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Ltd. Gtf. Silver & Black 3 LP, one side edged.. Leadfinger aus Australien sind eine 2-Gitarren-Rock'n'Roll-Band. Ihre Einflüsse reichen in die Rock- und Punk-Ära der 70er & 80er Jahre, durch die klassischen Stones- und Dylan-Platten der 60er Jahre, den Blues und darüber hinaus. Songwriter /Gitarrist Stewart Cunningham spielte seine Gitarre im Sydney Underground der 1990er Jahre in Rockbands wie Brother Brick, The Yes Men & Asteroid B-612. Cunningham gründete Leadfinger im Jahr 2006 , seit 2008 eine Twin-Gitarren-Rock-n'Roll-Band mit einem 4-köpfigen Line-Up. Nach 5 Alben gingen sie im Oktober 2017 auf ihre erste Europatournee. Die Geschichte von Silver & Black begann nicht lange danach, als der Sänger und Songwriter der Band, Stewart Cunningham, krank wurde und Lungenkrebs diagnostiziert wurde. Nach fast 2 Jahren Behandlung und während der Covid-Lockdowns gelang es der Band, das neue Album aufzunehmen. Silver & Black markiert den letzten Schritt im Triumph über ernsthafte Widrigkeiten. Die Killer-Riffs und Songs des Albums sind über Cunninghams oft reflektierende Textthemen miteinander verbunden und erforschen die Herausforderungen und Erfahrungen des wirklichen Lebens, mit denen sich viele identifizieren werden. Die melodischen Gitarrenlinien von Cunningham und Michael Boyle werden durch Harmoniegesang ergänzt, der das Album weit über die Standard-Rockkost hinausführt. Silver & Black ist ein musikalischer Beweis für die Entschlossenheit und die Widerstandsfähigkeit von Leadfinger und dem Anführer der Band, Stewart Cunningham. Es ist passend, dass es das bisher stärkste und erfolgreichste Album der Band ist.

Almost exactly a year after Tower Block Dreams' Time Is Now debut and the launch of our white label series, the UK-born, Madrid-based producer returns with a club-ready 5 tracker which fuses together the most danceable facets of UKG, grime and breaks.

The opening track "Bare Dubs" pays tribute to UKG's antecedents in pirate radio with sporadic MC vocal samples and a womping bassline. The product: a soundsystem banger with a disjointed, yet fiercely controlled two-step rhythm and grimey, extended basslines a la So Solid Crew and early Scratcha. Flip over the record and the A-side's cold rigour is swapped out for a sultry groove.

Euphoric piano stabs and playful R'n'B vocal chops energise "If You Want The Reload" and video-game-esque bleeps lend "Last One From Me" its blissed-out melody. But don't get too comfortable. The aptly-named "From The Top" sees a return of the opening tracks' grime sensibilities and introduces an FM static atmospheric to take things back to the old school.

Time Is Now White Vol.12 drops 25th February 2022 via Time Is Now.

Erik Escobar with his third release on Ten Lovers Music is joined by Michael Pipoquinhal on Bass and Miguel Assis on Percussion and Drums for five amazing Brazilian Jazz Fusion tracks. The EP is titled New Brazilian Trio and first up is a track called Arcanjo Miguel which is dedicated to the aforementioned drummer and percussionist Miguel Assis. Following that is Chick which is dedicated to the late great Chick Corea who is still one of Erik's main references. Onto the AA side and Samba for Petrucciani is another track dedicated to one of Erik's main influences, the track is inspired by a Michel Petrucciani track called Bite. Next up is Maraca - Funk, this song is a fusion of a Brazilian rhythm called “Maracatu” with added Funk in the style of Herbie with The Headhunters, another one of Erik's influences since his teenage years. Finally Change of Plan is a song dedicated to the memory of his father, Freddy Escobar who was his mentor.

The emotion-packed O’Jays on a stellar mid-tempo groove from 1966, the cream of their mid-‘60s time on the Imperial label. Released just a year before their anthem ‘I Dig Your Act’; it’s a side that smoulders behind the vocal of Eddie Levert, a sax-powered gem. Original copies go for between 30 and 50 quid, more if it’s in good condition.

Remastered for maximum tear jerking power by the DNSC Stateside guru.

Backed with a Ric-Tic/Motown-styled drum and harmony classic from the mighty Willie Hightower. A £60 nugget when released on the original Capitol label back in ’67. With a hand clapping time change, wayward guitar and gorgeous brass stabs, plus a wild all-girl harmony backing that elevates it to an evocative high.

A Letter from TreeTops is the debut album from Pneumatic Tubes, the solo project of multi-instrumentalist Jesse Chandler. Grounded here in his own bucolic makings, Chandler opens his imagination to the world with this very personal and contemplative album. It’s a kind of American Kosmiche Music, a paean to the wild landscapes of the Adirondacks and Catskills of Upstate New York where he grew up. (TreeTops is the name of a summer camp, fondly remembered by several generations of the Chandler family.)

The album came to Chandler almost as an automatic transmission. Shortly after the death of his father, he holed up alone in the old family home with a few synths, a couple of vintage keyboards, percussion instruments and of course his beloved flutes and clarinets - the “pneumatic tubes” of his nom de plume. Channelling raw memory and landscape, Chandler laid down most of the material for this mystical and elegiac suite of music in just a few days. He later called on some talented friends to flesh out the final recordings; Paul Alexander on bass, Bill Campbell on drums, Marissa Nadler backing vocals and Robert Gomez on electric guitar.

The result is a series of beautifully faded musical photographs. Gentle melodies are propelled along by synth arpeggiators or laidback sidestick and felt beater drums. Chandler’s wind instruments are woven throughout like wild vines binding the elements together. Towards the end of the album an underlying note of melancholy swells into grief during the very moving Witch Water, which is subtly underpinned with Marissa Nadler’s haunting voice. The clouds soon clear, the mountains reappear, and the wheel of the year and of the generations turns again as A Letter from TreeTops signs off with the same lilting melody on which it began.

