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After Psychiatre's previous electro-focused Lost Palms release proved his artistic malleability, his latest sees him return to his signature sound. NMAV EP radiates warmth; music that sits back into itself, and invites its listener to do just the same.

It begins with three deep house soothers, the first taking disco as its springboard, and the rest stripping it right back to a minimal, soul-caressing effect.

On the B-side the sun doesn't stop shining, except this time Psychiatre injects a healthy dose of acid and the groove of a breakbeat. But far from the rave connotations of each style, Psychiatre teases out the most gentle facets of each, bringing the EP to a suitably laid-back close.

The definitive collection of Laraaji's earliest works, Segue To Infinity compiles his 1978 debut Celestial Vibration and six additional side-long studio sessions from previously unknown acetates from the same period. A lengthy essay by Living Colour's Vernon Reid chronicles the origins of Edward "Flash" Gordon, illustrated with dozens of previously unpublished photographs that capture this beautiful and elusive young artist. Full of discovery and wonderment, Segue To Infinity is a miraculous chronicle of new age's most fabled artist.

LTD. GALAXY VINYL

The definitive collection of Laraaji's earliest works, Segue To Infinity compiles his 1978 debut Celestial Vibration and six additional side-long studio sessions from previously unknown acetates from the same period. A lengthy essay by Living Colour's Vernon Reid chronicles the origins of Edward "Flash" Gordon, illustrated with dozens of previously unpublished photographs that capture this beautiful and elusive young artist. Full of discovery and wonderment, Segue To Infinity is a miraculous chronicle of new age's most fabled artist.

The summer of 1982 saw the release of some of the most culture-defining films of our lifetime (STAR TREK II: THE WRATH OF KHAN, POLTERGEIST, TRON, CONAN THE BARBARIAN, THE THING, THE ROAD WARRIOR ... just to name a few!)

But few have had nearly the same impact on film music as the legendary sixth collaboration between Steven Spielberg and John Williams: E.T. THE EXTRA-TERRESTRIAL.

Mondo, along with Geffen Records and Universal Pictures, are proud to celebrate forty years of E.T., with an all new re-issue of John Williams' timeless, essential and period-defining score.

Reissue Produced by Bruce Botnick & Mike Matessino

Composed and Conducted by John Williams
Artwork by Dan McCarthy
Liner Notes by Mike Duquette
Manufactured in Czech Republic

American dancehall vocalist Sluggy Ranks was part of a growing dancehall movement in the '90s which emphasized cultural roots and positive messages instead of "slack" artists' obsessions with sex and violence. Ranks was born in Kingston and grew up in its Ray Town section, attending the same primary school as Wayne Wonder. Ranks began his singing career in the mid- to late '80s, coming to the U.S. to record the beginning of a series of Jamaican hit singles that included "95% Black 5% White" and his signature song, "Ghetto Youth Bust." Ranks later re-recorded both songs for his full-length 1994 album, Ghetto Youth Bust, which was produced by King Jammy and issued in the U.S. on Profile Records. While the majority of Ranks' most significant output through the '90s was largely issued on singles (and thus not very accessible to most American listeners), he also cut albums like Just Call Sluggy and 1999's My Time.

The British shoegaze band Chapterhouse released two albums during their existence, Whirlpool (1991) and Blood Music (1993). Blood Music spawned the single “We Are The Beautiful”, which was released during that same year and also appeared as a 12”.

The 1993 EP We Are The Beautiful features the title track, a mix of the title track, and two additional tracks: “Frost” and “Age”. Except for “We Are The Beautiful”, none of the tracks have been released on Chapterhouse’s studio albums.

We Are The Beautiful is available as a limited edition of 750 individually numbered copies on gold & black marbled vinyl.

As 2022 concludes, Marcel Fengler opens a new career chapter with the announcement of '10 Years IMF', an inspiring compilation that marks a decade of his influential label Index Marcel Fengler. A "heart project" two years in the making, the work showcases 12 cuts from artists across the generations exclusive to the compilation, and in-line with the imprint's ethos, unites established and emerging artists.

At the same time, true to Fengler's own vision, it presents productions that span the full breadth of the techno genre - whether it be funky, elegant, industrial, atmospheric or broken beat, right through to the harder techno variety, '10 Years IMF' stands as Fengler's personal manifesto of techno and the artistic possibilities of the genre.

Each record includes a 10 Years special collectors item.

Tape

Originally born in days of a global lockdown, Johannes Albert gets ready for a second round of Ambient music. "Spessart II" follows the footprints of its predecessor and keeps things mostly quiet yet very thrilling at the same time. Starting off with "Frischling" the beat maker takes us on a calm synth trip through his home forest Spessart, using wild boar - Wildschwein - vocabulary all the way. Sparks of early Downbeat ("Gewaff"), even Trip Hop ("Überläufer") and instrumental Sade ("Leitbache") occur in the well balanced 8 track album. Johannes' dad Rudi adds to the vibe playing the Jagdhorn on "Keiler". If you like the band "The Art Of Noise" you will most likely love this too.

Paris, 1965. Pianist François Tusques laid the foundation stone of French-style free jazz with his first, soberly titled, album “Free Jazz”. Also in the team were several future key names of the French scene, (Michel Portal, Bernard Vitet, Beb Guérin, Charles Saudrais and François Jeanneau) all of whom honed their skills at the beginning of the decade in Jef Gilson’s groups, although he was none too fond of the turbulent new face of jazz at the time.

Ten years later, Jef Gilson had obviously changed his tune, as the label Palm that he had created in 1973 was now the launch pad for what would become the cream of French and international avant-garde jazz. This would notably be the case for François Jeanneau and “Une Bien Curieuse Planète”. His first album as leader (after briefly erring into pop with Triangle) was recorded in 1975, a few months after “Watch Devil Go” by his old friend Jacques Thollot, and with more or less the same casting: Jeanneau on sax of course, Jenny-Clark on bass and percussions, Lubat replacing Thollot on drums and Michel Grailler (plucked out of Magma) was called in as a reinforcement for his completely ‘out of space*’ synthetiser sounds. Thus began a strange trip to a very strange planet, at the border of experimental jazz and swinging avant-garde.

From 1960 to nowadays, from Georges Arvanitas to Laetitia Shériff, from Manu Dibango to “Mama” Béa Tékielski, everyone has wanted to play with François Jeanneau at some point. There is a good reason for this. The saxophonist is a formidable improviser, but also a solid composer, as he demonstrates on this record with, for example, the monumental “Droit d’Asile”, the spooky “Theme For An Unknown Island” or the Coltranesque “Mr J.C. For Ever”. Over half a century later, the planet seems far more familiar to us. And François Jeanneau is always on the front line for a guided tour.

Jérôme « Kalcha » Simonneau

Released in the summer of 1969, Syl Johnson's first full length outing compiles the fruits of his late '60s Twinight sides. Included are the seminal, and often sampled, hits "Come On Sock It To Me" and "Different Strokes." Issued on 150-gram vinyl and housed in a tip-on jacket, Dresses Too Short is the perfect entry point for any exploration of this soul titan's most fruitful years.

