Cerca:sugar

Another deep dive into the Steve Pickton DAT archive brings us this gem from the golden age of UK Techno. Not previously credited as a Stasis outing this 4 track EP was originally released in 1995 as a limited run white label and stamped Sugar Plum (with Fat Boy Funk etched into the run out groove).

Each track builds with Steve’s signature Detroit inspired beats and chunky bass lines and those trademark ethereal pads eventually release the tension. Raw and powerful these are classic machine edged productions from a UK Techno pioneer.

Remastered by Simon Davey at The Exchange

'Cupar Grain Silo' is Sam Annand's first release on the Blackford Hill label. Its nine tracks blur the lines between ambient electronica and sonic history, as synthesised melodies and rhythms reverberate through the extreme acoustics of the disused Cupar Grain Silo in Scotland. Built in 1964 as a sugar store, the silo towers 60 metres above the surrounding Fife countryside. Its industrial life was short: in 1971 it was closed, and barring a short period as a grain store, remained empty for decades.

In 2014, Sam Annand was given access to the silo as part of the Resono project, set up to study a series of highly reverberant locations across Scotland. The ambitious industrial architecture of the Cupar Grain Silo has given the space a reverberation time of 36.5 seconds. This measurement describes the time a sound takes to decay or 'fade away' in a closed space. To put this in perspective, the Cupar Grain Silo reverb time is around three times longer than that in cathedrals like York Minster and St Paul's.

"The acoustics are immediately noticeable when climbing the ladder into the main chamber", Sam says. "The sound of your voice begins to circle around and above you, inviting you to shout, clap and bang objects to excite the space into revealing its intimidating architectural voice."

Sam began to experiment with musical compositions which responded to the unique acoustics of the silo space. He used impulse responses – a short, sharp sound like a gunshot – to record these acoustics, allowing him to experiment with the silo's reverb in his production. Sam's compositions were performed using a modular synth system, a Roland Juno-6 polyphonic synthesizer and a bowed ride cymbal.

"Chords can be constructed in time by hanging successive single notes in the air," Sam describes, "The flutter echoes from the immediate cylindrical walls can be used to create bursts of scattering spatial imagery and harmonic blooms, following short percussive moments."

Originally recorded on 21st May 2016, 'Cupar Grain Silo' is now released on 12" vinyl with an accompanying booklet of imagery and essays. The compositions are at once true to the unique architectural acoustics of the silo whilst also being playful and experimental with the creative possibilities it offered. Arpeggiated melodies ebb and fall across extended call-and-response shapes formed by the silo's reverb; modular drum patterns crackle like dying machinery; whilst bowed drones waver and wash over.

"We all love reverberation," reflects Prof. Peter Stollery, Professor of Composition and Electroacoustic Music at the University of Aberdeen, on the project. "As kids, we play in it – yelling in forests and caves, surreptitiously dropping objects in huge churches – mouths wide open at the lingering smears of sound which come back to us."

In 'Cupar Grain Silo', Sam Annand has harnessed the extraordinary acoustics of the disused silo to tap into this sense of joy and amazement that reverberation can bring.

Introducing The Hood 001, the first vinyl release from Noisy Neighbours, the Colombian label on a mission to showcase and promote the most talented South American club music producers.

TH001 features the label's founder, A. Naranjo (@a_naranjado) and Emilio Mustafa (@emiliomustafaa), alongside two sought-after producers and long-time neighbours, Donnie Cosmo (@donniecosmo_) and FI-LO (filofortheworld).

The record provides four killer and full of energy tracks, drawing influences from 90s Deep House, UKG, Tech House and Breabkbeat—ready to find its way into bold selectors' bags and make dancefloors rumble.

Don't think twice—hit the pre-order link now, as copies will be limited. But be warned: No Noise Complaints.

Paddan's Sigtryggur Baldursson and Birgir Mogensen are lifelong friends from Kópavogur, Iceland, who started as mates on the local football team, then graduated to making music together as teenagers, and even later as young men doing time in the experimental punk collective KUKL, from 1983 - 1986.
KUKL was populated by survivors of the post-punk scene in Iceland in the early 80s, which is well documented in the film Rock in Reykjavik from 1982. The band was released by the Crass collective in London and featured members, apart from Birgir and Sigtryggur, like Guðlaugur Óttarsson, Einar Melax, Björk and Einar Örn, some of whom would become better known later in outfits like the Sugarcubes and their respective solo work and other collaborations.
Sigtryggur has a long career in music, having worked with among others, Emiliana Torrini, Howie B, Les Negresses Vertes, Tomas R. Einarsson, Petur Ben, KK, Kaktus Einarsson, and many many others. He also produces an award-winning documentary music show for RUV called Hljómskálinn.
Birgir Mogensen is a classically trained classical guitarist and bass player who has worked through the years with artists ranging from KUKL to Killing Joke to Spilafifl and Inferno5.
Birgir and Sigtryggur formed Paddan during the 2010s, and are now preparing to release their EP Fluid Time, which has been inspired by their perception of time and space. Birgir Mogensen says, "As a duo, we trusted our musical intuition and were guided by allowing the first idea to remain unchanged during the recording process"Recorded, produced, and arranged by the pair, Sigtryggur and Birgir play basses and drums along with various other instruments.
All recordings are played on live instruments except a modular synth which is programmed in the background of two tracks The duo is joined by the great harmonica and lap steel player Gaukur Davidsson on "Vaguely" and "Bug," and trumpet player Eirikur Orri Ólafsson on "Splash," not to mention the mixing expertise of Vaccines bassist Arni Hjörvar Árnason on "Bug," "Splash," and "Kokka," and sound-mixer Albert Finnbogason on "Vaguely."

Second slice of mystic cosmic funk from Golden Ape Records...