Originally hailing from Woodstock, New York and now living in Denton, Texas, Jesse Chandler is the keyboard and woodwinds player for the bands Midlake and Mercury Rev. His particular warmth as a composer and improviser is informed by a childhood ensconced in the mystical Catskill mountains, where he absorbed the area’s rich musical history and developed a fascination with keyboard and woodwind instruments.

A Letter from TreeTops is not his first appearance on Ghost Box, he also contributed organ and flute on the Soundcarriers’ incredible Entropicalia album.

Evocative liner notes are provided by Justin Hopper, author of Old Weird Albion and writer of the Ghost Box spoken word album Chanctonbury Rings. By happy coincidence Hopper also grew up in New York State and has his own deep connection to the landscapes there.

When Welsh twins Stewart & Paul Summers (Ten Benson / The Sharp Tongues) started some experimental recordings combining psychedelia, poetry and punk rock, the resulting songs got them thinking….

Recruiting old touring comrades Sam Mansbridge (The Rumblestrips) on bass, Hanna Edgren (Tits Of Death) on keys and vocals and Gui Rujao (Los Pepes) on drums, DaemöniK Fonce were fully formed and some gigs hastily arranged.

Reissue of George Duke's classic 1973 jazz-funk-fusion album 'The Inner
Source'
In 1971 George Duke, having just recently done his time with the Mothers of
Invention, was engaged by the Cannonball Adderley Quintet. Beginning in April of
that year, Duke made two recordings over a short timespan that on their release
in 1973 as a double LP (against the desire of the artists, by the way), would be a
major statement.
On Chapter One of his fusion autobiography, "Solus", Duke, along with the
skeleton crew of bassist John Heard and drummer Dick Berk, tries out the new
compositional philosophy he had absorbed from his work with Adderley. On
Chapter two, "The Inner Source" " Duke lives it up as he shows off his exuberant
experimental synth side and also begins to vary the line-up here as some tracjs
are reinforced with Latin percussion, incisive horn and reed instruments or with
Duke on his first instrument, the trombone. As a curiosity, two basses compete
with each other on "Twenty Five".

"Europe's greatest clarinetist and free spirit" (Jazzthetik) plays ballads and
legendary love songs on his new MPS album. In so doing, he delivers new
meaning and a fresh sound to the pieces. A sentimental look back is simply not
his thing. Together with his new quartet of pianist Frank Chastenier, bassist Lisa
Wulff, and percussionist Tupac Mantilla, Kühn contrasts his sensitive side with
his unbridled desire to experiment. "I've chosen some of my favourite ballads for
this album. These pieces have nothing to do with any sort of trend. For me, they
are poignant and beautiful; they are simply timeless," says Kühn. "I found it
especially appealing to combine these particular choices with my latest
compositions. The album opens with "Both Sides Now", a classic by Joni
Mitchell. Kühn liked the poetic text, and says that, "Somehow, in life there are
always two sides, but it's best when they enrich each other and can smoothly
merge in order to create something new."
One of five new compositions, the title song "Yellow + Blue" encapsulates the two
perspectives: the flamboyant, the impulsively vibrant yellow next to the soft,
sensitive, warm bluesy-blue tonal colour. In turn, a new musical color is created
out of the contrast.

Tape
“Stonewalling” offers a collection of electroacoustic pieces taking as input the Mexican vernacular music from the golden age of Mexican cinema of the first part of the 20th century. In those films, music was used as communication due their poor verbal communication-skills. This is an album about communication, about the impossibility to do so to resolve conflicts. In the technical side, some of the sources used as layering in the tracks come from radio frequencies taken from explorations into the software-defined radio universe, mixed with microphone feedbacks, oscillators, and random textures with field-recordings. In the melodic/harmonic structures of the tracks, the main instrument used is a classical guitar with hyper-processed chords using DSP tools. "Stonewalling”, in some way, follows to 444 (Umor Rex, 2019), serving as a Morse's follow-up into the Mexican vernacular music expeditions.

Produced by Alejandro Morse aka Edgar Medina in León, México. Mastered by Edgar Medina. Photos & design by Daniel Castrejón.

Acclaimed L.A. rapper Blu has crafted a remarkable discography, partnering with a series of exceptional producers to deliver cohesive collections showcasing his vivid lyricism and effortless flows. Now, Blu is turning to talented SoCal beatsmith Sirplus, a protégé of famed producer Exile who has worked with the likes of Planet Asia, Edo G, MED, Cali Agents, and more. "Sirplus is my guy," says Blu. "He is the newest member of the Dirty Science crew, and I could tell he had talent and skill. I knew I had to work with him." Now available worldwide, "For Sale" is a new EP from Blu entirely produced by Sirplus, featuring appearances by Nolan The Ninja, Johaz of Dag Savage, Scienze, Noveliss, and more.

First Word Records is very proud to present you with 'Peace + Harmony'. The first EP from our most recent signing, K S R .

Hailing from Moss Side, Manchester, this young talent has been steadily building a rep for himself over the past few years as one of the UK's most exciting soul vocalists, with his releases encompassing an eclectic assortment of alternative R&B, future soul, hip hop and D&B. Influenced by an array of neo-soul artists, such as D'Angelo and Anderson .Paak, his own soulful style has already seen him tour and collaborate with a number of UK peers; working on projects with label-mates Children of Zeus & Australia's REMi, and supporting the likes of Etta Bond & The Mouse Outfit, as well as performing sell-out headline solo shows in Manchester and London, and playing various festivals across Europe, including the We Out Here festival very recently.