Svart Records, by kind permission from Nuclear Blast, present a 10th anniversary repress of the band's fourth album Legend, pressed on 180 gram vinyl and with the original gatefold artwork. 2012's Legend was a departure for Witchcraft in many ways. Not only did they change half of their lineup and leave the previous label, also gone was the fuzzy warm analog sound of their previous three albums. Witchcraft have never made the same album twice, and Legend is certainly no exception. The album boasts a muscular modern production by Jens Bogren that really make the band's trademark doom riffs shine, and the songwriting is confident over the album's ten tracks of perfect retromodern revivalist doom.

Svart Records, by kind permission from Nuclear Blast, present a 10th anniversary repress of the band's fourth album Legend, pressed on 180 gram vinyl and with the original gatefold artwork. 2012's Legend was a departure for Witchcraft in many ways. Not only did they change half of their lineup and leave the previous label, also gone was the fuzzy warm analog sound of their previous three albums. Witchcraft have never made the same album twice, and Legend is certainly no exception. The album boasts a muscular modern production by Jens Bogren that really make the band's trademark doom riffs shine, and the songwriting is confident over the album's ten tracks of perfect retromodern revivalist doom.

Just over a decade on from the launch of Leng Records, the Simon Purnell/Paul ‘Mudd’ Murphy-helmed label is set to release its’ 50th 12” single. Fittingly, it’s the first of a series of sampler EPs that form part of the imprint’s belated 10th anniversary celebrations.

Later in 2020, label fans will be treated to a celebratory compilation featuring a mixture of Leng classics, overlooked favourites and previously unheard material. Some of this music will also be released on a series of vinyl EPs, with this first volume focusing on unreleased material from long-time friends of the family Q&A and Lex.

Q&A is a collaboration between Phenomenal Handclap Band founding member,
Quinn Luke, and long-time friend and musical associate Alexis Georgopoulos, formerly of San Francisco dub disco/punk funk heroes Tussle. The pair worked together extensively at the tail end of the 2000s, but only ever released one single: 2009’s “Tumbling Cubes/Trap Door” on celebrated NYC label DFA.

The two tracks showcased on this Leng Records sampler were recorded during the same period as that celebrated single but are only now seeing the light of day. “Revolving Mirrors” is a typically low-slung and percussive affair that sees Luke and Georgopoulos wrap bubbly electronic melodies and glassy-eyed aural textures around a suitably weighty dub disco groove. In contrast, “Pulse” is a deliciously hypnotic, mind-altering affair: a bona-fide late night throb-job in which trippy electronic motifs, chiming melodies and crunchy Clavinet riffs vibrate attractively atop another killer punk-funk bassline and locked-in drums.

Gotts Street Park are a proud bunch of throwbacks. The Leeds-based trio - Josh Crocker (bass, production), Tom Henry (keys) and Joe Harris (guitar) - met through various music studies and friendship networks. Individually their tastes are diverse: from North Indian classical to experimental jazz, soul to alternative hip hop but their vision is united: “The idea of doing things live in one room has always been important,” remarks Josh. “That’s how they used to do it. Our identity evolved from that.”

The inception of the collective goes back to around 2012. There have been minor line up tweaks - they currently record with a rotating list of drummers - but the philosophy has stayed the same: an ongoing pursuit to capture the raw, unparalleled vibe that comes from recording music together, usually as one take, sometimes to analogue tape.

That approach is a deliberate call back to the methods made famous by legendary studios like Sun and Stax in Memphis, or FAME and Muscle Shoals in Alabama and their in-house bands. That’s why for years, GSP set up their own studio in a shared house in a tough (but, crucially, affordable) corner of west Leeds, Armley. Gotts Park (historically the home of industrialist Benjamin Gott) was close by - the group’s name was a nod to their local geography but also the fact it sounded like an area plucked straight out of some of their favourite East Coast hip hop releases.

Their work was quickly noticed, and it was from that base where they began working with an eye catching list of collaborators: Rejjie Snow, Kali Uchis, Cosima, Yellow Days, Chester Watson, Greentea Peng and Benny Mails. Tom also played keys in Mabel’s band. Early on, while performing as a band for hire for those artists, they were simultaneously honing their own sound; a deliberately retro “heavy, saturated” atmosphere that married the languid vibe of traditional soul with the pin sharp clarity of contemporary hip hop. Old leanings, sure, but upcycled with their own modern twist. “We’re constantly trying to build a catalogue,” says Tom. “Writing new stuff and sending it out to people.” That’s why after the release of their debut EP, ‘Volume One’, in 2017 the invitations kept coming; most notably from Brits Rising Star award winner Celeste, with whom they recorded two tracks on her debut EP ‘Lately’.

‘Volume Two’ once again features an impressive raft of vocalists - all female - from established names to fresh talent. This time, musically, the overall tone is lighter; less gritty, more optimistic. “It’s definitely not as gloomy,” says Josh. “Still though, there is this kind of dark, mysterious thing that we do a lot that works,” he continues. “Like the song we’ve done with Grand Pax, for example - it’s got that kind of witchy darkness to it. I think if you do a really straight male soul voice, it can be a bit cheesy and sound like you’ve heard it a million times before.”

Their collaborations might be some of the freshest of 2020 but make no mistake: Gotts Street Park are out there looking to create something timeless.

Those lockdown silver linings continue to reveal themselves when we least expect it... As proved, once again, by the inimitable Amsterdam techno HQ Deeptrax as they present this stunning analog exploration from scene stalwart Mark Peeters AKA Caim.? Inspired, created and sculpted during those strange times when none of us could rave, Caim simply describes the moment by saying the 'clubs were closed, but creativity kept on floating'... Now that floatation is bequeathed to us through these warm, rolling and wide-armed frequencies. Tapping into a spirit that goes right back to Detroit and Chicago, there's an understated groovemanship at play as Calm jams out on the same instruments house and techno forefathers used to sculpt this culture.? Music to get lost inside of, music to take away the stresses of the day, music that's a joy to mix, weave and tell stories with... Caim has created another timeless collection of grooves that could resonate with or relate to any period in the last 35 years of dance music culture.? From the warm, opening rumbles of 'Nepi' to closing rippling dubwise echoes of 'Kapura', very few stones are left unturned as Caim tells a tale of the ages that we can all float to. Here's to silver linings. ?

