quête:ward

DFA release Crooked Man's new album, 'Crooked House'.
Speaking about the album's lead track, 'Take It All Away',
Crooked Man says: 'It's about not being suffocated under the
mountains of useless crap that Mammon shits into every
crevice of modern life... quite possibly the world's only anti
consumerist disco song.'
The elusive Crooked Man returns to DFA with 'Crooked House'
LP, a maximalist take on electronic and house music that picks
up where 2016's self-titled album left off. Teaming up again
with Michael Somerset Ward (Clock DVA) and David Lewin
(Bleep & Booster) in the studio, Richard Barratt crafts a
comprehensive journey of hi-fi house belters with more sinister
electro-pop mixed in for good measure.
The album is influenced by two historic epicentres of electronic
music: Sheffield UK, where Richard has had an illustrious
career in a mix of legendary groups like Funky Worm, Sweet
Exorcist and The All Seeing I; and the NYC Loft-era disco
sound, where extended grooves were layered with peaktime
choruses.
Richard's diverse collaborations and intensely prolific
discography have now led him to records as lush and
sophisticated as 'Crooked House'. Considering the rarity of a
live Crooked Man performance or DJ set, it's a testament to his
hyper-creativity that these tracks are able to reach new heights
in a club setting. With support from disco historian Bill Brewster
and NTS resident Ross Allen, it's clear that 'Crooked House'
brings a timeless vitality to the current landscape of dance
music and continues an exciting new chapter in Crooked Man's
career.
LP format includes digital download code.

In Sudan, the political and cultural are inseparable. In 1989, a coup brought a hardline religious government to power. Music was violently condemned. Many musicians and artists were persecuted, tortured, forced to flee into exile — and even murdered, ending one of the most beloved music eras in all of Africa and largely denying Sudan's gifted instrumentalists, singers, and poets, from strutting their creative heritage on the global stage.

What came before in a special era that protected and promoted the arts was one of the richest music scenes anywhere in the world. Although Sudanese styles are endlessly diverse, this compilation celebrates the golden sound of the capital, Khartoum. Each chapter of the cosmopolitan city's tumultuous musical story is covered through 16 tracks: from the hypnotic violin and accordion-driven orchestral music of the 1970s that captured the ears and hearts of Africa and the Arabic-speaking world, to the synthesizer and drum machine music of the 1980s, and the music produced in exile in the 1990s. The deep kicks of tum tum and Nubian rhythms keep the sound infectious.

Sudan of old had music everywhere: roving sound systems and ubiquitous bands and orchestras kept Khartoum's sharply dressed youth on their feet. Live music was integral to cultural life, producing a catalog of concert recordings. In small arenas and large outdoor venues, musical royalty of the day built Khartoum's reputation as ground zero for innovation and technique that inspired a continent.

Musicians in Ethiopia and Somalia frequently point to Sudan's biggest golden era stars as idols. Mention Mohammed Wardi — a legendary Sudanese singer and activist akin to Fela Kuti in stature and impact in his music and politics — and they often look to the heavens. A popular story is of one man from Mali who walked for three months across the Sahel to Sudan because the father of the woman he wanted to marry would only allow it if he got him a signed cassette from Wardi himself. Saied Khalifa is said to be the one of the few singers to make Ethiopian emperor Haile Selassie smile.

Such is the stature of Sudanese singers and the reputation of Sudanese music, particularly in the "Sudanic Belt," a cultural zone that stretches from Djibouti all the way west to Mauritania, covering much of the Sahara and the Sahel, lands where Sudanese artists are household names and Sudanese poems are regularly used as lyrics until today to produce the latest hits. Sudanese cassettes often sold more in Cameroon and Nigeria than at home.

But years of anti-music sentiment have made recordings in Sudan difficult to source. Ostinato's team traveled to Ethiopia, Somalia, Djibouti, and Egypt in search of the timeless cultural artifacts that hold the story of one of Africa's most mesmerizing cultures. That these cassette tape and vinyl recordings were mainly found in Sudan's neighbors is a testament to Sudanese music's widespread appeal.