Since he began developing his music in 2017, K S R has had support from the likes of 1Xtra, BBC Radio 1, BBC Introducing, Mixmag, NTS, Reprezent, Unity & Soho Radio, in addition to featuring on a slew of D&B tracks with artists like Lenzman, BCee, Emba & Redeyes. The collab with Emba was recently named a 'Kiss FM Future Selection' courtesy of Hybrid Minds and features have been supported on Spotify's 'New Music Friday' and 'Mandem - Kings' amongst others. His debut release 'Unfiltered' appeared on Polarface Records in 2019, which was followed by single 'Flex With Me' (also produced by Tyler Daley from Children of Zeus) then an independent second EP, 'Take Control', followed in late 2020 (during the pandemic) which amassed over 500k streams. Additionally to the releases, he was recently recruited by Manchester United as part of their 21/22 season kit announcements, as well as working with Nike and Size? on a special MCR-themed Air Force 1 release.

It's now time for a new extended project from Roosevelt Kazaula Sigsbert - better known as K S R . 'Peace + Harmony' is a solid set of alternative R&B, produced by Dom Porter and mixed by Eric Lau. Six tracks in all, including the single, 'Harmless' (which received support from the likes of Mr. Scruff (Worldwide FM), BBC Manchester and Victoria Jane (BBC Radio 1), was 'Track Of The Week' on 1Xtra/BBC Introducing, and saw the video racking up several thousand plays in its first weekend) and follow-up 'CGWY' featuring Children of Zeus on a brand new interpretation of their classic track 'Get What's Yours'. From the intro track 'I Wonder', to the downlow future soul of 'Lily Apart', to the autobiographical vibes of 'Born In '98', to the closing track 'Given Summer', also featuring the vocals of Ayeisha Raquel, each track on the EP is of course laced with Roosevelt's unmistakable silky smooth vocals, and is set to join his already impressive catalogue of underground soul classics such as 'Alien Boo', 'Stylin' and 'New Love'.

K S R says "my third EP, P E A C E + H A R M O N Y is a collection of my thoughts and experiences from my journey throughout the last two years of my life. Lots of aspects of my life changed over 24 months, along with everyone around the globe. When we were thrown into the unknown at the start of 2020, I stepped away from music for a while as I couldn't find any peace in my creativity and needed to evolve. I finally started to feel cohesive with my songwriting and music, and I could feel harmony between myself and my art once again."

'Peace + Harmony' by K S R is released on vinyl & digital on First Word Records, late 2021.

Red hot Modern Soul 45 recorded in Memphis, Tennessee in 1985. Big thanks to Robert Garcia @mrbighappy & Daniel Mathis @quartzwatches for the research and words on this one!!

Brotherhood Band was started by Ernest Coleman(EC) and Clint Hyson, who met thorough a US Navy band called "Mid-South", which was the US Navy's premier musical organization operating out of Millington, Tennessee (20 min outside of Memphis). The group initially played as an instrumental jazz band. In keeping up with the times, they shifted gears towards a more contemporary sound. Shortly after, they decided to cut a single. Enter "Nicci's Theme", which is the B-side here and it's a beautiful jazz tune EC wrote for a girl he fell in love with. This song was supposed to be his door way in, but he actually never opened the door with her.

A few weeks later Clint called EC and played this syncopated bass line for him over the phone. And then EC being the ladies man that he was wrote the lyrics to "Leather Pants" to it. Part of the lyrics read "The pants they stretch, but they don't bust. Enough to make a blind man cuss", but it originally read as, "The pants they stretch, but they don't bust. Enough to make a PREACHER cuss". The song was ready, but they needed to find a singer. That's when member Richard Owens mentioned that he had a young cat back in Atlanta named Taji. In a gamble Taji drove up to Memphis for the Sunrise recording studio session to record the track. According to EC when Taji laid the vocals down he took the song to the next level. In fact it was so impactful that EC, who is now a Grammy producer, still references Taji's sessions when working with new artist.

After the single dropped the group played at Memphis hot spots, Bills Twilight Lounge and Club No Name. EC even had an idea to host a local leather pants contest as a way to promote the song. This lead to a frenzy of women seeking to be "Miss Leather Pants".

Half a century ago, legendary rhythm and blues drummer Ginger Baker (Cream, the Graham Bond Organisation etc) moved to Nigeria to work with Fela Kuti and his dextrous drummer, Tony Allen. The resultant recordings, which featured Kuti, Baker, Allen and the rest of the Africa 70 ensemble, were released on the brilliant Live With Ginger Baker LP in 1972, which here gets a deserved, expansive reissue. What you get this time around is the original album - a freewheeling, ultra-percussive Afrobeat masterpiece, full of duelling drum solos, righteous horns and killer grooves - plus a second slab of wax. One side of that is etched, with the over featuring recordings of an infamous drum battle between Allen and Baker that's extraordinarily heavy, sweaty and on-point. In a word: essential!

Pure Space Records welcomes a newly emerging Naarm (Melbourne) producer, Dividens with his EP ‘Blueprints’. Across four tracks Dividens masterfully guides us through the fringes of modern drum n bass, eerie Dub and restrained Jungle styles.

Starting strong, ‘Audio Blueprint’ provides a fast and erratic baseline cushioned only by a deep, squelching synth. It’s a textural and delicately refined track, with each sound finding its perfect place with twisted effect.

Completing the A-side, in confidence, is ‘Rollin Smoke’. An acid tinged take on electro, composed with trancey pads and tight percussion.

Flipping over we find ‘Bionic’, luscious pads swirl amongst a deep sub bass rhythm before free-falling into stints of breakbeat. The ominous tone of the track is coloured by the disorienting vocals; lean in and let the bass hold your feet firmly on the ground.