Mum No Hands’ - an assured four tracker that draws on Bristol bass, footwork, jungle and broken techno to create something fresh and upfront. A certified stalwart of the Bristol scene, Yushh (aka Jen Hartley) is already well on her way to becoming a household name. Over the last few years she has toured extensively across Europe’s festival and club circuits, landing sets at Freerotation Festival and HÖR along the way. Her label, Pressure Dome, is known internationally as a go-to outlet for various offshoots of forward-thinking, soundsystem-ready UK techno, with a roster that includes Sputnik One, Caldera, Ido Plumes and Cando. So far, she has only teased her production skills with a string of one-off drops and remixes, including features on Rhythm Section, Banoffee Pies and All Centre. On ‘Look Mum No Hands’ she finally lays out the blueprints for her unique, club-honed sound. The title track skips along at a nippy 160 bpm, driven by a slow/fast halfstepping beat and monster bassline that places it somewhere between DMZ and Teklife. ‘Same Same’ drops the tempo down to 130 bpm, with loungey keys and a skippy vocal chop offsetting a cavernous low-end. On the flip, ‘Close Fall’ squeezes darkside d’n’b sonics into a chugging 95 bpm beat template, while ‘Self Couscous’ takes an intricate, glitched approach to jungle/broken beat reminiscent of mid 00’s Planet Mu. Genre: Dance / Bass

Sampler for RED D's forthcoming LP project " How does one select a single from an upcoming full album? When you have someone like Lady Linn on vocals that is actually quite easy. Lady Linn has been the go to singer for Red D and San Soda’s infamous FCL project since day one. Tracks like ‘It’s You’, ‘More Than Seven’, ‘Can We Try’, etc would not have been the same without her sultry voice.

When making his debut album Red D called upon his musical peers to join in for some collabs and when Linn heard the basis of the track and the Red D-penned lyrics for ’22 Shoulders’ she was all up for it. Melancholy is the order of the day, but not without losing the power of the dance floor. It was after all the missing of that very same dance floor that inspired Red D to write this one.

Add the depth of the Larry Heard-inspired ‘Compelled’ on the B-side and you will know what to expect from Red D’s upcoming full album. Promotional copies of the album are already being rinsed by the likes of Prosumer, Laurent Garnier, Oliver Dollar and many more of Red D’s peers. So get on it matey!"

REPRESSED

Defending the 2014 titles for both DMC World DJ Championship and the Battle for World Supremacy. The only DJ in history to win the UK DJ Championsh and Battle for UK Supremacy 2 years running. Ritchie Ruftone brings a skip proof DJ battle tool.

Both sides of the vinyl contain the same scratch samples, one side is 4/4 at 100 bpm and the other utilizing 3/4 ultra-pitch. The 'go to tool' tool for all your scratching needs, regardless of bmp tempos. All samples land on 6 and 12 o'clock. Drop the needle anywhere and practice yo cuts!

WOLF PACK” is Livigesh's fifth album and his first album to be pressed onto vinyl. From the 2 years of making “WOLF PACK” Livigesh feels he grew as an electronic music producer and performer. To Livigesh, “WOLF PACK” seems like his first album. His drum programming has evolved into something more complex, and his use of musical elements have started to become more diverse and creative. These developments made “WOLF PACK” something that sounds familiar and alien at the same time.

Killer shit from Flore - Tip for fans of Simo Cell, Ploy, Metrist and Batu

After the widely acclaimed "Rituals" album released in April 2020, Flore is now back to the cherished area of banger engineering with a four packer of original compositions to be unleashed this spring 2022 on her own POLAAR imprint.

The project’s title itself shows clearly what her program is all about : "Legacy & Broken Pieces" has to be seen as a cruise into the anterior future rather than a trip down memory lane. Following this mantra, it’s more than clear that her music does not constitute a tribute to any previous club music history, but has to be seen as a true proposition of sonic innovation and moving paradigms.

"I'm tired of the nostalgia that can be found in electronic music nowadays. With everything that is going on right now, the world will never be the same. Then why should music has to be so ?" says Flore.

Thus, she offers to rework this legacy with her very own vision of sound wizardry, providing a wide range of sonic textures to fulfill this forward goal of breaking patterns within the electronic continuum. Yet another proof of Flore’s skills for always trying to innovate and never repeat herself.

“Disruption” echoes an aerial jungle of the former century while “Fiery Principle” rides Jamaican waves of bass soon dynamited by minced voice samples evoking a soul goddess from the 90’s. The upbeat intro of “The Switcher” leads us towards a choir of drums navigating various black rooted rhythm traditions, but tripping into a very refined and spatial production effort. The records ends with “Primary Mineral”. Its rough and matte sound seems to drill into a wall of fragmented beats racing towards an elusive end, suggesting another musical adventures to be revisited soon…

Captain Planet has teamed up with 2 long-time collaborators (Zuzuka Poderosa & Raphael Futura) for a new Brazilian disco funk song, "Moqueca." The song harkens back to Brazil's legendary funk parties in the 70's and early 80's - where soundsystems bumped legends like Tim Maia, Sandra Da Sa & Gilberto Gil - while infusing some fresh contemporary energy and extra thump for today's dancefloors. Zuzuka's bright vocals bounce over a bubbly bassline, syncopated percussion and wormy vintage synthesizers, while an additional punch is brought in the form of horn arrangements by the prolific maestro Todd Simon, another frequent Captain Planet collaborator.

"Moqueca" takes inspiration from the Brazilian dish of the same name, a nationally famous fish stew that varies across the regions of Brazil. In her lyrics, Zuzuka talks about the origins and variations of Moqueca, starting with the style from Espirito Santo, her home state, and continuing to Moqueca Baiana, from Bahia, which incorporates African influences and ingredients. The result is a song that is as much an homage to Brazilian music as it is its food, culture and people.

Breakbeat Paradise Recording kicks off the new year with another big 7 inch drop in the epic Toxic Funk series. This time featuring to of the abololute heavyhitters in the funky breaks scene Paul Sitter & Crash Party.

The duo has put together 2 extreamly toxic party bangers that are sure to put any funky dancefloor on fire. Paul Sitter is a favorite in the funky 45 community with lot of 7 inch releases under his belt so we are pleased to finally get him on a BBP release. Who better to team up with than our very own Crash Party who did the Toxic Funk Vol. 5 and obvious wasn't done shaking off the funky tunes.

Look out for more epic drops from Paul Sitter later in the year, when he is dropping is Hip Hop Delilvery LP - right here on BBP.

Each volume in this series has sold out so you better be quick before Toxic Funk Vol. 9 will do the same thing...

Once again Breakbeat Paradise Recordings is on point to deliver you the funkiest soul and breaks available anywhere out there…