With our Sudanese partner and co-compiler Tamador Sheikh Eldin Gibreel, a once famous poet and actress in '70s Khartoum, Ostinato's fifth album, following our Grammy-nominated "Sweet As Broken Dates," revives the enchanting harmonies, haunting melodies, and relentless rhythms of Sudan's brightest years, fully restored, remastered and packaged luxuriously in a triple LP gatefold and double CD bookcase to match the regal repute of Sudanese music.
A 20,000-word liner note booklet gives voice to the singers silenced by an oppressive regime.

Take a sail down the Blue and White Nile as they pass through Khartoum, carrying with them an ancient history and a never-ending stream of poems and songs. It takes two Niles to sing a melody.

ALEX is a dark, haunting and brooding synthwave record that sets the night on fire, taking you from darkness all the way to the shining lights of Broadway. With hints of cyberpunk, outrun and other 80's inspired retrowave influences, ALEX has developed a true signature sound that is funky, groovy and totally rocking. X takes you on a futuristic, electronic music trip that's filled with nostalgia and suspense. Artist bio: In the last few years, Ireland's Bart Graft has been releasing healthy amount of great music. His signature sound of pastel coloured and retro inspired synth music is stellar synthwave from the top of the shelve. Along with bigger names in the genre such as Mitch Murder, Waveshaper, The Midnight, and others, he truly is holding up the genre's current producer flame high. Inspired by the works of Talking Heads, Laurie Anderson, Talk Talk, Brian Eno, Pink Floyd, Tear For Fears, The Ward Brothers, Peter Gabriel, Frank Zappa, INXS, and many more... Nostalgic synth stabs accompanied by pulsating guitar licks, energetic drums roll around yet a bunch of track are plain chill. This album is a trip to the rooftops of 80s and 90s culture. From the fast-paced rock track, to ambient vaporwave, the balance is just right as 'Modern Life' cements Bart Graft as a force to be reckoned with.

Music Mania and Indica Dubs is proud to present the third release in their Mania Dub series. Following the classic 'Almighty Dub' (MD001) and 'Rastafari' (MD002) comes another of the UK Dub scene's most renowned producers; The Bush Chemists, with one of their most popular anthems from 1996: Light Up Your Spliff. Douglas Wardrop began creating music using a 4-track recorded in 1989, before forming The Bush Chemists in 1993 with Paul Davey and Culture Freeman.

Another dig from the vaults results in another reissue in a 90s roots / dub classic which was recorded and produced by two of the most respected producers in the UK reggae scene: Nick `Manasseh' Raphael and Dougie `Conscious Sounds' Wardrop.
* Originally released on an extremely hard-to-find Conscious Sounds 7' in 1990.
* Featuring UK based roots reggae singer Tena Stelin and Centry which was the given name to any project that Dougie was involved with before he formed Bush Chemists.
* This 10' slab features the original vocal and dub cuts plus two extra previously unreleased dub cuts.
* `Can't Touch Jah' has been played extensively for nearly 30 years by the sound system heavyweights Aba Shanti I and Jah Shaka.

New and unknown Sent In Sound gets into the trendy spirit of selecting choice tracks and committing them to a 12" piece of wax.
The tracks take on a sky ward direction on newly christened Point Loma (US).

If you're one of the extinct deejays who play 8 hour plus sets, start your journey before spreading your wings on the next booking with Doving on side A by Benaji Lattu. Settle into the booth, hit the loo and sequence the next movement while the lengthy and heavenly track serves its purpose, a convocation for the ceremony ahead, while blessing the entering congregation.

You'll have the perfect tune to bring the room back down gently to reality at night's end with Skylover Tea by Tinopiras on side B.
It's the fragrant sandalwood for the glowing sangha as it exits the guru temple also known as your party.

*Partial Records celebrate their 50th 7' with an instrumental sound system stomper originally intended as a dubplate only but now released due to popular demand.
*The rhythm on `73 Salute' was originally the raw blueprint for Amelia Harmony's vocal cut `Fear and Love' that was released earlier on this year.
*Produced by Partial Records owner Liam Partial and mixed by veteran London-based dub producer Dougie Wardrop.

