perfect lung.

Acid Jazz are pleased to announce details of the definitive Leroy Hutson compilation - Anthology : 1972-1984 on 20th October. Erstwhile Impression, Leroy Hutson's catalogue has become increasingly coveted over the years and this compilation collects his Curtom recordings together with two newly discovered tracks including Positive Forces which is available as an instant grat track when pre-ordering the album.

Native of Newark New Jersey, Leroy Hutson grew up In a part of the world that spawned many of Soul's all-time groups, amongst them, The Parliaments and the Manhattens. Smitten by the music he was to join a local quartet, The Nu-Tones and despite never recording the youthful Hutson experienced the thrill of being a singer. On splitting up, Hutson found himself studying in Washington DC and once more in the company of supremely talented artists including Carla Thomas and future collaborator Don Hathaway. Various recordings came and went with little chart success before, along with Hathaway he became central to a group of singer, songwriters and players under the tutelage of Curtis Mayfield at his Curtom label a relationship that initiated Hathaway's chart topping career when the pair co wrote the all-time classic and million seller The Ghetto.

Early 1971 saw Hutson replace Mayfield in the Impressions as he left to concentrate on his solo career, the transition was seamless and although relatively brief saw the band in the pop and R&B charts. His debut on the Billboard chart as a solo artist arrived with Love Oh Love, the first of a dozen Curtom singles he recorded during an exciting and turbulent decade for black American music.

The seven albums Hutson released on Curtom between 1973 and 1979 are a legacy that remain highly respected, almost revered amongst soul cognoscenti, an untold influence on an entire generation of musicians throughout the eighties. The demise of Curtom in the early eighties saw Hutson relocate to Elektra, where in 1982 he released Paradise - highly acclaimed and much loved for a time it looked like that release may spell the end but some twenty-seven years later, the newly monikered 'Lee' Huston unveiled Soothe You Groove You.

Release number 2 for Burnin Music sees two local heroes of the London underground house music scene, Leonidas and Kay Suzuki, joining forces for a unique project : Synqlock vol II

Hard to describe in a few words 11:24 of pure sonic bliss. With 'Interstellar Meditation' the artists seem to have reached a certain wisdom in the making: rain falling, organic sounds of the forrest and a beautiful analogue symphony. A very very emotional track. A unique journey.

Asteroid (Jackin' Acid Dub) is a short pumped up techno tune which manages to keep the soul from 'Asteroid' (on the flip side) while adding acid elements.

Undercurrent opens the B side with layers of analogue synths on a beatless groove. It feels like the start of an epic journey into sounds where time and space are relative.

With 'Asteroid' you get to full speed: again layers of analogue synths respond to a breathless beat. The hypnotic bassline pulls you to an 'emotional' dancefloor: it is not only a 'dance' track but also feels like an emotional experience.

Finally the long-awaited second series of 'Invisible Family' outings has arrived. Label boss and compiler GK Machine has this to say: 'Beyond ecstatic to get these tracks out. The Gazeebo track I've been playing in my sets for years. Digital only but SO great it definitely needed to get pressed onto wax!! I would DJ with it using Ableton and speed it up a lot so for the vinyl I asked Jon (Nedza) who I've been a huge fan of since his Community Recordings releases on Grayhound and Imperial Dub, whether he could speed it up a little bit before we pressed it up. Now it's 100% perfect: a Moroder-esque cosmic stomper that's sure to set any dancefloor alight. The Apiento track is another one that's been gestating for a long time...first appearing around the time the original "E.S.P." 12' appeared on the wonderful Golf Channel Recordings in 2014. Secret Circuit gave it a complete overhaul, in fact several complete overhauls, plus some of his signature guitar and has turned the already blissful track into an afro-esque, trippy, beautiful, beautiful piece of music that (IMO) is one of his best yet. Utterly gorgeous!!
Then there's the boy-girl retro-future duo Der Kundalini coming from the wonderful Lectric Sands stable in NY who gave us Zoovox. This one's also been hiding on my hard drive way too long! Finally relative newcomers Konzel (of Junto Club/Optimo Music fame) & Natural Sugars (Pardon My French) round off the package just perfectly. The former so distinct that I felt it was a perfect opener for the A side. So, I hope you dig it...and keep an eye out for the super limited 12-track cassette too!!!'
Limited to 300 hand-numbered copies.