Finally, ‘Tell Dem’ rounds out the release with a tasteful amount of dub. Here a mass of swamp-like synths envelop you completely, while the tight break patterns elevate the energy through to the final moments of the release.

~

Tracks written, produced and mixed by Dividens on Wurundjeri Land. Pure Space and Dividens both acknowledge the traditional custodians of this land and pay our respects to their elders past, present and emerging. Sovereignty was never ceded.

~

Pure Space Recordings is the label venture from the beloved radio show hosted by Andy Garvey, and produced by Mija Healey which has broadcast weekly on Eora Nation (Sydney) radio station FBi Radio for over four years. The label focuses on Australian music both for home listening and that made for the club.

This killer double sider is the first release of the stunning “Bookie Man - What’s Wrong With You”.
It was previously released as a blank label only in 1968 and was wrongly credited to The Bleechers.
On the B side, “Bookie Man” is a completely different track and it is a rare and brilliant song in its own right. It is also the first time the two “Bookie Man” songs are featured together on a 7inch.

The first and truly stunning release on the new Deeptrax sub-label Chasing Sunsets is one that is hard to describe...

As an (electronic) multi-instrumentalist, ES has been making music on a daily base for more than 25 years but has not released anything meaningful to this day. When we asked for some demos, we were literally bombarded with hundreds of well-produced songs in a wide variety of styles.

ES is a very creative artist who, in addition to making (video) art, creates his own world with his music. He is a musician with a completely unique sound that sometimes evokes a strong association with other music or artists. It sounds familiar and is pleasant to listen to because all the sounds seem to fall into place perfectly. But at the same time, it's totally fresh and sounds like nothing else.

“I just want to make music and not worry about the hassle; you just have to do it for me...” was the answer to the question if we could talk about releasing some music on one of our labels. "Just pick the songs you like, releasing my music on vinyl would be great ..."

So that's what we did...

This first EP gives a nice overview of some of the many musical sides of ES. It's jazzy, funky, dubby and trippy electronica with bits of ambient, house, breakbeat, acid and many other weird ES sound mix-ups. The tracks are as they are, all recorded in one take/version. Unique songs with sharply programmed rhythm and bass complemented by brilliantly played guitar, piano and synth parts. It's a surprising debut from an artist who only shows a small part of his personality with this release.

Welcome to the world of ES....

"A New Dimension In Cultural Awareness" were the words of Tribe Records' co-founder and trombonist Phil Ranelin as the label emerged in a vibrant Detroit in 1972. Together with other co-founder and saxophonist Wendell Harrison, the duo delivered the first of what would become a treasure trove of spiritual jazz releases with 1973's Message From the Tribe. P-vine has lifted its first track"What We Need" for the a-side with the b-side "The Wok" taken from Harrison's 1981 album Organic Dream.

Superb acid mental sounds... Another dimension... Swinging and progressive, with new ideas (like this echo on the flip side reminding me the echo in that subversive wicked movie "Don't Look Up")...

Also to notice... Played at 33 RPM the A & B side tunes are absolutly great too (check our 2 last previews)... Someone at the shop were asking me for some 120 BPM mental acid techno... I think maybe the answer is here : play the 45 at 33... Like the Hardtek french movement was playing records 45 in the early 90's... But now playing 33 instead of 45... Turntablism is all about that I suppose :)

One oldschool full side from FKY and two acid tribe progressive tunes. DST prod rings you up !

Megastructure_ proudly presents Unhuman + Surit’s RADIATION SICKNESS, their second collaborative EP, and their first for Megastructure_. Liber Null boss Unhuman and Surit of Spanish techno stalwarts NX1 team up for 4 tracks of grinding and tense industrial techno primed and ready to satiate the appetites of those looking for the heavier side effects of life.

C-L-A-S-S-I-C library breaks and beats set of heavy drums and louche funk.

One of two Be With forays into the archives of revered British library institution Conroy, we present one of our favourites on the label - the super in-demand Dramatic Tempi / Larry Robbins Background Rhythms, originally released in 1975. Rare and sought-after for many years now, this is one of those cult library LPs that rarely turns up on even the deepest dig.

As a single LP, Dramatic Tempi / Larry Robbins Background Rhythms is two distinctly different collections of music. The first side, Dramatic Tempi, is made up of four tracks each from Sammy Burdson and Klaus Weiss.

Sammy Burdson was one of the many, many aliases of the mighty Austrian composer, arranger and conductor, Gerhard Narholz. Founder of adored library label Sonoton in 1965, and a classically trained composer, his work runs from easy listening through pop, jazz and electronic, to avant-garde.

About as cult as it gets when it comes to library music legends (German or otherwise) Klaus Weiss produced essential records on German library labels Coloursound, Selected Sound and Sonoton, as well as making two essential entries in the Conroy catalogue. Having started his career at the age of 16 as a jazz drummer, the Klaus Weiss trademark electronic sound is unsurprisingly built on top of sometimes funky, sometimes frenetic, but always hard-hitting drums.

The second side is both titled and also credited to Larry Robbins Background Rhythms. We have to admit to being stumped as to who Larry was, but we don’t think it’s too much of a stretch to assume it might well be yet another incarnation of Gerhard Narholz’s.

First up from Dramatic Tempi are the phased, gargantuan hip-hop beats of Sammy Burdson’s impeccable “Pop Waves”. This is otherworldly funk on a whole new level. Hearing is believing. The magnificently titled “Cyclodrom” is up next, a beast of booming bass and wah wah guitars over frenetic funk drums. “Devils Drive” is dramatic, blaxploitation street funk with rolling, pounding drums. “Crime Ways” is an acid-squelch, slow-pace neck-snapper.