Les Disques du Crepuscule presents an expanded edition of classic festive album Ghosts of Christmas Past, featuring favourites from the original 1981 and 1982 editions now joined by newer tracks by Crepuscule artists.
Sometimes witty, sometimes melancholic, the original version of Ghosts of Christmas Past in November 1981 featured exclusive contributions from luminaries such as Tuxedomoon, The Durutti Column, Paul Haig, Michael Nyman, Aztec Camera, Thick Pigeon and The Names. Subsequent editions in 1982 and 1986 added songs by Antena, Mikado, The French Impressionists, Pale Fountains and Winston Tong.
For this new double CD version in 2015 Crepuscule have now added more chantons noel by Blaine L. Reininger, Section 25, The Wake, Marsheaux, Deux Filles, Stanton Miranda, Virna Lindt, B Music and Ultramarine.
'Crepuscule's Christmas cracker is here to rescue the festive season from the fogies and bores"(Melody Maker); "Aztec Camera's Hot Club of Christ is a busy, Django-esque run through a few well-known Christmas ditties, Michael Nyman's Cream or Christians is a silly but loveable fragmented organ collage in a typical English eccentric tradition, Tuxedomoon are in playful Residential mood' (NME)
Cover art by Jean-Francois Octave. The remastered 2xCD is sleeved in a deluxe 6 panel digipack.

Disc 1:
1. Section 25 Jesus Sweetly Sleeps
2. Miranda Dali Happy Xmas (War Is Over)
3. The Wake Jesus From the Block
4. Marsheaux We Met Bernard Sumner at a Christmas Party Last Night
5. Ultramarine Winter Circle
6. Isolation Ward Lamina Christus
7. Thick Pigeon Jingle Bell Rock
8. Aztec Camera Hot Club of Christ
9. Paul Haig Scottish Christmas
10. B Music Rocking Carol
11. Tuxedomoon Weihnachtsrap
12. Virna Lindt Festivo
13. Blaine L. Reininger Jingle Hell
14. Blaine L. Reininger Silent Blight
15. Blaine L. Reininger Xmas Blooz
16. The Durutti Column Snowflakes
17. Monks in the Snow A Theme for This Special Evening

Disc 2:
1. Hillcrest Club Breakfast at Christmas
2. Paul Haig Christiana
3. The Names Tokyo Twilight
4. The Durutti Column One Christmas For Your Thoughts
5. White Birds Possessed By the Stars
6. The Swinging Buildings Praying for a Cheaper Christmas
7. B Music Ode to Joy
8. Antena Noelle a Hawai
9. The Pale Fountains Benoît's Christmas
10. The French Impressionists Santa Baby
11. Simon Topping Peep Show International
12. Thick Pigeon Silhouettes
13. Deux Filles The Snow Falls and the Village Is Overflowing With Children
14. Mikado Message de Noël
15. Winston Tong The Twelve Days of Christmas
16. The Arcadians Write Your Letter
17. Michael Nyman Cream or Christians
18. Magazzini Criminali Honolulu 25 dicembre 1990
 
 

A new group strut their way down the Bordello boardwalk. The chameleon outfit of Yellocat, emblazoned with colour, arrive with Dans La Boutique and are true to their debut 12' title. A deep wardrobe of styles has been raided for this four track EP. First comes the latin funk of 'Mi Hermano', a lust laden duet of sweet chords and dancefloor desires, before the lounge romance of 'Tout A` Moi.' Language is played with, Spanish shimmies into French before English takes over the flip. 'Rivals of Mars' is brash interplanetary battle. Synthlines glisten against vocoder lyrics in an epic struggle between our world and theirs. The pop-scented warmth of 'Chasing the Light' leads the 12' out, a ballad of late night excess amidst the glass and steel of the city.