Collaborators are Fedka & the Wulf, with Luke’s Anger on the remix tip, bringing their wonky hardwired electro funk to the label. They have been warping minds and shaking bootsies as part of Pest on Ninja Tune since the ’90s and now are bringing all that funk to bear on this release.

Beardvasion is a super limited vinyl - 100 only! - 4 track EP with radically different missions. Beardvasion - original mix has filthy bass bent on destroying speakers. Lukes Anger remix is a hard jacking minimal workout. Earlyworm is a twisted shout out to Detroit, and Serena a funk flavoured electro sugar rush.

Willie Roy Turner a native Mississippian, migrated with his family to the South Side of the city of Chicago during the 1950’s. Initially taking up employment at the Golden Rod Ice Cream Company, his first foray into secular music arose when he was accompanied by Muddy Waters Band at Smitty’s Corner Club and performed an impressive recital of the 1959 Big Jay Neely standard “There’s Something On Your Mind” at an Open Mic Night sometime in 1963. A regular talent show entrant, Duke would eventually meet and befriend fellow Mississippian, Garland Green. Green himself had been spotted at the Trocadero Theater by the then husband and wife team of Mel Collins and “Joshie” Jo Armstead, who signed him to their Giant Enterprises production company where he recorded several excellent singles for MCA’s subsidiary, Revue and Uni labels. Green’s third Revue single release, “Ain’t That Good Enough” was composed by Jo Armstead, brothers Howard and Walter Scott and session drummer Ira Gates. It was Green who introduced Duke Turner to the Scott Brothers. The Scott Brothers Review (later known as The Scott Brothers World), one of Chicago’s most respected bands, operated their own production company, Capri Productions, producing songs on both their own and other labels artists. With the Scott’s, Duke recorded his first 45, the upbeat funk mover “Doggie Dog World” b/w “Put Some Soul In Your Dance”. The tracks penned by Duke and respected arranger Johnny Cameron was released on Don Clay’s Omega label in 1968.



Duke then formed his own company, Spinning Top Records, initially releasing “Shake Your Rang-A Tang (Rang-Dang-Du) to be followed by a second single “(Let Me Be Your) Baby Sitter”. Originally intended for release with a b-side entitled “Friendship Or Friends” the studio engineer on the project Ed Cody persuaded Duke to drop “Friendship” in favour of a part 2 version of “(Let Me Be Your) Baby Sitter”. “Friendship Or Friends” was sadly never revisited and with Duke moving to several different addresses across the ensuing years, the tapes eventually became lost. Fast forward half a century, and following a conversation with collector Malcolm Collins who divulged the existence of a acetate of “Friendship Or Friends” won on e-bay by a British collector Russell Gilbert (now living in the Netherlands), the idea of releasing the song was born. When contacted, Russell was only too happy to loan to us the acetate as a mastering reference. Upon receipt of the acetate, we realized in addition to the unreleased “Friendship Or Friends” the version of “Baby Sitter” was a longer and different mix to the released 45 version. After confirming and reacquainting Duke with his long-lost masters a licensing deal was struck which will see the long overdue release of “Friendship or Friends” along with the alternative mix of “(Let Me Be Your) Baby Sitter” as part of a 3- track EP courtesy of Soul Junction Records that also includes the original 1974 version of “Give Me Some Sugar, Baby”, a song now finding favour with the ‘Lowrider’ scene. “Give Me Some Sugar, Baby” became Duke’s signature song, which he recorded again in 1983 under the title of “Sugar Baby Your Love” with his then band ‘Torch’, which included two young musicians that Duke had previously mentored, Terry Coffey and Jon Nettlesbey, the successful 90’s songwriting partnership responsible for several RnB/Pop hits for Howard Hewitt, Alexander O’Neil, Teddy Pendergrass and Keith Washington. Their credits also include Joey Diggs “Always Coca-Cola” hit commercial jingle.

Vast imbecile mentality of those
Who cannane tell a thistle from a rose This is for the others...

Jesse Rae: anachronist Celtic funk warrior, renegade pioneer of funk, soul & dub (collaborating with Parliament, Funkadelic, Adrian Sherwood, Roger Troutman & the Sugarhill Gang); mad pedestrian-punk-poet, steeped so much in his own mythology he exists not only outside of time but in a universe of his own making; three time runner as an independent electoral candidate for Scottish Parliament, kitted-out as ever in ever in his Scots regal (kilt, helmet and claymore); the original trailblazer of the MTV Age (see 1985 music video ‘Over the Sea’, shot on top of the Brooklyn Bridge - aye, you read that correctly). And that’s just the tip of the iceberg folks. The Real McCoy. Prince of Scotland, king of hearts.

Appearing on wax for the first time, three cuts from the world's first ISDN virtual album, Jesse Rae’s seminal ‘Compression’ (CD) - which first dropped on Echo Beach in 1995. ‘Almost Ma Sel Again’ - a Scottish Burns-Funk classic intercut with a reading of Nigel Tranter’s The Wallace, a breathtaking (de)construction of emotional-electronic-free-funk; as deep as the heart that reaps it. ‘Virtual U’ - a mad cut of downtempo Scot/US G-Funk cum hip-hop interposed with answering machine messages from New Jersey’s own Bernie Worrell. ‘Switch Tae U’ - an orchestral and sublime bit of downtown house music. And of course, joining these three is a re-mastered cut of Jesse Rae’s 1982 cult classic ‘Rusha’ - a tripped out slab of linguistic psychedelia.

There we have it then: real shit indeed! Jesse Rae on Pace Yourself folks. For the already initiated and first timers, welcome to the Caledonian wormhole.