Klaus Weiss starts by askings us “Is It Hip” and we can only answer “yes it is!” to the clean, skipping drums, booming bass and proto-hip-hop bells, layered beneath laconic and melodic guitar shredding. This is just horizontal soul perfection. “The Camp”, propelled by jazzy guitar à la Joe Pass over fast drum and conga breaks, gives way to the dark guitars and cymbal crashes of “Tomorrow”. It sounds like an early New Order jam session. Closing out a pretty startling side of library greatness, “Rhythm Trip” presents early stuttering funk before easin' on in to a jazzy, soulful groove; all breezy guitar and warm keys. Lush.

Larry Robbins Background Rhythms is a lighter, poppier affair, but it’s not without its drum-heavy bangers. “Vox Pop” and “Pop Phase” each have clean, open-ish drum breaks, ripe for sampling or more daring DJ sets. “Pop Twang” is a short and sweet beat-heavy number that gives way to the fantastically out-there “Canned Pop”. We‘d love to know if this was ever actually licensed for something! The final seven tracks are a set of 1-to-2 minute “Percussion Takes”. All compelling, and all equally useful for any number of production needs. Get sampling.

The British library label with those instantly recognisable “orangey-red” sleeves, Conroy began releasing production music in 1965. A sub-label of Berry Music Co, its catalogue typified the library industry’s strange mixture of tradition and experimentation from the start. Conroy’s early releases included work by big band stalwarts like Eddie Warner as well as early electronic recordings by the likes of Belgian experimental pioneer Arséne Souffriau. With Berry Music Co working as a distribution partner to the German library label Sonoton, it was through the Conroy that a great deal of German library music found its way into the UK market.

Conroy stopped putting out new music in the 1980s, but its history and its catalogue offer an excellent window into the trends and eccentricities of a highly unique industry at the height of its international appeal.

This re-issue of Dramatic Tempi / Larry Robbins Background Rhythms has been mastered for vinyl by Be With regular Simon Francis from audio from the original tapes. Richard Robinson has handled reproducing the iconic, hypnotic original Conroy sleeve. Essential.

C-L-A-S-S-I-C library breaks and beats set of super-heavyweight espionage-funk.

One of two Be With forays into the archives of revered British library institution Conroy, we present one of our favourites on the label - the super in-demand Background Action from Sammy Burdson, originally released in 1975. Rare and sought-after for many years now, this is one of those cult library LPs that rarely turns up on even the deepest dig.

Sammy Burdson was one of the many, many aliases of the mighty Austrian composer, arranger and conductor, Gerhard Narholz. Founder of adored library label Sonoton in 1965, and a classically trained composer, his work runs from easy listening through pop, jazz and electronic, to avant-garde.

Background Action’s first side is all Blaxploitation wah-wah, funky clav and heavy, heavy drums. It’s top-quality takes on the sort of hard-knocking psychedelic sleuth-funk that the library labels gave us in spades. However, we think the real killers are over on side B. Styles upon styles upon styles is what we have. The trio of swish “Water Pollution” variations are pure gold. The two-part mid-tempo b-boy drumathon “News Background” is nothing short of epic whilst the sensational “Kabul Trip A” and “Kabul Trip B” are two different takes on some tough funk, street jazz style with some dope organ, bass and drum sounds. In short, this is a must for both DJs and producers.

The British library label with those instantly recognisable “orangey-red” sleeves, Conroy began releasing production music in 1965. A sub-label of Berry Music Co, its catalogue typified the library industry’s strange mixture of tradition and experimentation from the start. Conroy’s early releases included work by big band stalwarts like Eddie Warner as well as early electronic recordings by the likes of Belgian experimental pioneer Arséne Souffriau. With Berry Music Co working as a distribution partner to the German library label Sonoton, it was through the Conroy that a great deal of German library music found its way into the UK market.

Conroy stopped putting out new music in the 1980s, but its history and its catalogue offer an excellent window into the trends and eccentricities of a highly unique industry at the height of its international appeal.

This re-issue of Background Action has been mastered for vinyl by Be With regular Simon Francis from audio from the original tapes. Richard Robinson has handled reproducing the iconic, hypnotic original Conroy sleeve. Essential.

Das Four Tet Album aus dem Jahr 2005 gibt es jetzt wieder als Nachpressung auf Domino!

"Lloyd Stellar X The Droid - Rise of theAMachines is an exciting debut collaboration between Erik Griffioen & Ben Evans.AAn impressive maxi EP, loaded with cutting edge electro brimmingAwith musicality, sound design and expert production.A

Kicking off the release comes theAtitle track 'Rise Of The Machines', this quirky yet nuanced excursion sets the pace, allowing it's nifty ricocheting sequences, slick 808s, and tripped out ear candy to hit the clubs. 'Prisoners features a wiggly bass led jam, plastered with synths and finished with a dash of vocoded vocals. TheAduos ability to illustrate a dense sonic picture is evident once again on 'Cell Block' as intricate razor sharp drum programming holds the ship steady while ominous synths let the head wander before rich melancholic pads blast a sense of perspective and emotive depth.A
A
Onto the flip side - 'Room And Pillar'Agrabs the bull by the horns with a tough and aggressive bass line driven banger. Shrieking, twisted synth lines and FX are shattered across the track, keeping tension levels peaking, while TR808 rhythms cut through with military precision. Contrasting A'The Neutral Zone' sucks us into a deep atmospheric orbit of blissful yet inquisitive FM synthesis, distant emotive pads, fortified by warm stately bass tones. ARounding off the EP 'Coming Home' exhibits electro minimalism at its finest. An entangled, ever evolving musical conversation between bass and upper register synths leads, filled with a sense of hope and optimism, assisted by meticulous programmed electro drums, reminiscent of the best of Schatraxx.A

There seems to be something in the water down in Hastings as a veritable hive of electronic music artists have been busy making beats in ever growing numbers down there - including Kim Cosmik.