Das Sony Classical-Debütalbum "Arctic" der international hochgelobten norwegischen Geigerin Eldbjørg Hemsing ist eine musikalische Reise durch die Arktis mit neuer Musik u.a. von den Star-Komponisten Jacob Shea ("The Blue Planet") von Bleeding Fingers Music und Frode Fjellheim ("Frozen"). Zusammen mit dem Arctic Philharmonic Orchestra zelebriert Eldbjørg Hemsing darauf die zerbrechliche und weithin unentdeckte Schönheit eines Ökosystems, das in einem beispiellosen Ausmaß vom Klimawandel bedroht ist. "Die Arktis wird oft als ein schroffer, unbewohnbarer Ort verkannt, dabei handelt es sich um eine Region von einmaliger Schönheit und voller Leben, die auf faszinierende Weise illustriert, wie alles in fragilen Kreisläufen zusammenhängt. 'Arctic' ist eine musikalische Reise durch diesen einmaligen, gefährdeten Naturraum", erklärt Eldbjørg Hemsing. "Ich möchte mit diesem Projekt den Menschen zeigen, wie großartig und schützenswert diese Landschaft ist und auf die Bedrohung durch den Klimawandel hinweisen, die Auswirkung auf uns alle hat." "Arctic" ist voller mitreißender Melodien und beeindruckenden orchestralen Klanglandschaften, die sich beim Anhören des Albums aufbauen, wie die atemberaubenden Lebensräume der Arktis im Lauf der Jahreszeiten. Für die musikalische Gestaltung ihres Albums hat die im norwegischen Valdres geborene Musikerin mit einer Vielzahl an Komponisten zusammengearbeitet und ein einmaliges Album kreiert, das amerikanische Filmmusik mit europäischer Klassik verbindet. So enthält "Arctic" neue Musik von den Filmkomponisten Jacob Shea von Bleeding fingers Music und Frode Fjellheim wie auch neue Arrangements von Melodien der Komponisten Selim Palmgren, Einojuhani Rautavaara, Henning Sommerro, Ola Gjeilo, Ole Bull, Edvard Grieg und James Newton Howard. Aufgenommen wurde das Album in Bodø innerhalb des norwegischen Polarkreises mit dem Arctic Philharmonic Orchestra. "Ich wollte einmalige, einprägsame Melodien mit einem malerischen orchestralen Klang verbinden, der dem großen Panorama der Arktis entspricht, um diese emotionale Geschichte zu erzählen. Entstanden ist eine sehr abwechslungsreiche Art Filmmusik für den Konzertsaal oder ein Soundtrack für eine innere Reise", sagt Eldbjørg Hemsing über die Musik von "Arctic". Das zentrale Werk des Albums ist die 20 Minuten lange "Arctic Suite" des amerikanischen Filmkomponisten Jacob Shea von Bleeding Fingers Music, der zusammen mit Hans Zimmer die millionenfach gespielte, ikonische Musik zu "The Blue Planet" geschrieben hat. In den sechs Teilen der "Arctic Suite" vertont Jacob Shea die einmaligen arktischen Naturphänomene und findet Melodien für "Frozen Worlds" im Winter, die "Aurora" in der Polarnacht oder den "Sunrise" in der Morgendämmerung des Polartages. Er gibt den Fischschwärmen im Malmström einen Klang in "Rush of Life" oder dem poetischen Pfeifen der "Polar Winds" und endet mit einem melancholischen Blick auf aktuelle Veränderungen in "Sea Ice Melting". Komponist Frode Fjellheim ist bekannt von seiner Arbeit zu "Frozen". Er entstammt den Samen, einem Volk, das bereits seit Jahrhunderten den europäischen Polarkreis bewohnt. Für seine Kompositionen "Under the Arctic Moon" und "The Return of the Sun" lässt er sich von den traditionellen Liedern der Samen, den "Joik", inspirieren. In "The Return of the Sun" singt er sogar eine dieser traditionellen Melodien. Die musikalische Reise durch die "Arctic" umfasst weitere neue und farbenfrohe Orchesterarrangements von Werken nordischer Komponisten wie das klangmalerische "Snowflakes" von Selim Palmgren, "Whispering" von Einojuhani Rautavaara, "Dawn" von Ola Gjeilo und "Vårsøg" von Henning Sommerro. "Vårsøg" ist eine bekannte Melodie in Norwegen und steht sinngemäß für die "Suche nach einem neuen Frühling". Das ursprünglich als Folk-Pop Song geschriebene Lied verkörpert damit die Hoffnung auf einen Neuanfang im Leben. Arrangeur Ben Palmer hat die Melodie in eine emotionale Hymne für Violine und Orchester gebettet.

Déjà vu is translated as “already seen” but for South California native Ben Schwab, his discovery in a small Ohio town 2000 miles from home led to an epiphany of creating the “already heard.” Unearthing a box of 1975 cassette tapes of his father’s old band, the recordings or “Sylvies” as Ben would affectionately call them later became the imprint for a familiar feeling he would end up chasing. The songs were timeless, effortless, and soulful.

Awakening senses to the eternal quality of hidden or lost music, Sylvie fully encompasses that very same musical lineage and spirit living in those lost yet beloved time capsules. Recorded years before by Ben’s father, John Schwab and his own band Mad Anthony in a Southern California barn, those reels spoke of a common narrative at the time; a band close to a record deal which never came, so the tapes were boxed up and stored in a closet for years to come. “Dad’s songs are straight from the heart and really shaped my taste and imagination for songwriting in a permanent way,” Ben reveals. Taking the name from one of those early recordings an obscure cover of a 70s track by Ian Matthews ‘Sylvie’ would inspire his project’s namesake and feature as the album’s only cover. “It’s an incredible song from the past but for whatever reason, is basically unknown,” Ben offers by way of an explanation.

For this uniquely personal retrospective spread over twelve vinyl discs, Sven Väth takes us back to the early days of his DJ career. On What I Used To Play we meet great pioneers of electronic music, gifted percussionists, obscure wave bands, and innovative producers of a bygone 'new electronic' era. Rough beats and irresistible grooves from the identification stage of house, techno, and acid remind us not just how far electronic music has evolved over the past four decades, but how great it was to dance to EBM, techno, and house for the very first time.

If there is one protagonist of the electronic music scene who has remained curious, innovative and at the very cutting edge of music for over four decades, it's Sven Väth. His multi-layered artist albums and Sound of the Season mix compilations have been defining the genre for over two decades, and even today, he is constantly on the lookout for the next top tune to add to the highlights of his next set. At least, that's the case when he's not producing them himself as an artist or remixer. "Actually, it's always been part of my DNA to think ahead," and nothing had been further from his mind than looking back at his past, but when in spring of 2020 the international DJ circuit had to be scaled down to virtually zero, the 'restless traveler' suddenly had time. Time to stop and reflect on "how it actually was back then, at the very beginning of my career..."

"It was a great trip and with every track, beautiful memories came flooding back".
In the London apartment, he had just moved into, Sven has set up a "little music room", where he cocooned himself for several days, "to look way back for the first time and review my musical journey through the eighties, so to speak."

The interim result was six thematically oriented playlists with a grand total of 120 tracks from 'early 80s' to 'Balearic late 80s', together with excursions into afrobeat, European new wave, and EBM sounds and a few epochal techno/house tracks from the USA in between. From these 'Best of Sven Väth's favorites', the project What I Used To Play crystallized. Sven remembers how the Cocoon team reacted to his proposal: "They found the idea of making a compilation out of it MEGA from the beginning and everyone said 'Sven, go for it', but then, of course, the work really started, namely, to clear the rights and to get clean sounding masters of the up to 40-year-old tracks. There was also disappointment, of course. We couldn't clear certain titles because the rights holders in the USA had fallen out with each other or simply disappeared from the scene. In short, it wasn't easy, but now I can safely say we got the most important tracks."