Sure to be an outsider anthem for Scotland @ the Euros this summer. Pace & Luv xo

DJ Support: DJ Support by Spiller, Alex from Tokyo, Coyote, Fango, Pete Gooding, Ally Tropical, Steve Cobby, Gold Suite, Luca Averna, Will Nicol, Danilo Braca, La Guardia De La Luz

Federico Costantini aka Luminodisco is back on Hell Yeah having long since assured his legacy with the label. Over the years, the Italian has dropped many cult and still widely played cuts here from across the disco-sphere ('Ragazzini,' 'Diavolo di un Disco,' 'Oh Mary' and more all still bang) and now he is back with a newly moved sound. A compulsion to produce something with "a more adult approach" is what defines this latest era, and a fine one it is too. Opener 'Solero' will surely become as revered as those classics above with its irresistible grooves guaranteed to bring ultimate dance floor satisfaction. The punchy drums are peppered with percussion and drum fills while gloriously sugary chords add the heat and wispy pads take things into cosmic realms. 'Jazzclub' is an unhinged rhythmic interlude that chops up vocal stabs, screwy synths and whirring machines into stomping brilliance then 'Bigfoot' slows things to a dubbed out crawl that has you gazing at the twinkling star-like synths. Things then get wonderfully wild on closer 'Soko', a jumble of percussion and tribal vocals over swaggering drum loops. Playful leads bring the sun as the dumpy bass plods on, pixel thin pads squirm all around and a celestial carnival in the sky plays out with irresistible charm.

2024 Repress

Mariah was a Japanese outfit in the field of art pop, way back in the very late 70s and early 80s with 5 albums up their score from 1980 to 1983. The album from 1979 entitled as “Mariah” was actually made before the band Mariah was formed, and was released as a solo album by Yasuaki Shimizu. The album at hand is the fifth and for the time being last album in this row, released as a double vinyl back in 1983. Original copies, that are at least in very good condition, are hard to find. The brand new reissue on Everland, unlike the original and the first vinyl reissue from 2015, comes housed in a thick and artfully designed gatefold sleeve with OBI, which finally does justice to the progressive spirit of the music you will find here.

The musical basement of Utakata No Hibi is a fusion of dreamy synthesizer pop and haunting new wave music, that could be found all around the globe back in 1983. In the vein of TEARS FOR FEARS or more adventurous DAVID BOWIE stuff, with a touch of KRAFTWERK or even BRIAN ENO here and there, but all this gets spiced up with an atmosphere of Japanese traditionalism, with a few bits and pieces from the old music from this Far East island, which sounds so magic to us Westeners. The progressive, wacky art pop of this project was led by the popular Japanese composer and musician Yasuaki Shimizu, a relentlessly exploratory saxophonist who even dared to rework Johann Sebastian Bach’s cello suites for saxophone.

As brilliant as this man is, the music on „Utakata No Hibi“ turns out to be. And the master himself approved and much appreciated the brandnew remastering of this album by assisting a highly professional team of sound engineers who dusted off the ancient tape reels. For certain the record sounds and feels 80s through and through, electronic to the very rhythmical bone of each song sugar coated with catchy melodies that resemble Japanese classic and Enka music, which is a kind of folksy pop music. The listener gets directly drawn into a feverish dream of steaming Far Eastern cities and their darkest and most depraved corners where you find everything cheap in sleazy bars and unlighted backyards and alleys. The next moment he strolls through a beautiful Japanese park surrounded by a sea of blossoms. This change in mood and style you will experience in the sparsely instrumented tune „Shisen“, which indeed comes closest to classic Japanese folk tunes without any too catchy and pop oriented melodies. But we certainly find these harmonies allover the album. Some tunes even feel like ancient BEACH BOYS compositions and Brian Wilson creations played by a then contemporary electronic pop act and sung in Japanese.

An amazingly colorful album with songs that are based on solid substance rather than cheap pop structures. This is music for the bold listeners and music lovers and this awesome reissue should quickly find it’s way into the record collections of 80s synth and art pop aficionadoes.

Yasuaki Shimizu did what he wanted with MARIAH, pushed the borders of popular music further than anybody would have thought. Listen to a track like „Shonen“ with a repetitive rhythm pattern that hypnotizes you and somehow silky melodylines by saxophone and synth piano upon which a female voice sings in a very spiritual way. Praising pop or whatever this can be called, it is sheer magic put in music. I wonder if this would have made it into the charts back then, but you never know. It is a piece of musical art that shall be listened to.

The Sugarhill Gang is an American hip hop trio, worldwide known for their massive 1979 hit "Rapper's Delight", which was the first rap single to become a Top 40 hit on the Billboard Hot 100. The track was the first exposure to hip-hop for millions of people. The Sugarhill Gang were also among the very first rap acts to record a full-length LP.

Sugarhill Gang includes the original 7-inch version of "Rapper's Delight" as a bonus track. The album is available as a limited edition of 1000 individually numbered copies on translucent red coloured vinyl, housed in a gatefold sleeve.

DJ Support: Homero Espinosa, Demarkus Lewis, Kevin Yost, Micky More & Andy Tee, Milk & Sugar, Hatiras, Ross Couch, Random Soul, Husky, Colette, Vincent Caira, Richard Earnshaw, T.Markakis, Mike Millrain, Dirtytwo, 4Peace, and many more.

After a few years of silence, the label FVR Street is back, 10 years since its inception, and thrilled to introduce the VINYLITUDES series: A selection of the best tracks carefully curated from the catalogues of La Vie D'Artiste Music and FVR Street.

The first opus is a fusion of Deep House and Disco House sprinkled with nostalgic French Touch vibes from the late 90s.

It is 1983 and you've just stepped into your Ford Capri with your girlfriend Julie. You live in Harlow, but in your head you're really somewhere near Salou in Spain, next to your yacht. But the thing you really love is soul and they play nothing but at Sups in Loughton. OK, so It's not 1983 at all. It's 2014, but listening to this electrofied soul, will put you back in the zone. Tom Findlay, one half of Grammy-nominated Groove Armada, has put this collection together: a stamp of authenticity in itself. Tom has also put a few of these through the edit wringer, reworking many of the tunes for maximum towelling sockability.

