quête:we were acid

Smokey Brights were early signees to Freakout Records, along with fellow Seattle psych-rockers Acid Tongue, after gaining the love of legendary NW station KEXP. Produced by Andy Park (Death Cab for Cutie, Noah Gunderson, Ciara, Mac Miller), the band's newest full-length, I Love You But Damn, walks a fine line between gritty NW rock and stately arena ready pop. Smokey Brights tirelessly toured and intensely demoed in their basement home studio leading up to recording I Love You But Damn, and their devotion to their craft is unmistakable in every track.

Repress!

On 22nd October, the Nottingham-raised and highly-praised musician/DJ/producer Matt Cutler, AKA Lone, presents his 8th album – and first in 5 years – ‘Always Inside Your Head’. It marks two major changes, with both a new label and new approach – featuring vocalists for the first time.

This deeply textural and ethereal artwork is situated high above the clouds, amidst the heavens, occupying a stratospheric state where swathes of synthesized vapour and azure rays sound like a literal breath of fresh air.

A varied selection of music influenced the record, but two main influences were Cocteau Twins and My Bloody Valentine. “I wanted to approach a range of different styles, but attack them from their angle in a way, so for example on 'Inlove2' I tried to imagine what a Balearic / acid house tune might sound like if it were produced by Kevin Shields”, comments Lone.

Another key example of Cutler’s strange but successful combination of elements is the halcyon bliss of ‘Echo Paths’, where his trademark fat drums and love for hip hop meet double-time pan pipes, dub effects and dream pop, mixed into a wonderfully lysergic concoction.

This rarefied auditory stratus was previously evident in tracks like ‘Alpha Wheel 4 (Ambient Mix)’ from ‘DJ Kicks’, ‘Under Cherry Blossoms (Minds Eye Reprise)’ from ‘Ambivert Tools, Vol. 2’, ‘Pulsar’ (from ‘Ambivert 4’), and ‘How Can You Tell’ (from ‘Abraxas’), but is now more fully-fledged, broader in scope and even more celestial.

In addition to the above, the LP exists somewhere between trip hop on Mo' Wax, 90s Warp, intelligent drum & bass and ambient house. There are heavier forays too, like ‘Mouth Of God’, where darker clouds emerge, but are pierced like acid lightning with fierce, tearing tech-step bass.

Although still firmly rooted in club culture – here Lone shows a definite leaning towards a song-based sound, with several tracks edging towards the same crossover space as the nineties hits which also inspired him – particularly William Orbit’s production on Madonna's 'Frozen', and Olive's 'You're Not Alone'. This is especially evident on the bright, spacious brilliance of 'Hidden By Horizons', where vocals and synths swirl around one another, with crisp breakbeats and reggae rolls pushing purposefully through the ether.

Despite initially seeming almost entirely sunny of disposition, upon deeper immersion there’s lot more beneath the album’s surface, both in its deep pools of immiscible layered elements, and also thematically. When recording Cutler kept in mind a loose narrative based on birth, death, and our existence in-between.

He then extended this idea to reach what may happen after death, which is reflected in the sequencing: By penultimate track ‘Undaunted’ the life reflected in this longplayer has come to an end, which is then followed by 'Coming In To Being And Passing Away' – an afterlife epilogue, which evokes a transition from this world to the next.

The birth point of ecstasy in British music is usually credited to acid house and the second summer of love: a cemented vision of kids sweating and vibrating in clubs, fields and warehouses in 1988, united by universal empathy and mind-popping sounds. However, in 1981, a couple of young men from Leeds went to New York, discovered the drug in its infancy, fused its’ gritty synth pop to acid house’s squelchy 303 groove and recorded an album: Soft Cell’s Non-Stop Erotic Cabaret. The rest, as they say, is history.

Shortly before that Soft Cell’s debut single Memorabilia was born. Originally recorded a decade before the explosion of acid house and rooted in predominantly black NYC, Chicago and Detroit gay clubs, Memorabilia is a seminal early prelude to rave culture. Merging a

strutting disco bass line with a futuristic proto acid-techno beat, Marc Almond has past described Memorabilia as “the first acid house techno record ever”.

Dave Ball remembers: “Memorabilia got to about number 99 in the charts, but the clubs picked up on it. In NME or Sounds they had a chart for the Danceteria in New York, and we were in it. Our label Phonogram saw this and thought: ‘why is this weird little duo from Leeds that no one’s heard of suddenly getting played in one of the hippest clubs in New York?’ So I think they thought: ‘we’ll give them another chance’.”