Some songs comes along that you seem to know the moment you hear it, even though it's for the first time. In the case of Spark The Universe it had exactly that impact. A mixture of late-60s psychedelic homage, early 80s new wave, white boy soul, plus a good dose of dub, all wrapped around a killer hook and super tight production and a hit was surely made.
The fact there are many deserving records that don't become a hit doesn't mean some are better than others and in fact, the joy in collecting and reissuing is finding amazing songs and bringing them back.
Increasingly heard in the sets of the more discerning DJs, Spark The Universe has become a cult play and with second hand prices now in three figures, a reissue is timely. As the label oft says, no one owns this music other than the writers, musicians and producers and their craft deserves to be appreciated.
Before going on to carve a successful career in 'electronica' project, Euphoria, Toronto's Ken Ramm had shown his considerable writing and playing ability with the 1981 debut LP Dragon and this 1983 follow up, known simply as Ramm.

Coming together through a meeting with a then relatively unknown producer, Daniel Lanois, via a mutual interest in tape loops and dubbing, it was the suggestion to bring in local vocalist Lorraine Segato that Ramm formed.
Recording at Lanois' Grant Avenue Studios, his interest in mixing past and present technology, with multiple digital delay units, harmonizers and other effect processors allowed Ramm and Lanois to explore using the studio as an instrument alongside real musicianship.

Backwards guitars, tremolo bar dives and guitar harmonics are incorporated with the vocals and percussion to perfection. With a 'Dance' and alternative 'Dub', the song's hypnotic and dreamy feel superimposed over beats pin-pointed to the later Euphoria project and with the addition of a latter day 'Discomix', from the labels' own Chuggy, Spark The Universe deserves it's place on contemporary dancefloors.

Professor Rhythm is the production moniker of South African music man Thami Mdluli. Throughout the 1980's, Mdluli was member of chart-topping groups Taboo and CJB, playing bubblegum pop to stadiums. Mdluli became an in-demand producer for influential artists (like Sox and Sensations, among many others) and in-house producer for important record companies like Eric Frisch and Tusk. During the early '80s, Mdluli projects usually featured an instrumental dance track. These hot instrumentals became rather popular. Fans demanded to hear more of these backing tracks without vocals, he says, so Mdluli began to make solo instrumental albums in 1985 as Professor Rhythm. He got the name before the recordings began, from fans, and positive momentum from audiences and other musicians drove him to invest himself in a full-on solo project. It was the era just before the end of apartheid and house music hadn't taken over yet. There wasn't instrumental electronic music yet in South Afric a. As the '80s came to a close, that was about to change. Professor Rhythm productions mirror the evolution of dance music in South Africa. They grew out of the bubblegum mold - which itself stems from band's channeling influences like Kool & the Gang and the Commodores - into something based on music for the club. His early instrumental recordings First Time Around and Professor 3 mostly distilled R&B, mbaqanga and bubblegum grooves into vocal-less pieces for the dance floor. Musically, these were a success and commercially the albums all went gold. There were countless bubblegum albums flooding the marketplace, with nearly disposable vocalists backed by mostly similar-sounding rhythm tracks. Most of the lyrical content was light and apolitical. But the keyboards used formed the musical basis for what would come next. By the time Professor 4 and this recording Bafana Bafana - the name references South Africa's national soccer team - were released in the mid-1990s, k waito had fully emerged. Access to instruments and freedom of expression helped its rise in influence among youth. According to Mdluli, "Once Mandela was released from prison and people felt more free to express themselves and move around town, kwaito was becoming the thing." Lyrically, kwaito championed the local township lingo while adapting "international music," house music, into the local context. "International Music," as house music and early kwaito were interchangeably known, in many ways reflects the sounds coming from America. But South Africans made it their own. Today, the largest part of the music industry is occupied by house music and its relatives.