You'll probably recognise a few tunes. There's Mtume's incredible 'Juicy Fruit', still sounding advanced and modern, while 'I Specialize In Love, mixed by disco legend Tee Scott, is even older yet sounds equally perky.

The 1980s was a period that was pretty much owned by Minneapolis thanks to Prince and former cohorts Jam & Lewis and the latter weigh in with a pair of killer productions, Thelma Houston's 'You Used To Hold Me So Tight' and Alexander O'Neal's 'What's Missing'. And since this is Late Night Tales, there is always our exclusive cover version, this time done by Findlay and Tim Hutton's Sugardaddy, who've delivered an ace version of 'Don't Look Any Further'.

Grab yourself a bar stool, order a cocktail, take a sip and make believe you're lying on a shagpile carpet with the soul star of your dreams.

Bill Brewster

Automatic Soul, like my previously compiled Late Night Tales Music For Pleasure, is based very much on a sound. It's a sound that I feel has been overlooked: 80s R&B-infused music, with drum machines, synths and invariably brilliant vocals. It's formed the bedrock of my rare groove sets for all the years I've played. It's not the most fashionable, but to me it's the perfect marriage of technology and soul, hence the title for this album, Automatic Soul. There are plenty of songs I could have included, and no doubt some that I shouldn't, but I've tried to represent what's best to me from this era. It's not a classic Late Night Tales. It's a pretty personal journey, which I hope some of you might be willing to share... Tom Findlay Groove Armada September 2014.

Yuki Kanesaka, the multi-instrumentalist/Producer who's been the Mastermind behind his monolog project recordings is back with the delicious uptempo cover of "Watermelon Man". He indulges us with star-studded features of Bill Summers, the percussionist of the Head Hunters and Curtis "Fitz" Williams, the musical director and keyboardist/saxophonist of Kool & the Gang. The backstory is, Yuki traveled all the way to Bill Summer's home studio on Valence Street, New Orleans to record Bill playing a variety of alluring percussive instruments. That includes playing Hindewhu, the style of singing/whistle-playing of Central Africa mixed with a Peruvian Pan flute Zampoña much like the infectious Head Hunters version. Other notable instrumentations include congas, and shekere and Bill's hand scratching used as a human shaker. Curtis Williams plays the lead soprano sax melody we all know and love, with some added clavinet that adds extra sugar to the watermelon funk. B side features a special drum break version called "Bill's Valence Street Jam", so you can really savor the mouthwatering groove of the Watermelon Man. Both tracks are performed, produced, mixed, and recorded by monolog aka Yuki Kanesaka.

Ltd. Yellow+Red Splatter Vinyl

Die unbestrittene britische Musikikone Dizzee Rascal meldet sich mit dem elektrisierenden neuen Album 'Don't Take It Personal' auf seinem neuen Label Big Dirte3 Records Ltd. zurück. Die LP stellt seine besten Arbeiten in den Schatten und ist eine eindrucksvolle Erinnerung daran, wie Dizzee zu seinem legendären Status kam. Es fängt ihn in aufrührerischer Form ein, während er mühelos und mit unvergleichlicher Leichtigkeit durch eine ganze Sammlung an eindeutig britischen Genres fliesst. Dizzees neuestes Werk, das sich auf prahlerische Flows und beeindruckendes Wortspiel konzentriert, ist eine weitere Siegesrunde eine der prägendsten Legenden der Rap-Musik, und während es weiterhin Reime regnet, denkt daran: Es ist nichts Persönliches.

Following much love for his EPs, remixes and club sets, the virtuosic DJ/producer Simo Cell’s debut album 'Cuspide des Sirènes' doesn’t disappoint. In fact, it takes things to a whole new level.

With a fantastical menagerie of anthropomorphism, sounds create characters and tools; the mermaid-like Sirens, the mind controlling Octopus and the Magic Conch Shell:

“Have you heard of the legend of 'Cuspide des Sirènes'? This is not a simple tale, but an incredible tapestry woven over many years and through countless wondrous adventures. I will recount the legend as it was recorded in the ancient scrolls.

The album’s story explores the themes of magic, enchantment, charm, and allure, but also personal fears. The protagonist (me) embarks on a quest to find the hidden lake and confront his own demons, in order to understand and master his own power.

The protagonist is armed with a powerful conch shell. As he embarks on his journey, he will encounter Sirens who will teach him various chants. These melodies hold unique powers and grant the main character the strength to confront and overcome any danger that may arise.” Simo Cell

Musically, the LP is a continuation of Simo’s journey that began with the ‘YES.DJ’ EP, with a synthesized/modernized take on noughties hip hop, bass music, trap, ghetto house and ghetto tech – but here he broadens the scope, massively.

Exploring new pathways through magical landscapes, via infused melodies, emo and pop, the sensations are bright and addictive, like a sugar and endorphin cocktail. There’s a screen sheen and video game quality too, sounding like the high-octane score to an action flick from the year 3000, with unimaginably wild SFX.

'Cuspide des Sirènes' is the kind of record to stop someone in their tracks, to ask “what IS this?”, provoking bass face, perplexion, fascination and manic glee, all at once. Not so much organised chaos as intricately-crafted-borderline-unhingement, the album is slightly bonkers, in a very good way. There’s a boundless sense of childlike, unencumbered imagination at play, and an abundance of fun, but there are moments of serious-deep-beat-science for the heads, and introspective passages too.

There’s a lot going on, with detail, layers, flourishes, arrangement, melodies and myriad fresh sounds – but it’s never too much; just a really engrossing listen – the kind that that ruins ones appetite for prosaic, vanilla dance music, rendering such 2D pursuits boring and obsolete.

Ideally, the album is meant to be experienced as a seamless narrative from start to finish, so leave any inhibitions or preconceptions at the door, and let the pied piper of electronic futurism lead you way down the rabbit hole.