Kim's debut on 20/20 Vision is an impressive and highly original mix of techno, electro, broken beats and industrial sounds, destined to destroy the long-anticipated dance floor revival. Although overall the record is abrasive, hard-hitting and takes no prisoners - beneath the surface, in tracks like 'Drifting' we also find nuances of emotional musicality that shed vast streams of light on the proceedings. The record does indeed kick off with intent though with 'Night Flight' - a blistering techno workout that would resonate magnificently in the mighty Berghain hall. There's no holding back the menacing bass line, fortified tough jacking groove on this one as strong synth lines and strings embellish and complete the soundscape.Over to 'Ore' which cranks up the gears into an industrial techno slammer packed with abstract outer-planet sound design finished off with pounding overdriven drums programmed with military precision.

On the flip side is a gem called 'Nocturnal'- this is the cut that first really caught our attention at 20/20 Vision, with it's merciless industrial dubstep kick drums and brutal precision. It's a simple, stripped back workout held in place beautifully by a discordant string - there's just no escaping this fierce ruling diva. Not for the faint-hearted but those who dare will be rewarded.

Kim's final track 'Drifting' is the jewel in the crown that provides the light after the storm. It's a blissful, cosmic, jazz fused musical tapestry driven by break beats, while compassionate strings infused with Kim's own vocal harmonies and subtle piano motifs glisten and glide over the track adding soothing layers of harmonious quality. Drifting is the perfect close to a truly stunning debut EP.

The mysterious trio Pandilla LTD provide the first release on Ozy, a new sub-label run by Miguel Melo from Lisbon’s Carpet & Snares family. Never ones to tread the easiest path, Pandilla show off their full range of moods and tempos on this 4-tracker, opening with the jazzy and glitchy breaks of vignette ‘Beat Untitled’. This leads into ‘aWARe’, a downtempo epic of cinematic ambience and released tension that contrasts with the more dancefloor-ready cuts on the B. With its patient dubby tick-tock, ‘Mind Trick’ feels like a long-lost Basic Channel side-project, while the more extrovert ‘Trying To Go’ closes things in style with a shimmy and a shake.

Bob & Earl's all time classic gets a late '70s FUNK treat which could not have done any better. The B-Side features an equally great funk instrumental in the style of Tower of Power. A damn good 2-sider for sure which will please any discerning funk dj and the dancers in the clubs too!

Boot Records proudly presents the Jazz T remix of Roughneck Jihad & Senz Beats' track "Catastrophe", from their 2021 EP (also on Boot Records) "The Little Assassination Handbook". The B-side offers up an exclusive cut from Lex Boogie From The Bronx & Senz Beats entitled "War of the Worlds", featuring scratches by DJ Jazz T.

DJ Jazz-T, owner of Boot Records, was the 1999 UK ITF Advancement champion. He has laced cuts on hundreds of tracks since 1995 and produces under the name of Jazz T and Boot Productions, which is Jazz & genius Dr Zygote. He was Tim Dog's tour DJ before he passed away, and he currently DJs for Gawd Status, Jehst, Micall Parknsun, Ramson Badbonez, Leaf Dog & BVA, Joker Starr and Diversion Tactics.
Jihad the Roughneck MC started rhyming in the late 80's and was a member of one group before Third Sight (with Dufunk & D-Styles). He is originally from the city of Santa Clara in Northern California, relocating to the Los Angeles area in 2004. He has played shows in California, Nevada, Oregon and toured Japan twice with Third Sight.

Lex Boogie From The Bronx grew up as a kid around the jams in the parks. He carries The Bronx with him wherever he goes. His different chambers of production and raps have seen him work with the likes of Stahhr, Marq Spekt, Boog Brown, Vordul Mega, billy woods, Mike Flo & more.
Originally from Brussels, now based in Montreal, Senz' first approach to cutting records up was on a pair of Technics 1200s, which he and his best friend claimed mutual custody over (1 month each) in 1998. After over 15 years spent producing on MPC ("War of the Worlds" was produced on a 2000xl), 2020 saw Senz switch to Koala Sampler app, by Elf Audio. His crazy beats have grabbed the attention of legends such as Dibia$e & Grap Luva.

This is the fnal chapter in a series of three 7" records which see Stefan Goldmann probing the upper temporal reaches of techno. Clocking in at 150 bpm, these tracks are bold and blazing signals for a
collective return to highly energised club experiences. 'Singing Wire' is playfully swinging and feels surprisingly natural and decelerated for what it is – while taking you decisively and rapidly to its farend destination. 'Geared' is raw voltage with all the sparks fying. More bouncy than harsh, these tracks show impressively how diferent tempos allow for their own variety of joyful expression.
Beautifully packaged, all three 7"es come in a thick matte-black outer sleeve with front side cut outs and refective-lacquer details, with individual colour-coded inner sleeves. Comes with download card.

Vinyl Only

Undefined #12 comes from the hand of Dan Piu. Since 1992, Dan has been keeping it versatile by blending different styles of music throughout his career. We are very happy to welcome him to the Undefined family.

His 'Fantasy Juxtaposition' EP resembles exactly what Undefined stands for; versatile and timeless.

On the A side we have a straight up DJ track with a certain techno and bleep flava combined with deep luscious vocals. Aa. gives us an old nu groove kinda beat with naughty 80ies jazz and old school bleepy acid house.

The B side starts with a real old recorded 90ies track, one of Dan's first tracks ever made. A dull love romance evolves from a harmony of batteling synthesizers layered on a break beat groove and fueled with a portion of soul. A mindbending trip. The Bb rounds it off! A track that Dan created back in 1998 together with his friend Gary Rich, Take a walk to a mysterious forest with this uplifting vibe. Gary Rich was a mysterious producer himself - people may know him from his Nightstalker moniker which he was in together with Dan.