Finally, after two years of research, curation, design, and administrative fine-tuning, the "little retrospective" from 1981 to 1990 is available. The exquisitely packaged, and three-kilo heavy box set is not only physically impressive, WIUTP is also the definitive record of Sven Väth's musical development. On each of the twenty-four sides of vinyl, you can trace track by track, what influenced him during which phase, and how he took off as a DJ from his parents' Queen's Pub straight into the spotlight at Dorian Gray. There and at Vogue (later OMEN), Sven became the style-defining player in the DJ booth that he still is today.




1981 - 1990: Future Sounds of Now

In the early eighties, the crowd in clubs like Vogue and Dorian Gray danced to what nowadays we call 'dance classics' - mainly disco, funk, soul, and chart pop. It was up to a new generation of DJs, including Sven Väth, the youngest protagonist in the Rhine-Main area at the time, to create their own club-ready music mix. Good new tracks and potential floor-fillers were rarities that had to be sought out and found, in order to prove oneself worthy.
Without MP3s, internet streaming, or other digital download possibilities, music didn't just gravitate to the DJ, instead, it had to be tracked down. In well-stocked record stores in Frankfurt and Wiesbaden or even in Amsterdam, London, or New York, Sven and friends sourced the material for countless magical nights. On WIUTP we can follow Sven's very personal journey through this wild, innovative era in which synth-pop, funk, hip-hop, and disco were successively replaced as 'club music' by house, techno, acid, and breakbeat. By the end of the decade, it was clear to see that these once exotic 'fringe' phenomena would soon become 'mass' phenomena.



Early 80s

Dirty Talk by the Italian-American duo Klein & M.B.O. represents the most innovative phase of the Italo-disco genre in the early eighties like no other track. Mario Boncaldo (I) and Tony Carrasco relied entirely on the original synthetic drum and percussion sounds of the Roland TR-808, coupled with the raunchy vocals of Rossana Casale and guitar accents of Davide Piatto. Of course, other tracks from this period were also influential in style, most notably Unit by Logic System, which worked as the perfect soundtrack to the laser lighting system at the legendary Dorian Gray club. With stomping beats and robotic rap interludes, Bostich by Yello also belongs on Sven's eternal playlist - after all, it caught the attention of Afrikaa Bambaataa, who invited the Swiss duo to perform at the Roxy in New York in 1983.



EBM Wave - Mid 80s

From today's point of view, the almost ten-minute-long, downtempo track Giant by Matt Johnson's band project The The, would probably not be considered an obvious club classic. However, a closer (re)listen reveals the rhythmic intricacies of the percussion overdubs by JG Thirlwell (aka Foetus) on Johnson's composition, and it becomes clear why this exceptional piece of music is one of Sven's absolute favorites. Other classics from this phase include Kaw-Liga by the mysterious The Residents, the hypnotic-synthetic Our Darkness by Anne Clark (and David Harrow), and last but not least, the somber, monotonous anthem Where Are You? by 16Bit, one of Sven Väth's projects together with Michael Münzing, Luca Anzilotti from 1986.



US House - Late 80s

You certainly can't talk about Chicago house without mentioning Frankie Knuckles. The resident DJ at the Warehouse not only gave the name to an entire genre, but also produced epochal floor fillers on the Trax label like the timeless Your Love, sung (and moaned) by Jamie Principle. Acid house protagonists Phuture also hail from Chicago, and on We Are Phuture (also released on Trax) we hear the chirping acid sounds of the legendary Roland TB-303 in full effect. Another featured classic is No UFO's by Detroit's Model 500 aka Juan Atkins, who is rightly considered the 'Godfather of Techno' even if the genre-defining track from 1985 still breathes with the spirit of hip-hop and electro from the first breakdance era.





Afrobeat

Le Serpent, by Algerian-born Abdelmadjid Guemguem, is a track that sounds completely different from everything else on WIUTP. Made in 1978, it's a monumental, rousing groove created without bass or synths, just with five congas! Even though Guem sadly passed away in 2021, his immortal, acoustic beats are understood all over the world and will continue to enrich many thousands of DJ sets for years to come. Another classic that not only Sven appreciates beyond measure is Hugh Masekela's Don't Go Lose it, Baby. In addition to being one of the most important jazz pioneers, the trumpeter and freedom fighter from Johannesburg was very experimental, integrating electronic sounds into his music in later years, in a similar vein to Miles Davis and Herbie Hancock. Dutch jazz pianist Jasper van't Hof's afrobeat project Pili Pili has also aged well. The trance-like, almost sixteen-minute-long track of the same name, manages to fill a whole side on the seventh of twelve vinyl discs in the WIUTP box.



UK-US-Euro - Late 80s

Time for a change of scene, in the truest sense of the word, and from a musical perspective, this section is like landing on another planet. First up is Andrew Weatherall's classic remix of Primal Scream's Loaded, featuring the iconic Peter Fonda sample (lifted from the 1966 biker film Wild Angels) that came to personify the mood triggered by the British Second Summer of Love in the late eighties: "We wanna be free to do what we wanna do, and we wanna get loaded...". This period also saw the emergence of M/A/R/R/S whose only single, 1987's Pump Up The Volume, became a club classic with support from DJ legend CJ Mackintosh. In this most eclectic of sections, we also encounter New York house and reggae producer Bobby Konders and his seminal Nervous Acid.



Balearic - Late 80s

Those who know him, know that Sven had already lost his heart to the 'magic island' of Ibiza as a teenager, so with that in mind, the WIUTP project couldn't end without a Balearic chapter. Inspired by Manuel Göttsching's E2-E4, the immortal, eponymously titled Sueño Latino belongs in there without question. Equally popular on the island was, and still is Break 4 Love by Raze, which thinking about it, would also fit perfectly into the house chapter. Last, but not least, there's an overdue reunion with Sven Väth himself, in his role as frontman of the successful Frankfurt trio OFF. Together with Michael Münzing and Luca Anzilotti (later of Snap!) this 'Organization For Fun' created the off-the-wall club hit Electric Salsa in 1986 which incidentally turned into an international chart smash, putting Sven in the enviable position of having to decide between pop stardom and a DJ career. Well, we all know how that decision turned out and the rest, as they say, is history. A not insignificant part of his story is What I Used To Play. Enjoy!

Welcome to Smallville, Dana!

With being a DJ and producer, running a label and a record-store, Dana and Smallville have been soulmates for long and following the same paths. We are very happy to present her 12“ with crispy dancefloor-feels, heavy basses and irresistible grooves.

Full cover artwork as always by Stefan Marx.

On June 30, 1986, the same day that Diamanda Galás"s The Divine Punishment was released, the Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of Georgia"s so-called sodomy law in Bowers v. Hardwick, criminalizing consensual sex between men. At the time, about 15,000 people were known to have died of AIDS in the U.S. alone, with little government acknowledgement besides suggestions to quarantine homosexuals on island colonies. By the end of 2021, the number of AIDS deaths globally would exceed 36 million. The first album in her Masque of the Red Death trilogy, The Divine Punishment is one of the most jarring works of art produced in response to the AIDS epidemic, and a milestone in Diamanda Galás"s artistry and activism. Galás uses her famous voice both as an orational instrument and as well as a physical representation of AIDS and those it afflicts.