Repress!

Stix Records is a sub-division of Favorite Recordings, recently launched with a first official single by Taggy Matcher Birdy & Nixon (STIX033), who pleased us with two Reggae-Rocksteady renditions of the famous Black Keys. Precisely specialized in the exercise of producing covers with a Reggae twist,
the new label presents his first album entitled "Disco Reggae". Many artists faithful to the stable of Favorite Recordings and its various sub-labels are invited for the occasion: The Dynamics, Blundetto, Grandmagneto, 7 Samurai, John Milk or Taggy Matcher. All came and brought their respective touch to this first compilation, with among other things some of the rarest titles from their Big Single Records' years, but also 4 new and exclusive productions. Each of them delivers a great isco-Reggae version of classic hits by some artists as diverse as Madonna, Herbie Hancock, Justin Timberlake, The Commodores, The O'Jays, Curtis Mayfield, Harry Nilsson or Sugarhill Gang. Whatever the genre or the period, nothing can resist their inventiveness and creativity, to the point sometimes we confuse between originals and covers. Everything is remastered and cut at Carvery Records (UK), known for their expertise in Caribbean and Disco music. The vinyl LP comes in a deluxe version, housed in an old-school Tip-On Jacket.

Originating from Adelaide while performing and producing as half of the duo 'Warren Raww', Hank YM got his start by throwing a string of events in the well catered establishment 'Sugar Nightclub'.

While supporting and hosting the likes of Funkineven, Damiano Von Erkcert, Mark Grusane and Florist, ambition turned more towards production in 2017. Taking inspiration from fellow Adelaide musicians such as Mic Mills, Arthur Miles and Freddie Norwood (Untzz Records), the focus in Hank's sound has always been to create a unique experience, with sets flowing from roots percussion through to house and disco. First debuting with a strong release on Australian Label 'Centre Source Records', 'Wabi-Sabi' placed focus on percussion and lush chords inspired from Japanese aesthetic

You know Krash Slaughta right? The man behind the recent wildly successful DOOM/Sugacubes mash-up LP Sugar-Coated DOOM, not to mention his unofficial remixes of the Wu’s K.R.E.A.M. and P.L.O. Style and collab. 45 with Phill Most Chill, Rebel Base? ‘Is he at it again?’ the monkey hears you ask. Yes, he is at it again, though the closest of the the three aforementioned releases to what he’s about to drop is the Wu remix 45. And what he’s about to drop is Diggin Deeper, not a single this time but a whole remix album of one of his (and the monkey’s!) all-time favourite hip-hop LPs – to wit, Niggamortis – more usually known as Six Feet Deep (especially in the U.S., though minus the best track under that name) by hip-hop supergroup Gravediggaz.

As many will know, this LP with its horror-movie fixated lyrics gave birth to a whole hip-hop sub-genre – that of ‘horrorcore.’ However, none of those who came after seemed to manage the lyrical humour of The RZArector, The Grym Reaper and The Gatekeeper (a.k.a. RZA, Poetic and Frukwan) and the only bit of production by The Undertaker (a.k.a. Prince Paul) that they seemed interested in was the sub-metal rap sludge of the shouty Bang Your Head – i.e. the LP’s one weak spot. But don’t worry, Krash isn’t interested in that sort of thing. Not only does he avoid rap-metal beats for Bang Your Head, he doesn’t use any on the LP at all – hurrah! What he does do is employ, arguably, as eclectic an array of sample sources as Prince Paul on the original – though with an entirely different end result. Bang Your Head with its apparently sixties garage band-derived beat for example is one of the standouts. The skeletal piano skank of 6 Feet Deep is another, while a beat featuring spaced-out eighties synths forms the new musical backdrop to Constant Elevation. Two more of the monkey’s favourites on this one are Here Comes The Gravediggaz, now underpinned by double-bass-led funk and the glorious inappropriately joyous bounce of Blood Brothers. The result? Your favourite cuts on this one might not be the same as your favourite cuts on the original. Two different versions of a much-loved LP, then; it’s why people remix hip-hop. All the vocal stems were created by Krash and the ultimate intention is to do a limited vinyl release. Cover art is by the Dead Residents’ Junior Disprol.

Recent times have seen After Caposile become one of the most sought after locations on the underground circuit, and this reflects in their acclaimed record label - Caposile Music. This Spring they have prepared a stellar release of firm favourites from the club. “The Sound Of Garden” release will come in two parts, both on 12” and will include a heavy hitting lineup such as Romanian duo Super Moon (Arapu & Priku), family members and residents Maggio, Francesco Maddalena, and Yaar Kü, Silat Beksi, Mihai Pol, Giuliano Lomonte and Sublee. A perfect blend of club affiliates, coming together to provide the soundtrack from that famous garden.

Volume One kicks off with the dynamite combination of Arapu & Priku under their Super Moon moniker. Hypnotic movements set a serious tone for the journey ahead, mysterious elements simmering throughout “I Can Help”. Dreamy meets dance floor in Maggio’s aptly named “Just Landed” floating synths calmly lift you, but you remain grounded by the killer elasticated groove. After delivering the previous EP on the label Yaar Kü returns with a stripped back encounter, his unique touch shining bright. Silat Beksi provides a certain sunshine jam with his track “Jaho”, you immediately feel the warmer times are coming, after parties in the sun.

Landing just a few weeks after is the equally special Volume Two, packed full of ammo for the tastemakers. Mihai Pol inaugurates proceedings with “Sugar Rush”, the 7 minute quest boasts shimmering synths and a sweet bass line to match. Francesco Maddalena ups the ante with his garage influenced “Breath Of Air”, an energy boost for the peak times of the party. Giuliano Lomonte’s “More Time” rumbles from the get go, begging to be played on a high quality system to allow each of the intricate details to speak for themselves. Last but not least is Sublee, his “Day Six” track is a chugging body of work, blurring the lines between house and minimal with a raw edge.