Interstate debuts on Tilman’s imprint 'Pleasant Systems' for its third installment 'Autumn Loves EP'. Starting off with a balearic, yet uplifting summer house groove on A1 featuring Flying Solo on keys, 'Find Your Power' comes in with beautiful simplicity in every part. Followed up by 'Caught Slippin'' on A2, a groovy, old school-rooted garage house cut completes the A side. 'Ghetto of My mind' featuring RR introduces the B side with a §oor-¦lling, groovily slamming and deeply organ ¦lled 4-to-the-§oor club roller, while 'Revue' ¦nishes up the record with a heavily jazz infused, tripledtuned swing to get down to

Khruangbin and Leon Bridges announce their latest collaborative EP, ‘Texas Moon’, out on Dead Oceans.

 An extension of the two’s chart-topping four-song ‘Texas Sun’ journey, ‘Texas Moon’ is an introspective stroll through the dark. “Without joy, there can be no real perspective on sorrow,” say Khruangbin. “Without sunlight, all this rain keeps things from growing. How can you have the sun without the moon?”

 Crediting their mutual home state for inspiration, ‘Texas Moon’ pensively examines Texas’ musical perception, while paying homage to the marriage of country and R&B that’s become synonymous with the lone star state. Propelled by rolling guitar licks, conga and bongo, lead single ‘B-Side’ meditates on meeting in a dream and frolics across the nearing contemplative night-time state with its longing joy.

 Elsewhere on ‘Texas Moon’, the artists channel a newly intimate musical scope that’s illustrated most dramatically when the spacy sensuality of the minimalistic ‘Chocolate Hills’ leads into the stark spirituality addressed on ‘Father Father’, a reminder of both acts’ gospel roots. Over a simple rolling guitar figure, Bridges pleads with the heavens - “Look at the mess that I made / Just a man with unclean hands” - only to be reminded of God’s eternal love.

 For Khruangbin, one song in particular was indicative of the trust that Bridges put in them. “The song ‘Doris’ is about his grandmother making the transition from this world to the next realm,” says Khruangbin’s Donald Ray ‘DJ’ Johnson Jr. “It’s a very somber, very deep record. And when someone places that kind of work into your
hands, the last thing you want to do is junk it up, overproduce it, or do too much. We treated it with the respect it deserved, and treated Doris with the respect she deserves.”

 “It’s like a short story...,” says the band’s Laura Lee of the music. “And it leaves room to continue having these stories together. It’s not Khruangbin, it’s not Leon, it’s this world we created together.”

 Upon its release, ‘Texas Sun’ soared to the No. 1 slot on Billboard’s Emerging Artists Chart along with landing the No.1 on spot on Americana/Folk Albums, among many others. Significantly, both parties’ musical directions were deeply affected by their time working together on ‘Texas Sun’.

 Khruangbin’s most recent studio album, ‘Mordechai’, moved their own vocals to the forefront, a change they readily admit was a direct result of working with Bridges.
Their sound was also tapped for remix / reinterpretation of a Paul McCartney song for the ‘McCartney III Imagined’ project. Meanwhile, in addition to his genre-defying Grammy-nominated album ‘Gold-Digger’s Sound’, Bridges has put out several other challenging, shared collaborative tracks, including work with John Mayer, Lucky Daye and, most recently, Jazmine Sullivan. Each of the artists appeared recently on Austin City Limits and will tour throughout the new year.

Repress

Originally released in 2006, Eingya by Helios aka Keith Kenniff returns in a new 2021 edition vinyl re-release, remastered by Taylor Deupree.

Beginning the album on a high with the pastoral beauty of "Bless This Morning Year," Kenniff showcases of what he does best: heartbreaking guitar and piano melodies punctuated by crumbling beats and backed by the most atmospheric synthesizer sounds this side of Eno's Apollo. The appetizing "Halving the Compass" blends subtle field recording with the kind of piano melodies so beautiful they could be compared to Virginia Astley or Harold Budd. This is followed by the album's clear highlight, "Dragonfly Across an Ancient Sky." It's an unsurpassable folk guitar piece with a decomposing percussive background and the sort of melodies that would turn evil tyrants into weeping babies. An album that could appeal as easily to fans of Nick Drake as to fans of Boards of Canada or even early AIR, this truly has something for everyone.

Raised in rural Pennsylvania, Kenniff put out Helios's 2004 debut album, Unomia, while studying percussion at Boston's Berklee College of Music. Since then, he's released six more albums as Helios, in addition to collaborating with his wife Hollie Kenniff in the shoegaze-inspired pop duo Mint Julep and composing music for films and archival use.

"A protracted sunset of an album guaranteed to see you through the longest days of summer and into the twilight of the autumn." - The Wire
"A soundtrack of molasses-sweet, midsummer sunset melancholy and pastoral mellifluence." - Tinymixtapes

Limited coloured marbled vinyl edition of this album Booker T. & the M.G.s formed as the house band for Stax Records and provided playbacks for numerous singers, including Wilson Pickett and Otis Redding. During a - recording break for Billy Lee Riley, 17-yearold keyboardist Booker T. Jones, guitarist Steve Cropper, Lewie Steinberg on bass and Al Jackson Jr. on drums began messing around with a bluesy organ riff. The president of Stax Records, Jim Stewart, was at
the mixing board. He liked what he heard and recorded it. The result: „Green Onions,“ with „Behave Yourself“ as the B-side.
The record became a hit when radio DJ Reuben Washington played it four times in a row, even before the band had a name. The single went to #1 on the US R&B chart, #3 on the pop chart, reached #7 in the UK
and sold over a million copies. The song was listed as one of the 500 greatest songs of all time by Rolling Stone magazine and received a Grammy Hall of Fame Award in 1999. It was followed by the allinstrumental album „Green Onions“, which is now a classic of the era.