Berlin’s very own upcomers Wally Funk round off the remix package, upping the original tempo slightly, while combining elements the of original production with the later Non-Stop Ecstatic Dancing version to create a new hybrid, best played extremely loud!

Trym Søvdsnes is a relative newcomer to the scene, but he’s been putting in work in and around Bergen for years, scoring a residency at the infamous Café Opera, where he snagged the attention of local house legend Bjørn Torske. Soon, the duo were DJing, producing and performing together, eventually running the monthly radio show Pigs in Space where they would go head-to-head for six hours at a time, plumbing the depths of their immense record collections.

It’s this lust for bottom-of-the-crate oddities that guides Søvdsnes’ self-titled debut album, a concoction of dub techno, hard-swung house and percussive club music that positions itself a few paces away from any conventional modes. Basically, a perfect fit for Le Jazz Non.

‘Gølles Dans’ opens with a filtered acid bassline and bone dry kick that’s like some psychedelic, slower variant of Basic Channel’s ‘Enforcement’, slicing into the groove with gristly acoustic percussion that drags it up from the basement. The producer leans into asymmetry on ‘Døgnrytmen’, wrangling 303 squelches with booming Berghain kicks and tight snares, enhancing the psychedelic potential by layering ticking percussion into loopy spirals. If you’ve ever caught an extended Dozzy set, this is the kind of ruff-edged gear he would likely play an hour before sunrise. ‘Ordnings Mix’ is weirder still, slopping chirpy bleep/rave stabs into a jazzy hybrid that sounds like a bossa meltdown.

Søvdsnes saves his most cosmic mettle for last, on ‘Cowboy Acid (Solstikk Dub)’ he strips the kickdrum to a faint knock, before building up into a sort of screwed Metro Area mirrorball that sounds brilliantly out of time.

O-Mandroid is Kawabata Makoto’s new trio with the Acid Mothers Temple drummer Satoshima Nani (voice, drums, sampler) and bassist Hamachang from a Kobe based post punk band BLONDnewHALF

All music and words were improvised though, the sound is like composed psychedelic & progressive rock / late 70’s - early 80’s post punk / Japanese underground experimental, etc.

Three tracks that were included as bonus tracks on the Gherkin Jerks compilation CD from a few years ago are now up for their release on vinyl. All originate from the same Gherkin sessions as Mr. Heard's two outstanding late 80's EP's but were never released as such. The moniker showed a different side to his sonic pallet, and would innovate the acid sound to great FX, influencing a great many of artists in the decades that followed. Psychotic Fantasy eventually made its way to the Dance 2000 Pt. 2 album, while the original full take of Ecstasy and Reznaytor never saw the light of the day. Now for the first time on wax and still sounding as futuristic as ever!

The first album on ohne kommerziellen Wert comes from label co-founder Stute. After several appearances with hard-hitting club material on the OHNE EP series, Stute’s debute LP “Petra” demonstrates a beyond-genre approach that shows a different and more introverted side of the Hamburg-based producer. Far from being a collection of stand-alone gems that have accumulated over the years, the 12 stages of “Petra” sound like they were formed in a single cast. It is a personal and intimate journey through a unique man-machine mindset that has been manifested in music and sound.

Stute isn’t new to the game, but he has been producing under the radar for far too long. He started DJing and producing more than 20 years ago and found himself progressively drawn to different genres like Hip Hop, Breakbeat, Drum & Bass and Techno. And all of those experiences culminate in “Petra”, where Stute maneuvers his production skills through a wide range of styles and tempi somewhere between leftfield and rave. Urgent techno coldness, promising downtempo dystopia, restless acid dreams, floating breakbeat pleasure or hopeful leftfield romance – every track represents a different phase of a long-time companionship with music and making music, resulting in “Petra” being filled with conflict and drama as well as bliss and belonging.

Like all of Stute’s releases, his first LP is shaped by a very high level of production paired with a rare sensitivity for harmonies and arrangements. Every sound is made from scratch with analogue equipment – heavy dragging beats surrounded by glistening synths and bleeps built on a pure love for music and hardware. “Petra” sounds unlikely complete: nothing is missing, nothing is overdone. Nevertheless… or maybe because of that, the 12 arrangements offer you enough space to conjure up images of distant worlds or let you turn inwards to dive deep into your inner self.