With a huge European tour on the table, and a release of this stature After Caposile are flying high at the moment with an indispensable team behind the project. Expanding on their party paradise location, but simultaneously propelling innovative underground sounds under the Caposile Music offshoot. Both Volume One and Two will land this May, right on cue for the summer time madness.

Recent times have seen After Caposile become one of the most sought after locations on the underground circuit, and this reflects in their acclaimed record label - Caposile Music. This Spring they have prepared a stellar release of firm favourites from the club. “The Sound
of Garden” release will come in two parts, both on 12” and will include a heavy hitting lineup such as Romanian duo Super Moon (Arapu & Priku), family members and residents Maggio, Francesco Maddalena, and Yaar Kü, Silat Beksi, Mihai Pol, Giuliano Lomonte and Sublee. A perfect blend of club affiliates, coming together to provide the soundtrack from that famous garden.

Volume One kicks off with the dynamite combination of Arapu & Priku under their Super Moon moniker. Hypnotic movements set a serious tone for the journey ahead, mysterious elements simmering throughout “I Can Help”. Dreamy meets dance floor in Maggio’s aptly named “Just Landed” floating synths calmly lift you, but you remain grounded by the killer elasticated groove. After delivering the previous EP on the label Yaar Kü returns with a stripped back encounter, his unique touch shining bright. Silat Beksi provides a certain sunshine jam with his track “Jaho”, you immediately feel the warmer times are coming, after parties in the sun.

Landing just a few weeks after is the equally special Volume Two, packed full of ammo for the tastemakers. Mihai Pol inaugurates proceedings with “Sugar Rush”, the 7 minute quest boasts shimmering synths and a sweet bass line to match. Francesco Maddalena ups the ante with his garage influenced “Breath Of Air”, an energy boost for the peak times of the party. Giuliano Lomonte’s “More Time” rumbles from the get go, begging to be played on a high quality system to allow each of the intricate details to speak for themselves. Last but not least is Sublee, his “Day Six” track is a chugging body of work, blurring the lines between house and minimal with a raw edge.

With a huge European tour on the table, and a release of this stature After Caposile are flying high at the moment with an indispensable team behind the project. Expanding on their party paradise location, but simultaneously propelling innovative underground sounds under the Caposile Music offshoot. Both Volume One and Two will land this May, right on cue for the summer time madness.

Beatservice Records are beyond thrilled to announce the arrival of Kohib's hotly anticipated studio album 'Today's Tales Of Tomorrow'.

DJ, producer and club organiser Øivind 'Kohib' Sjøvoll has been in truly dazzling form of late, serving a series of mesmerising singles that served as a tantalising taster to his latest album – the third he's crafted for Beatservice. Actively producing immaculately crafted sounds for over two decades, sonic alchemist Kohib continues his deft aptitude for sculpting genre-defying compositions, with 'Today's Tales Of Tomorrow' playing host to some of his most compelling material to date. From pitch black introspection to rousing dancefloor abandon, the album is every bit as far-reaching as we've come to expect from this singularly talented artist.

The collection bursts into life via the club-focused thrust of 'Golden Skies', featuring the seductive vocals of enigmatic songstress, Lydia Waits, whose stirring performance shines like a beacon as it soars over Kohib's slick four/four groove. Crisp drums drive the hypnotic rhythm over a subaquatic bass line, as icy pads and pitched synth percussion combine to stunning effect, effortlessly building to Waits' rousing chorus section. Subtly shifting the mood, we arrive in the heads-down throb of 'It's Never Late In Neon Signs', where glistening arpeggios and snarling bass caress Lydia Waits' honeyed vocal, the pristine instrumentation undulating over a mesmerising, radio-friendly arrangement.

'Fake Fur' arrives with deliciously brooding intent, with (Kohib's High Heeled Giants bandmate) Helle Larsen's bewitching vocal gliding over immersive instrumentation and otherworldly textures. Evocative harmonics combine with ethereal synth leads and dramatic aural waves, the hypnotic percussion gently driving the groove deep into the half-light of a crisp autumnal haze. Next, 'Hold That Thought' mischievously switches the rhythm, as thick sub bass and searing synth motifs power over broken drums while Helle Larsen's affecting vocal rises from delicate verse into dramatic chorus bursts.

'Sandcastles' once again sees Helle Larsen grace the stage, lacing waves of cinematic pads glide and live bass as scattered percussion forms an alluring rhythm. Sparse and precise, the evolving music ebbs and flows as the tides, gorgeously caressing Larsen's emotion-rich vocal as she weaves her seductive lyrical metaphors. The album's title track 'Today's Tales Of Tomorrow' sees sinister lead synths exploding over deviant bass as the pulsating rhythm drives the cut through distant vocals, the low-slung groove proving magnetic as the nocturnal melody works its magic.

The tempo rises rapidly, with the pounding bass arpeggio of 'This Kitty Got Claws' purposefully marching through cascading synth textures, euphoric chords, and self-assured lead vocals. Expertly displaying his expansive production finesse, the rhythm once again switches as we sashay into the utterly bewitching 'Rhythm Cast A Spell On Me', with Lydia Waits' indelible vocal providing a profoundly atmospheric moment. A sublimely constructed bed of neatly woven keys, xylophone strikes and haunting bass clarinet elegantly embrace the ethereal lead vocal.

The mystical melodies of 'Not Supposed To Be' echo over a misty woodland landscape, with Lydia Waits' unfeigned vocal flowing over jagged synth textures and gently broken rhythms, before Helle Larsen returns with the sensual swansong 'Let's Stay Right Here'. Sumptuous keys shimmer over a steady tempo, with warm bass and sugary melodies supporting the intoxicating lead vocal for a gorgeously heartfelt finale.