Hideous Divinity's-Cobra Verde, based around Werner Herzog’s 1987 film of the same name and crowned, “an uber-brutal, churning platter of tech-y death metal” by Decibel Magazine. Cobra Verde was recorded at 16th Cellar Studios (Hour Of Penance, Fleshgod Apocalypse, Vomit The Soul) and flaunts nine tracks of meticulously executed brutality including a searing rendition of Ripping Corpse’s “The Last And Only Son.” Doused in a near-intoxicating air of hate and discontent, Cobra Verde is a true must-have for devout followers of obscure and intense death metal a la Nile and Immolation with the lysergic influences of Ulcerate.

Sharing the spotlight along with the label owner Umwelt on this brand new split EP, Zeta Reticula the Slovenian born artist delivers two tracks of high intensity with distinct energy! Melodic "The Fate Of The Ship Unknown" opens A side with a pure robotic mayhem based upon synthetic strings, rushing leads and frantic arpeggiator flights over seductive vocals. Hostile and heading at the same. Progressive "Documented Contact", coming next, signs an intricate yet groovy electro sci-fi masterpiece made of rolling bassline, moody atmosphere and pounding beats. This is Zeta Reticula at its finest!

The Lord of Darkness treats the flipside with a more aggressive sound. As its title suggests, "Hyperspace" propels the listener at light speed through the depths of the universe thanks to a dystopian machinefunk atmosphere where hammering drums fuse with cold layers in Umwelt's typical trademark. Classical electro shaker "Earth To Unknown" concludes this uncompromising 12" with a luminous structure enhanced with a deeper and soulful approach.

Sharp, underground and always dancefloor oriented, this limited release comes packed in a colorful urban picture disc designed by the great CN6 aka Nexus 6!

The second instalment from London Odense Ensemble digs deeper into the group's vision of what modern psychedelic jazz should sound like. Cut from the same sessions as Jaiyede Sessions vol. 1, released last summer, vol. 2 presents a more nuanced approach to the material. On this set the ensemble focuses on shorter, layered pieces - travelling from deep spiritual jazz grooves to gorgeous free-flowing minimalism to full-on acid jazz. There's echo-drenched flutes being absorbed into layers of analog synth pads and guitars, bossa beats and double bass sequences merging with electronics. It's an intoxicating mélange of sounds and styles, spanning wide temporal and geographical distances. London Odense Ensemble came together when two of the finest exponents of London's flourishing jazz scene, flautist and saxofonist Tamar Osborn and keyboard specialist Al MacSween, came over to Denmark to explore new sounds with Causa Sui's Jakob Skott and Jonas Munk, as well as local bass player Martin Rude. For two days the group laid down grooves and ideas and experimented in the studio, and later the best segments were edited and mixed by Jonas Munk, who took a somewhat liberal approach to the mixing process, often dyeing the material with external effects and synthesizers. Jaiyede Sessions are the kinds of records that defy genre-terms, yet have its own instantly recognizable fingerprint. It carries a unique shared vision between the players of what modern psychedelic jazz sounds like. bios: Tamar Osborn: Saxophonist, composer and multi-wind instrumentalist is the creative force behind modal jazz ensemble Collocutor (On The Corner Records). She is a member of the Dele Sosimi Afrobeat Orchestra, performs and collaborates regularly with Sarathy Korwar, Jessica Lauren, Emanative, Ill Considered and DJ Khalab. Al MacSween: Keyboard player & founding member of Kefaya. Collaborations include American jazz legend Gary Bartz, Syrian qanun master Maya Youseff, London Community Gospel Choir, Palestinian jazz singer Reem Kelani & kora player Kadialy Kouyate. Martin Rude: Multi-string instrumentalist & lead singer in Sun River & Edena Gardens with members of Papir & Causa Sui. Jakob Skott: Drummer in Causa Sui with a slew of side projects on El Paraiso, including Chicago Odense Ensemble, Jonas Munk: Guitarist in Causa Sui & studio wizard on most releases on El Paraiso.

Double Groovy / Trans-Pacific Express by Big Boss Man, one of two limited edition of 500 vinyl 45s to Juju Funk / Return To Baron Samedi by Big Boss Man, one of two limited edition of 500 vinyl 45s to be released simultaneously of essential killer funk. Grab while you can. The tracks have already received very strong radio responses from around the world. Both tracks being supported by Gideon Coe and Cerys Mathews at BBC Radio 6 Music, whilst Nasser Bouzida from the band discussed the rhythm influences of Return Of Baron Samedi on the Cerys Mathews show. Specialist funk shows from Australia, Germany, France, Canada and the US have already been supporting these tracks. The tracks are also set to appeal to fans of one of Big Boss Man’s biggest tracks ‘Sea Groove’, which is currently one of the UK’s biggest home-grown funk recordings on Spotify currently close to 7 million streams. These are the first new releases from Big Boss Man since their fourth album Last Man on Earth on Blow Up Records. A Side – Juju Funk, B-Side – Return Of Baron Samedi

Rubinho E Mauro Assumpção's 'Perfeitamente, Justamente Quando Cheguei' has to be up there as one of the finest Brazilian-psych-folk-MPB records we know. Unfortunately, it's very hard to find in the wild; even on digging trips to Brazil, an original copy rarely shows up, and when it does, it comes with a hefty price tag.

This highly sought-after rarity was released on the Brazilian label Tapecar Records in 1972 and is the one and only album by the sensational pairing of Rubinho and Mauro Assumpção. Effortlessly blending folk, MPB, funky-psych, rock, and relaxed, swaggering samba, this record ought to be heralded as a true Brazilian classic. However, maybe due to its scarcity and the previous reissue predominantly being only available to the Brazilian market, it has not had a chance to fully shine and find the wider audience it deserves. Through our reissue we hope to put things right. Fans of records by Milton Nascimento and Lô Borges are sure to enjoy the same magic and allure in 'Perfeitamente, Justamente Quando Cheguei'.

In addition to being the album’s songwriters, Mauro Assumpção took on the role of producer and Rubinho was co-producer as well as playing piano, organ, acoustic guitar and performing vocals. The record features the drummer Gegê who worked with Milton Nascimento, Edu Lobo, Nana Caymmi, Dom Um Romão and more. It also features guitarist Rick Ferreira, who played with Erasmo Carlos, Gal Costa and other greats. Rounding off the players on the album are Darcy Da Cruz and Formiga who have graced many a fine recording on horns.

'Perfeitamente, Justamente Quando Cheguei' is a truly stunning work that washes over you with beauty. Delve in and savour.

The sum to infinity of a sequence is the sum of an infinite number of terms in the sequence. It is only possible to compute this sum if the terms of a sequence converge to zero. "sum to infinity" is also the second release from gamut inc, the retro-futuristic ensemble around composers and curators Marion Wörle and Maciej Sledziecki.