No-one else makes music like this: devilishly complex but warm and intuitive, stirring together a dizzying assembly of outernational and outerspace influences, whilst retaining the subby funk-and-hot-breath pressure of Shackleton's soundboy, club roots.The result is an evolutionary, truly alchemical music — great shifting tides of dub, minimalist composition and choral song (Five Demiurgic Options), ritual spells to ward off the darkness (Before The Dam Broke, The Prophet Sequence), radiophonia and zoned-out guitar improv (Seven Virgins), even the febrile, freeform psychedelia of eighties noise rock (Sferic Ghost Transmits / Fear The Crown). Over the five years since Music For The Quiet Hour, Vengeance's vocal and lyrical range has rolled out across this new terrain. Throughout these six transmissions he's hoarse preacher, sage scholar and ravaged bluesman, blind man marching off to war, and exhausted time-traveller warning of impending socio-ecological catastrophe. Six dialogic accounts of our conflicted times, then, expanding beyond the treacly unease of the duo's early collaborative work into something subtler and more emotionally shattering — its shades of brightness more dazzling, and its darkness even murkier. "We almost didn't hear it when the foundations went."

While the story of Jah Wobble, from post-punk bassist to Tube driver to world music explorer is well documented, the fact he founded his own label, Lago Records, at the age of just 23 years old has oft been overlooked. Lago Records was set up by John "Wobble" Wardle soon after his acrimonious departure from college friend John Lydon's Public Image Ltd band at the end of the recording of the Metal Box sessions. Although still young, Wobble had already experienced a music career most would dream of and was experienced enough and singular in his thinking that while now working with both Island and Virgin Records, he did not want to be constrained by the traditional label / artist format and release schedule. With a mindful of music ideas and working with a group of friends and musicians, Lago allowed Wobble to express his wider musical interests that now forms it's own unique document in time. This release takes a collection of songs from the 6 EPs released on the label between 1981 and 1985 and captures some of his best ever music, covering a wide palette including dub, jazz, spoken word and even some pop sensibilities, all held together by his instantly discernable bass rumble. The driving post-punk-dub of Invaders Of The Heart is clear a link to the PiL years, while the psychedelic nature of Long Long Way and Fading offer long, drug-induced meditations. Nocturnal and East take this further with long-form instrumental experiments, before both Voodoo and the now highly sought after Blowout take in (Balearic) pop touches that the mid-80s were beginning to encapsulate. Packaged with DJs in mind as much as for the "Heads", the Lago Years double pack is a revelation to those who thought they knew the Jah Wobble sound and offers a perfect framing of a unique musical journey.

*Singer-songwriter Amelia Harmony is a welcome addition to the Partial Records roster. Although relatively a new comer, over the last few years, Amelia has been playing with bands of varying genres and styles in and around her native Derby, as well more roots reggae-orientated releases on labels such as King Earthquake, Instrument of Jah, Mellow Vibes and her own recently established Soulshine Music label.
*`Fear and Love' is an uplifting rootsy steppers rhythm with a positive message and soulful vocals topped off with some tasteful acoustic guitar licks. Amelia's delivery oozes cross-over appeal. We will be hearing lots more from her.
*Produced by Liam McGurk for his own well-established Partial Records label.
*The Dub version is mixed by UK dub master legend Dougie Wardrop at Conscious Sounds studio, London

7"
* One of the earliest recordings from Bush Chemists aka Dougle Wardrop & Chazbo which features vocals from King General on what was his first ever released recording dating from 1994
* Highly sought after by collectors. General's vocal cut previously only ever appeared on a Dubnology 12' back in the day. Also, the dub cut featured on the B-Side is a different mix from the version on the 12'.
* Another successful archive raid from Partial Records.