Vividly illustrating Kohib's unthinkably vast sonic repertoire, 'Today's Tales Of Tomorrow' looks set to further enhance the Norwegian producer's already glowing reputation, with each exquisitely-formed track combining to create a collection that's at once powerfully memorable and profoundly coherent.

2022 Repress

This new Acid Avengers EP is a diagonal trip from South-East to North-West of Europe. Malta-based producer Acidulant (Balkan Vinyl, Acidworx, Jack Trax) and Brittany-based producer Voiron (Nocta Numerica, Analogical Force, Rave or Die) join their forces and deliver a six-tracks EP combining UK rave, melancholic electro, catchy techno, oldschool breaks, and of course much TB-303. Rave on!

Soul Jazz Records' are releasing their long-out-of-print album 'Hustle! Reggae Disco' in a new expanded 2017 edition which now features five extra tracks. This ground-breaking album features non-stop killer reggae versions of original funk and soul classics in a disco style. Reggae disco updates of seminal classics by Anita Ward ('Ring
My Bell'), Chaka Khan ('I'm Every Woman'), Michael Jackson 'Don't Stop 'til You Get Enough,' Sugarhill Gang ('Rappers Delight' here performed by Derrick Laro and Trinity for producer Joe Gibbs) and more, all showing the hidden but inseparable link between the dance floors of New York, Kingston and London.

New bonus tracks to this collection include Derrick Harriott's funky take on Eddie Drennon's 'Do It Nice and Easy', the classic disco reggae of Risco Connection's take on McFadden and Whitehead's 'Ain't No Stopping Us Now' and the London rare groove lovers rock take on Barbara Acklin's soul classic 'Am I The Same Girl'.
'Hustle! Reggae Disco' has been one of Soul Jazz Records' best-selling releases since its first release 15 years ago (and subsequently featured heavily in the early Grand Theft Auto games!). This new edition comes complete fully re-mastered and with all original titles plus new tracks. This new expanded edition now comes a triple album (+ download code), CD and digital album.

'The effect of American R&B and soul music on Jamaican reggae is well documented, but the story doesn't stop there, for disco (and more so now for rap and hip-hop) have also been subsumed into the reggae mix, and while one might suspect that the resulting hybrid would die of its own implausibility, the feral mix of disco with reggae rhythms is so darn infectious that it hardly matters. Once you take your brain out of the frame and just let your feet go, this collection is a dancer's delight all done up in full-blown disco style, but with huge dub-style rhythm tracks ... if you're looking for an impossibly infectious dance collection, this is
it.' All Music

VincentIulian debuts on Subtil after his recently published EP on Atipic.

SBTL018 – called Various Whispers – kicks off with “Something”, a mesmeric groover, recurring layers of sequenced sounds and rhythmic patterns on side A.

On the flip side you find the particularly reduced track “Nue Tans”. Looping fragments of words merging with the drums wholly. The most notable characteristic of B2 “PWMA” is a bubbly synth bassline so rich and sugary that you might feel pangs of toothache.

Nina Simone was multi-faceted, both as an artist and on a personal level, and she spent her whole career
drawing from such a wide variety of influences that it was always impossible to pigeon-hole her. She drew
from the classical music world, from folk roots, from blues, from jazz and from the writers of the Great
American Songbook, and delivered all of her material in her own unique style. This collection of songs is
drawn from the early years of her releases and very much reflects her diversity of musical choices. Her work
is amongst the very best and this album is a taster of her immense talent

Oddball Japanese electro-fueled vocoder funk with occasional raps from the 80s, including unreleased material...
.
Japanese Electro original, Minoru Hoodoo Fushimi, self-released four albums. Two vinyl LPs and two CDs between 1985 and 1992. Melbourne`s Left Ear Records have selected twelve tracks, for a double vinyl retrospective. 10 tracks from Minoru`s four albums and a further two unreleased tracks from the archives.

Minoru set out to combine his love of all things Funk with traditional instruments and song from his homeland. He uses shamisen on Thanatopsis. Where Parliament`s Flashlight, George Clinton`s Atomic Dog, ride with Osamu Kitajima`s Masterless Samurai. Shakuhachi on Mizuko No Tamashii Hyakumademo. Nohdashi puts koto with a Jimmy Castor riff. All set to popping and locking beats.

Minoru`s vocals switch between raps about cellular metabolism and haemoglobin, Soul croon and vocoder. On Shinz-San he adds Metal guitar to vintage Sugarhill. And he goes crazy with his sampler. Scratching in cats, frogs, babies, laughter, giggles, traffic jams, failing ignitions, opera singers, and amorous sighs. Furarete mixes elephant roars and Go-Go. Creating unique avant grooves that share something with Tackhead`s ON-U Sound System, Savant`s tape experiments, and fellow countrymen EP-4.

co-compiled by Left Ear Records and Jerome Qpchan

An instrumental counterpart to ‘Man Kill Man’ by Lone Ark meets The 18th Parallel, ‘Kanata’ marks the debut solo release of Japanese saxophonist extraordinaire Yuko Arakawa.

A member of ZIONHILL SESSION—the collective led by Mr. Saito, who also lends his trombone to this recording—Yuko Arakawa channels a deep reverence for the legacy of Count Ossie and the pioneers of Nyahbinghi instrumental reggae. Her playing moves with a spiritual intensity, echoing the meditative roots sound of Cedric 'Im' Brooks, while igniting flashes of raw, untamed energy reminiscent of Sugar Belly. The result is a living, breathing sound—both grounded in tradition and reaching beyond it.

Roberto Sánchez delivers a deep Mutron Bi-Phase dubby mix that expands the sonic horizon of the track. True to its title, ‘Kanata’ (彼方)—a Japanese word meaning ‘far beyond’ or ‘in a distant place’—invites the listener into a meditative journey, drifting across time, space, and memory.