This second album by gamut inc combines custom-build autonomous music-machines with haunting classical synthesizer sounds to a dense musical kaleidoscope.
The core of the album is formed by Risset rhythms - cyclic accelerations and decelerations, in which rhythmic layers are repeatedly faded in and out, setting in motion a seemingly endless process of rhythmic movement. The motifs are taken from geometric and arithmetic series that create an urgency and restlessness. The rigor of the construction is obscured by an orchestrion whose timbres are reminiscent of a retro-futuristic indigenous ensemble. gamut inc translate strategies of electronic music like pulse-width modulation to music machines such as automated accordion, automated percussion or glockenspiels and create an intense atmosphere that is idiosyncratic, original and modern at the same time.

Gamut inc. build their own music machines, play electronic music festivals internationally, curate the AGGREGATE festival for automated pipe organs, and compose for film, radio drama, and theater. Their first opera, ROSSUMS UNIVERSAL ROBOTS, premiered in 2022. Since 2011, at the intersection of electronic club culture and experimental music, they have been producing live music, music theater, film and theater scores (including for the Junge Staatstheater Berlin) with their specially developed musical robots. They composed for ensembles like the RIAS chamber choir or the robot orchestra Logos Foundation and received invitations and commissions from international festivals and venues such as Sónar, CTM, Berghain, Sonic Acts, Technosphärenklänge or Numusic (NO).
Their first release EX MACHINA was produced exclusively with music robots, and released in 2014 in cooperation with Bôłt Records.
"Percussion tracks bring to mind the music of Einstürzende Neubauten in their industrial mechanics, until finally the music warms to an expression reminiscent of Johnny Cash's late work."
Süddeutsche Zeitung

"Sounds sublime" - Gilles Peterson

"What a delightful, excitingly beautiful album. From "At Once Familiar " all the way through to "Same as Before" everything song feels and sounds sonically glorious. A modern day classic" - Nightmares On Wax

Taking a short sabbatical from their journey into the spiritual stratosphere and beyond, Work Money Death landed on terra firma just long enough to record a follow up to the critically acclaimed "The Space In Which The Uncontrollable Unknown Resides Can Be The Place From Which Creation Arises". The new album "Thought, Action, Reaction, Interaction" explores many of the meditative motifs that mould this unique group in their quest for the perfect sound and space. Those who are familiar with Work Money Death will know their output is as much an adventure for the listener as it was for the musicians.

"Thought, Action, Reaction, Interactions" is a salute to the now sadly deceased master of the spiritual sound Pharoah Sanders, and in particular the spontaneity of his recording process.

Each of the four tracks on "Thought, Action, Reaction, Interaction" were recorded in one take with no rehearsal and while the players may have known where they were starting off none of them were sure where they would end. As much as it is entertainment, and have no doubt this LP is an unctuous, spirit-smoothing joy from beginning to end, this is an experiment of making music in the moment. Spontaneous and spiritual in its truest sense, "Thought, Action, Reaction, Interaction" is a work of innovation and unsurpassed beauty.

"At Once Familiar" is a rising salute to the day, meditative, moving and fierce. An introduction to Burkill's emotive style, at once sweeping and succinct. It fills a room, and your head, with a very real sound, rich in texture and spirit.

"Freedom As A Heartfelt Song" is buoyant with harp, the spirit of the Yorkshire Pharoah is never more to the fore. Visceral sax rides over and uplifting backing, symbiotic and pinioned with power and beauty. Think Sun Ra horns meets Don Ellis brass.

"Song Of Healing" drifts on a river of music, guided through the rapids with a heartbeat bass line. This is temple sombre, with Eastern flavours and an overarching calm. A communion of sound, a master class in the understatement and power of the slow note, deceptively light.

"Same As Before" is spoken word playing foil to the call and response of the brass, dancing alongside and against each other. Spiritual vibrations cement ethereal forms to substantive sounds. A prayer to change."

As with the previous Work, Money, Death release (which was recorded in difficult conditions due to the Covid pandemic) the aim was to recreate a situation, in this case the impromptu and unrehearsed recording sessions of Sanders in the late 60's and early 70's, everything recorded in one take, creating a body of work that is a strong nod to a certain time and ethos but not a pastiche of it.


““Sounds sublime””
Gilles Peterson — BBC6, WorldWideFM

““What a delightful, excitingly beautiful album. From “At Once Familiar “ all the way through to “Same as Before” everything song feels and sounds sonically glorious. A modern day classic””
Nightmares On Wax —

'Atlantis' is a smouldering jazz-funk, cinematic excursion courtesy of the Brazilian maestro, Daniel Salinas. A conductor, pianist, arranger, and producer, he has worked across several genres within Brazil’s rich musical tapestry, including the Beatles-inspired Jovem Guarda movement, jazz-funk, and MPB to name just a few. He featured on records by Franco, Célia, Perfume Azul Do Sol, Wilson Simonal, Juca Chaves and a whole host of Brazilian greats.

Released in 1973 on Top Tape Records, 'Atlantis’, features one of Salinas’ best-known recordings (at least in Europe), his much-loved interpretation of 'Also Sprach Zarathustra’ entitled 'Straussmania’. It was inspired by Eumir Deodato's global hit of the same year and went on to be adopted by various scenes becoming a classic within rare groove circles as well as amongst breaks and beats diggers.

Other highlights include the only original Salinas composed track on the album; the driving, orchestrated Brazilian groover, 'Baião', and an epic, head nod breakbeat interpretation of Donovan's folky 'Atlantis'.

'Atlantis' was also issued by the American record label Cadet in 1974 with alternative yellow sleeve artwork; this re-issue is a replica of the original Brazilian Top Tape version from 1973.


• Smouldering jazz-funk & cinematic excursions from the Brazilian maestro Daniel Salinas.

• Featuring his much-loved interpretation of 'Also Sprach Zarathustra' entitled 'Straussmania'.

• Replica of the original Brazilian Top Tape version from 1973.

Scottish jazz trumpeter Malcolm Strachan releases his second solo album "Point Of No Return" on Haggis Records on 27th January 2023. A follow-up to his debut album "About Time" from March 2020 (also on Haggis Records), which received great critical acclaim and strong radio support across the globe. Once again, Malcolm delivers an album of original music written by himself and featuring material covering a broad spectrum of jazz styles. From modal jazz grooves to Brazilian samba beats, Latin rhythms to cinematic soundtrack vibes, and along the way, some beautiful ballads.

If the first album nodded slightly to mid-late 1960s classic Blue Note Records type jazz, this one is more reminiscent of the jazz fusion albums that Malcolms's jazz trumpet hero Freddie Hubbard recorded for the legendary CTI Records label in the early-mid 1970s. The same groove-based jazz where soul and funk beats are at the heart of the arrangement. Rock solid rhythms that allow complex horn parts and improvisation to float over the top with ease. The ensemble playing is strong and the leader's trumpet solos show why he's been one of the most in-demand session musicians in the UK for the last 20 years.

He's recorded and toured with the likes of Mark Ronson, Amy Winehouse, Corinne Bailey Rae, Jamiroquai, Martha Reeves and The Vandellas, Jess Glynne, The Craig Charles Fantasy Funk Band, Black Honey, The New Mastersounds, Abstract Orchestra and Blue Note Records jazz saxophone legend Lou Donaldson. Of course, he's also a founder and existing band member of the UK funk kings The Haggis Horns.