Following releases on labels such as Greco-Roman, TTT and Templar Sound, Dro Carey (Eugene Ward) returns to the scene with his new offering, the industrious yet delicate track 'Queensberry Rules' featuring the vocals of KUCKA, taken from his Dark Zoo EP, out now via Australian label Soothsayer.
Where his previous releases have been firmly focused on the smoke-riddled clubs, Queensberry Rules sees Dro Carey traverse new territory. Working with KUCKA and Collarbones' Marcus Whale on the track, 'Queensberry Rules' sees the Sydney producer creating a unique pop sound, however maintain the gritty DNA that he is so distinctively known for.
As Dro states ''Queensberry Rules' are the set of rules that outline the general code for boxing matches. It's a document about fairness and sportsmanship in a pretty violent activity. That immediately struck me as a great title for a demo. Working with KUCKA and Marcus Whale (of Collarbones) as a co-writer, I think their lyrics perfectly hit upon the sense of irony that I wanted the song to have.'
The track was the first official taste from his Dark Zoo EP which sees Ward push the limits even further within his musical explorations. Whether it's the pop moments of 'Queensberry Rules' and 'Dark Zoo' where he employs the vocals of both KUCKA and FKL respectively to elevate the sonic sensory overload to new levels, to the brooding club explorations that are 'Grow Lithe' and 'Hidden Halls'; the EP is his musical coup d'état from the outset - simultaneously sinister, restrained and intoxicating.
We are absolutely thrilled to present this little gem on Vinyl. This special vinyl release also includes not only the single, but two remixes from heavy weights Mall Grab and Cassius, and a very special new track titled 'Under' which is and will always only be available on the vinyl release of this. Dive in!

When faced with the decision to take a different direction at the risk of getting lost in a synthetic sound or to further explore the same musical path, Vaudou Game didn't need to consult the oracle for very long when putting together their new album. Since their first acclaimed album, Apiafo and its irresistible single "Pas Contente", these Lyon natives never turned down the heat on over 130 stages across Europe, Africa, America and Asia. Peter Solo has displayed his amulets, charisma and yellow pants around the globe.When time came for them to harness their Afro-Funk sound for the second time, they turned their attention once again to their analog strengths. Vintage material, instruments produced in the 70's and cassette tapes were the "grigris" (or lucky charms) which proved most effective to ward off digital corruption of their music and return them to a tight-knit group with a solid groove.This unbeatable trance rhythm, inherited from James Brown and Fela, icons of Funk and Afrobeat, becomes trident when joined by Mawu, the creative voodoo divinity hidden in each of the group's notes. This inspiration transcends their spirit of communion, plunges them deeply into Mother Earth and results in the telepathic trance which is directly connected to Togo Peter's native Togo.Each song then becomes a celebration where the listener becomes the group's voodoo doll, embraced by the rhythm, submitting itself to the mercilessly metronomic cutting of guitars, struck by the copper-colored flashes of lightning forged by the African voodoo deity Hevioso, pierced by the psychedelic visions generated by the organs and a six-string guitar, cheerful songs, and hypnotic incantations.KIDAYU means "sharing" in Kabye, the language spoken in northern Togo. Sharing, is the philosophy of Vaudou Game - both in their recorded music and on stage.Vintage African funk tinged with voodoo chanting: Togolese Peter Solo and his fellow musicians from Lyon electrify us in a frenzied ceremony" - Télérama

* Hospital Records present their latest compilation 'Fast Soul Music' - a welcomed lesson in the art of soul-inspired drum & bass of the high-speed variety. After nineteen years spent building upon it's lounge-core esthetic their extensive library of smooth-rolling sounds is at the ready, now it's time to get retrospective.

* From the work of thirty artists, a carefully selected forty-six tracks highlight the quintessential sounds of soul music in the Hospital Records back catalogue. Not only effortlessly blending classics from Hospital mainstays London Elektricity, High Contrast, Danny Byrd, Nu:Tone, S.P.Y and Logistics but also showcasing the fresh wave of talent that's reached our ears in recent years. The work of Fred V & Grafix, Hugh Hardie, Keeno, Etherwood, Anile, Tokyo Prose and Technimatic showcasing just how prominent soul music is in drum & bass today.

* Accompanying this two-CD collectors item is a perfectly polished mix by longstanding practitioner and newest member of the Hospital A+R team, Nu:Tone. With over two hours of soul-inspired sounds that effortlessly create the ideal soundtrack for any daydream-filled afternoon.

* With a nod back to London Elektricity's '03 classic 'Fast Soul Music' and a look forward to the fresh influx of talent passing through, Hospital Record's latest compilation provides any drum & bass fan with a chance to rediscover those once forgotten gems and dust off the cobwebs from their favourite nostalgia-fuelling drum & bass anthems.