The album was included in Robert Dimery‘s 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. Booker T. & the M.G.s have been called the most influential stylists in modern American music. Until the 2000s, they
played as the house band for countless world stars such as Bob Dylan, Stevie Wonder, Johnny Cash, Eric Clapton, George Harrison, Neil Young and many others.

"Black Truffle proudly presents The Refrain from Melbourne-based artist Francis Plagne, whose growing catalog of collaborative and solo releases range from song-based work to abstract audio collages.

Closely aligned with Plagne's Moss Trumpet LP (released by Penultimate Press in 2018), The Refrain’s two side-long tracks mix sounds of the mundane with the otherworldly; rising, receding and overlapping. The result feels like being led through a series of scenes devoid of context or direction. Furthermore, it’s hard to define the scenes as either inviting or disconcerting, as they’re often both at the same time. As the record progresses sounds reappear and are juxtaposed so as to only hint at the familiar. A hall of mirrors, perhaps?

Completed in 2020 using material recorded from 2012-2020, the record uses tapes of shelved, unfinished, and forgotten projects that featured field recordings from various locations, domestic sounds of plastic bottles, bubble wrap, creaking chairs, voice, and instrumental recordings, including an appearance from crys cole on Casio. These pieces were re-amped, processed and edited, then additional instrumental pieces featuring synths, guitars, plastic saxophone, melodica, and percussion were added, the results shaped into drifting, episodic assemblages.

Although essentially a tape piece, The Refrain presents as a crude, non-idiomatic composition that feels both timeless and transitory. It’s a million miles from the polish and rigour of GRM, perhaps more in line with Jacques Bekaert’s eponymous Igloo LP, or Costin Miereanu’s Luna Cinese. The Refrain could be read as a psychedelic Krapp’s Last Tape; one man’s response to listening through forgotten and discarded tapes, reflecting, reconciling, and forging a new path. A potent tonic for these absurd times."

-- Nick Hamilton, August 2021

Led By Saxophonist Rob Mitchell, Abstract Orchestra Have Been A Consistent Presence On The U.k. Music Scene, Touring Constantly In Promotion Of Their Debut Lp "dilla" And Follow Up 45 "new Day Feat. Illa J", Steadily Building A Loyal And Supportive Fanbase.inspired By The Legendary Live Performances Of The Roots With Jay-z And The 40 Piece Orchestral Arrangements By Miguel-atwood Ferguson Of The Work Of J Dilla, Classic Arranging Techniques Underpin Modern Loop-based Structures, Breathing New Life Into Familiar Material.

The Band Itself Is Based On The Classic Jazz Big Band Instrumentation Of Saxes, Trumpets And Trombones And Features The Cream Of The North Of England's Jazz Scene Who Collectively Have Played With Jamiroquai, Corinne Bailey Rae, Mark Ronson, Martha Reeves, John Legend & The Roots, Roots Manuva And Amy Winehouse.

"madvillain Vol. 1" Takes The Template Of Their Debut Lp "dilla" And Applies The Same Approach To The Collaboration Ofmf Doomandmadlib, Akamadvillainand Their Albumsmadvillainyandmadvillain 2. Sampling The Likes Of Sun Ra, Bill Evans, Freddie Hubbard, George Duke, Dr. Lonnie Smith, Quincy Jones And Stevie Wonder Gave The Albums A Jazz Oriented Feel And Ethos Which In Turn Lend Themselves Perfectly To The Deconstruction And Re-imagining Of Abstract Orchestra. As With Their Debut, All The Tracks Were Recorded Live In The Studio With Very Few Overdubs.

Abstract Orchestra'smadvillain Vol 1. Explores The Jazz, Tv Soundtrack And Film Score Aspect Of The Original Work, Combining It With Classic Big Band Writing And A Focus On Improvisation. There Is A Strong Influence Ofquincy Jones, Lalo Schifrinanddavid Shire(composer Of The Soundtrack Tothe Taking Of Pelham 123) On The Album, And The Arranger Rob Mitchell Crafts His Own Sound That Inhabits The Space Between Madlib's Production And Quincy Jones' Writing. Bandleader And Arranger Rob Mitchell Says Of The Record: "'madvillainy' Is A Jazz Album As Much As It Is A Hip-hop Album And I Wanted To Explore This Reciprocal Territory There Has Always Been Between Jazz And Hip-hop. 70's Cop Show Soundtracks Have Always Captured My Interest And Imagination, And I Discovered So Much Amazing Music Through Tv Themes, Quincy Jones And Lalo Schifrin In Particular. They Explored Sounds That Were Menacing, Angular, Dissonant, Frantic And Yet Captivating. They Were Also Able To Write Music That Was The Flip Side Of All That Dark Chaos, And Write Lush And Beautiful Music. Arranging And Scoring Up Madvillain Vol 1. Has Allowed Me To Explore These Sounds That I've Always Loved, Yet Keeping A Strong Hip-hop Identity As The Core Of Its Sound."

WPH label boss Red D has always considered Adham Zahran to be the Moodymann/Theo Parrish of Egypt, so it is only fitting that for his second release on the label Adham joins the WPH U.S. Series ranks. His deep dusty house sound oozes soul and groove and this release is no exception.

Opening track ‘Flowing Green’ kicks off the E.P. with shining chords that will go down like a treat on any house dancefloor in the hands of the right DJ. ‘No Sorrow’ takes things more heady, but make no mistake, it kicks like the proverbial mule if you let it roam free. On the B-side we first have Detroit’s mainstay Brian Kage on remix duties for the final track ‘Picture Of The Tree’, providing that extra motor city funk we all love. The original finishes the proceedings in – dare we say it – deepest fashion to round off another quality outing from the WPH camp.