The core band on "Point Of No Return" are musicians that Malcolm has known and worked with for over two decades, often in The Haggis Horns, and most appeared on the debut album. Those musicians making a welcome return are Atholl Ransome (tenor sax/flute), George Cooper (piano), Danny Barley (trombone), Courtny Tomas, (double bass), and Erroll Rollins (drums). Newcomers this time are longtime Haggis Horns guest percussionist Sam Bell plus special guest vocalist UK jazz singer Jo Harrop, who adds non-verbal Flora Purim style vocals on tracks one and three. Three tracks feature strings, arranged by Phil Steel, with all the strings played by Richard Curran. One of the tracks is the beautifully poignant ballad for strings and trumpet "The Last Goodbye" which could easily have come from a film soundtrack and where Malcolm digs deep into his love for jazz ballads in his solo.

"Point Of No Return" by Malcolm Strachan will definitely appeal to lovers of contemporary acoustic jazz with a classic jazz feel. For those who love the music of Blue Note Records and CTI Records and trumpeters Freddie Hubbard, Donald Byrd, Lee Morgan, Art Farmer, and Miles Davis. Without a doubt, it will be one of the standout UK jazz releases of 2023.

"We Belong Together" is one of the most iconic soul albums of all time, primarily thanks to the endurance of the timeless rare groove classic "Give Me The Sunshine". That song was composed by Johnny Simone at the time he was working with Stevie Wonder at Motown. Others in the group were Johnny Simone and Alvin Few, this trio all born under the Leo star sign. Kenny worked as a songwriter at Motown and lived in the same house as Marvin Gaye at the same time as "What's Going On". He co-wrote "Inner City Blues" but was only given a credit by Marvin some years later. Johnny Simone passed away before the album was fully complete which is why it's a mixture of fewer tracks but with additional versions. Alvin Few instigated the original released on Lyon's Records in 1978, the album later acquired by Expansion but not repressed for over a decade. This release restores the original label and is repressed on limited edition,

Eva Louise Goodman’s Nighttime project locates itself on a musical tree planted on the British Isles, perched atop the branch of folk leaning into sixties rock. Her upstate New York environs don’t stray far from that image. With tempered percussion, floating mellotron, and singing that evokes Bleecker & MacDougal on a fervent Saturday afternoon, her new album Keeper Is The Heart reaches deep into the essence of musicians such as Vashti Bunyan, Sibylle Baier and Pentangle, breaking down the decades into a sound thoroughly and bizarrely modern.

Through her years performing with Mutual Benefit, Goodman fell in love with life on the road and the collaborative energy of a band. In this third Nighttime album, she channels these experiences into her own music. The creative journey from writing to recording to mixing drove her deeper into a sense of self while expanding her sound. In the process, she put aside lo-fi origins and challenged herself to achieve the same intimacy with a bigger production.

Like most paths of self-discovery, the journey started with displacement. In October 2019, Goodman set out to record the album on her own, while cat-sitting at a friend’s empty Brooklyn apartment. Rather than recording, she was drawn to the overgrown garden, where she spent her days listening to music and reading old journals. Charlie Megira, The Incredible String Band and Roy Montgomery invoked the spirit of the album, as she realized that a new, more collaborative approach would be necessary to bring the songs to life.

In March 2021, after a pandemic year immersed in sound experimentation and writing, she entered the upstate New York studio of recording engineer Rick Spataro (Florist). Together, Spataro and Goodman dove into creating the album, recording one song a day, letting the spark and excitement of spontaneity be their guide. “I've always been fascinated with ‘automatic’ arts,” Goodman says, “where things are created intuitively and without premeditation, from the subconscious.” In this light, they worked with abandon–pushing through the heaviness of songs written years earlier with the same energy as songs which were not yet fully developed. Taking chances, improvising, they sought to strip away pretense, and elude perfectionism at all cost.

Among their experiments, the duo manipulated tape speeds–slowing or speeding up different instrument tracks, imbuing passages with altered perspectives. Improvisation was the key in track five, ‘The Way,’ a song about “the magical act of carving out a path through life, amidst all possibility.” After a long day of recording, the song was feeling heavy and uninspired. As night fell, Spataro picked up the Stratocaster and, in one take, laid down a rolling, roiling guitar line that defined the track.

This spirit of surrender weaves through the album. “Break free from time, and sink in the pool of the mind,” begins ‘Garden of Delight’, an energetic highlight, propelled by 60’s-era organ and Jefferson Airplane-esque vocals. The song was accidentally deleted after the first day of recording. By luck or fate, the one surviving file captured the song’s loose and free-wheeling essence. Inspired, Goodman encouraged her circle of collaborators to work similarly: “I gave everyone trust and total freedom to contribute as they felt called to, encouraging an intuitive approach of simply improvising, playing through the song a few times and then sending over the results.” Synth, cello, violin, saxophone and flute all appear, but often in unconventional ways.

Keeper Is the Heart reflects Goodman’s process towards greater creative freedom. The first words she sings: “Lift the veil of all of this hate/To see the fear at its base.” Her last lines: “We’ll follow the fates across the great expanse of time/To the source of the light within our mind.” In between is a work of art awash in personal awakenings that revel in the freedom of intuition, the lifting of veils, and the beauty of transformation. As Goodman states, “What is it you find when you look inward to see beyond, past your fears, to your heart's true desires?”

Thee Headcoats and CTMF go head-to-head! Two Billy Childish bands battle it out with versions of the same song! Thee Headcoats version is taken from their forthcoming new studio album "Irregularis: The Great Hiatus". The CTMF version is exclusive to this release. Q: Two versions of the same song by different bands. Has each band heard the other version? If so, did they pass judgement? A: No, neither group heard the other version. I had forgotten how the CTMF version went - even though it was only a few weeks past. As with all the LPs there's no rehearsal. I play the track - we do a run through and then press record. I don't remember how either version goes now. Q: There's a famous saying - "Talent borrows; genius steals". Are you a borrower? A stealer? Or something else entirely? A: As I've said before, I follow strict music industry guidelines and only plagiarise 50 percent of my material. Kurt Cobain put it better - he said people thought he was original because he didn't let on what he was ripping off. Though we know he got the riff to his most famous song from The Daggermen, a local group Wolf (our drummer) played in. Q: What was it like recording with Bruce and Johnny after such a long time? A: We met up in the studio in the morning, had a cuppa, a chat, plugged in and recorded the LP (in two days.) It was the first time we'd all been together in about 30 years, and it felt like yesterday - just laughing and joking about how rubbish we were and generally having fun. It was like no time had passed at all. Q: Love the sleeve picture for this 7"! A lot of people miss the humour in your work, does that frustrate you? A: I'm not frustrated but surprised that the British seem to have lost their sense of humour somewhat - they've been pretty po-faced since 1978, I think. I was brought up on Pete and Dud when I was a kid. Interestingly a lot of comedians seem to like what we do. Stewart Lee has always been a fan and he said there are others of his ilk. If something can't be mocked or laughed at, I'm not that interested in it.