Killer Groove Records proudly presents the self-titled debut album by Italian cinematic funk trio Atabasca. A sonic journey where funk, psychedelia and desert groove merge into a timeless narrative suspended between rhythm and vision.


"Atabasca" marks the debut release from the cinematic funk trio, dropping March 27th on limited edition LP, CD digipack and digital formats, the latter featuring an exclusive bonus track. This is a project built on evocative imagery: each song unfolds as an open scene, an emotional landscape where listeners can step inside and write their own ending.

Lap steel, kalimba, percussion and guitars interweave with bass and drums, striking an original balance between tradition and experimentation that evokes unwritten soundtracks for worlds at once distant and familiar. The record navigates between melancholy and irony, tension and release, with a sharp focus on dynamics and sonic narrative.


Deserts, seas, imaginary villages, getaways, pursuits and collective rituals: "Atabasca" emerges as a collection of musical landscapes that unfolds through vivid, evocative imagery.

Jazz-funk, world music, afrobeat, psychedelia and the Italian Golden Age of movie soundtracks merge into a singular emotional geography: warm, analog and deeply human.

The musical journey opens with "Dune", a melancholic statement that leaves room for imagination, before igniting with "Kundela Mawedi" and its cascading lap steel over haunting vocal chants. "Paco" tips its hat to classic westerns, tracing a bandit's trajectory, while "Cameo" drifts back to childhood through minimal rumba and shimmering kalimba. The cinematic imagery continues in "Cacopoulos", a nod to Spaghetti westerns and Eli Wallach, built on raw drum patterns and distorted guitars. Intensity builds in "Khettara", where afrobeat rhythms and Middle Eastern textures intertwine, before "Hell Dorado" tears off in pursuit of the American dream's funk-fueled mirage. "Papambra" weaves hypnotic polyrhythms between kalimba and lap steel, while "Porpora" delivers a sensual, visceral tango of passion and tension. The digital edition closes with "Reprise", a sequel that stretches the album's central theme into an expansive, meditative interpretation.

The tracks were recorded in single takes, capturing the raw energy and natural atmosphere of the performance. Artistic production was handled by the trio alongside Andrea Fabrizii (digger, musician, producer and catalogue curator for CAM Sugar), while Riccardo Ricci mastered the album at Velvet Room Mastering Studio in Brighton.

Like a desert blooming within the evergreen forests of the planet's far north, a unique, alien, disruptive environment. This is the vision behind Atabasca, the project of Luca Mongia (guitars, lap steel, keyboards, vocals), Paolo Mazziotti (bass, keyboards, vocals) and Valerio Pompei (drums, percussion, vocals).

Individually active for over twenty years on both the national and international scenes, the three Italian musicians came together in 2023 to create a project that merges experience, experimentation and creative freedom. Their music is imaginative and at times dreamlike, blending the classic concept of the instrumental trio with the worlds of film scoring and sound design.

Atabasca's sound moves through jazz-funk, world and cinematic territories, weaving together afrobeat, desert and psychedelic influences into a personal and timeless language. Each piece is a scene; each sound, a fragment of a world, a journey between reality and imagination where groove, texture and organic timbre merge into a singular sonic ecosystem: a perpetually shifting balance that generates new inner landscapes.


For fans of Khruangbin, Surprise Chef and instrumental psych-funk!

On the day of Eid al-Fitr (Sugar Feast), Sonhouse Records released Grond, a brand new record, produced by Faisal Chatar and 'Yong' Yello Staelens.

Grond (soil) tells the tragicomic story of a Moroccan brother and sister who take over their father's funeral business and want to modernise it. Instead of repatriating Belgian Muslims to their country of origin and burying them there according to Muslim traditions, they decide to import the holy soil.

Western and Arabic sounds, combined with hip-hop beats are mixed in a refined way. Faisal and Yello produced twenty songs that immediately make you long for summer. In Brussels, Tangier or simply elsewhere.

Faisal Chatar and Yello Staelens:
"Grond is about the clash between traditional Moroccan values and Brussels city culture. We tried to translate that by combining Moroccan instruments like Krakebs and Qanuns with thick hip-hop beats. It sounds as if Timbaland is eating a merguez sandwich in a Molenbeek snack bar while Aznavour sounds through a distorted FM radio."

Julia Cumming’s solo debut Julia opens with an unadorned declaration of independence: her voice and a piano uniting for a liberating proclamation of self that rejects doubt, misogyny, and the notion of being “too much.” Julia unlocks a creative door years in the making for the New York–born multi-instrumentalist and Sunflower Bean bassist, culminating after nearly two decades of bands, releases, labels, and relentless touring. As Sunflower Bean’s Headful of Sugar era ended in 2023, Cumming decamped to Los Angeles, where a two-year, deeply healing collaboration with producer Brian Robert Jones — her “second artistic puberty” — took shape. Drawing freely from formative influences: Burt Bacharach, Carole King, Joni Mitchell, Carly Simon, and Brian Wilson. Julia emerges as a joyful, anti-cool coming-out: a celebration of the dorks, the misfits, and the enduring truth of being enough.

Julia Cumming’s solo debut Julia opens with an unadorned declaration of independence: her voice and a piano uniting for a liberating proclamation of self that rejects doubt, misogyny, and the notion of being “too much.” Julia unlocks a creative door years in the making for the New York–born multi-instrumentalist and Sunflower Bean bassist, culminating after nearly two decades of bands, releases, labels, and relentless touring. As Sunflower Bean’s Headful of Sugar era ended in 2023, Cumming decamped to Los Angeles, where a two-year, deeply healing collaboration with producer Brian Robert Jones — her “second artistic puberty” — took shape. Drawing freely from formative influences: Burt Bacharach, Carole King, Joni Mitchell, Carly Simon, and Brian Wilson. Julia emerges as a joyful, anti-cool coming-out: a celebration of the dorks, the misfits, and the enduring truth of being enough.