* Digital Marketing: Youtube upload schedule for music and video content on Hospital Records YouTube channel - (260k subscribers), cross promotion exclusive mix upload with UKF Youtube channel.

* Press / Promotion: Comprehensive campaign in-house serving all UK music and dance titles as well as national, regional and student press - Mixmag, DJ, Trap, Notion, Music Week, Future Music, Time Out, Metro, London Evening Standard, The Guardian, The Independent, Dazed + Confused, Vice, The Wire, The Fly, Vice Magazine, Clash. Kmag (interview), D&BA (interview). UKF Website and Youtube Channel. Reddit AMA, FACT Mag TV interview.

* Radio / Internet: Comprehensive in house campain from Hospital Records. BBC Radio1 & 1Xtra support from Mistajam, Friction, B Traits, Annie Mac, Andi Durrant (Kiss), Eddy Temple-Morris (X-FM), DJ Hype (Kiss), D&BA TV Takeover, Rinse FM Hospital Records Show, Hospital Podcast Hospital Records Podcast USA series, Kmag Podcast, Ministry of Sound Podcast. D&BA Podcast, Hospital records Website, Hospital Facebook (262K Likes), Twitter (64K Followers), Soundcloud (48k followers), YouTube (238k subscribers), Hospital Records Mailing List (53k Subscribers)






aG CD 1-7 | Logistics feat. Nightshade and Sarah Callander 'Crystal Skies'
















DISC 2

After a storied recording career that has so far taken in albums for Further, Mathematics and Danyy Wolfers Strange Life label, Spanish artist Vagon Brei added label boss to his CV earlier this year with launch of Mystic & Quantum. Record labels come and go but few arrive driven a real specific concept in a way that Mystic & Quantum are with each album length release conceived to show stories of "adventures, magic, science". Having launched in auspicious fashion with albums from DMX KREW and San Laurentino, Vagon Brei helms the third release with a nine track set entitled The Secret Of Swamp Castle. Seemingly taking influence from Giallo Horror, Brei's album comes across as a compelling collection of synth explorations that will have you returning again and again in order to uncover the Swamp Castle's secrets.

* Partial Records come with two brand new tracks from roots veteran Danny Red whose recording career stretches back to the mid-80's when he was known by his deejay handle Danny Dread.
* Danny, who is one of the most respected, lyrically-savvy and consistently reliable voices on the UK/European circuit with his classic `Jahvovia' being the best-selling single in that genre over the last few years. He also worked with Leftfield on the track `Inspection'.
* Both tracks here come with respective dubs mixed and produced by Dougie `Conscious Sounds' Wardrop.

*Next up on the reliable Partial Records in-print comes a brand new tune in the shape of a future roots anthem from the ever-prolific roots singer & chanter Jah Marnyah.
* With conscious lyrics ablaze, Marnyah rides a digi-roots riddim produced by Liam McGurk and mixed by Dougie Wardrop.
*Backed with a tougher than tough dub-wise excursion.
*`Nah Partial' has been causing maximum distress at roots dances throughout Europe with play on dubplate by several sound systems.

Created in an industrial workplace in Leyton, where Canary Wharf punctures the skyline, Circle Traps craft music made in the image of the modern city. The group consists of Jack Wyllie, Duncan Bellamy and Will Ward and was formed in East London in 2010 and quickly scored their first release on fellow East Londoner Subeena's Opit Records in early 2011. Their eponymous debut EP earned serious critical praise from the likes of The Wire, Quietus and Fact Magazine. Their attention to ambient textures is reminiscent of Actress and Daniel Lopatin, but their unique, multi-layered, crystalline vision is consistently offset by dance floor impulses that nod to Detroit through the likes of Model 500 and Derrick May. The Machine City EP is a lush amalgamation of textural, distorted melody and bassier dance floor leanings.

* A brutal digital roots meets dancehall rhythm produced by Dougie 'Conscious Sounds' Wardrop and ridden by hot up-and-coming singer/deejay out of Paris with his second release on Partial Records.
*Flip is over for pure dubwise satisfaction.