After a 3-year hiatus, Noerk is back with a spacey acidic three tracker plus a rolling peaktime remix from our good friend and really talented producer Lee Burton. Untitled_02 is an electrified, deep yet funky tribute to Vangelis (as we perceive it) with lush synthesizers and grooving 303s. Pending forties is reminding us of the 90s era when sample based breakbeat and acid realised they were made for each other like peanut butter and jelly. It's Over (original mix), on the other hand, follows a more straightforward 4 on the floor loop and lets the jazzy chords and the intergalactic melodies do all the work. Lee Burton's remix wraps up the EP nicely offering us a certified banger with 90s house elements that can destroy any dancefloor. We have entered the wormhole. Time and space are no longer relevant. Only feelings.

Long before Lordi and Nightwish put Finnish metal on the map globally, Waltari were there churning out a curiously engaging concoction of various genres molten into metal. Waltari signed with Roadrunner Records in the early nineties and released Torcha, the first fruit of the co-operation in 1992. Torcha was very well received by the international music press, even though Waltari's iconoclastic habit of breaking all boundaries also annoyed people. Besides heavy metal, speed and thrash, Torcha has acid house, funk and punk, often all in the same song. Previously Torcha has not been widely available on vinyl. There was a very limited poor quality Korean edition in the early nineties, which stuffed the hour-long album on a single LP. The Svart edition has been prepared together with Kärtsy Hatakka, and it spreads the original album on three LP sides and has two bonus tracks on side D.

Sea Blue in Coke Bottle Clear Vinyl.

Because Hold, Jack Tatum's fifth album under the moniker Wild Nothing, was written in the aftermath of new parenthood during the pandemic, it was probably inevitable that it would be searching and existential music. But during the recording process, the artist known for synth-pop tastefulness used it as an opportunity to reach for a new sonic maximalism and wider set of influences. With contributions from longtime collaborator Jorge Elbrecht, Tommy Davidson of Beach Fossils and Hatchie's Harriette Pilbeam, first single "Headlights On" features an acid house-worthy bass groove and breakbeat that prove Tatum is playing for the rafters. Tatum produced the rest of the record on his own, partially out of necessity, due to the challenges of the pandemic. The songs were eventually brought to Adrian Olsen at Montrose Recording in Richmond to begin recording drums and filling in the gaps. While largely a product of isolation, Hold also reflects the things Tatum has learned from collaborators, both on previous records and during his acclaimed work with Japanese Breakfast and Molly Burch. The rest of the record was mixed by Geoff Swan, who listeners might know for his work with Caroline Polachek and Charli XCX. Swan put Tatum's vocals high in the mix, and throughout the album, he embraces playful vocal processing like never before. Tatum moved from Los Angeles back to his home state of Virginia about five years ago in search of a scaled-back lifestyle. The relatively suburban environment - and the occasional regret it inspired - proved to be great artistic fodder. It's the paradox of modern America - the suburbs are supposed to be stultifying to art, but they are so full of human desperation perfect for dramatizing. On "Suburban Solutions", he presents an anti-jingle with an acidly bright synthesizer melody, imploring you to sign on the dotted line, put your feet up, and embrace sweet oblivion. Adding to the song's menacing cheeriness is a chorus-sung bridge, made with assistance from Molly Burch and Tatum's wife, Dana, It was loosely inspired by the classic Martika song "Toy Soldiers" and the long-ago pop craze for children's choirs, and he embraces the trend's less-than-stellar reputation. By design, Hold dwells in uncertainty and fear, but in a package that encourages meditation and a bit of fun. "In the face of the pandemic, I think being a parent really forced my hand," Tatum said. "I felt that I had no other choice but to have a positive outlook on the world. Because if I were to give in at any moment and say, "Oh, everything is horrible," then I'll feel as if I've lost and I've given up on my son being able to thrive in this world."

Sea Blue in Coke Bottle Clear Vinyl LP + artist signed art print. Only 200 available.

Because Hold, Jack Tatum's fifth album under the moniker Wild Nothing, was written in the aftermath of new parenthood during the pandemic, it was probably inevitable that it would be searching and existential music. But during the recording process, the artist known for synth-pop tastefulness used it as an opportunity to reach for a new sonic maximalism and wider set of influences. With contributions from longtime collaborator Jorge Elbrecht, Tommy Davidson of Beach Fossils and Hatchie's Harriette Pilbeam, first single "Headlights On" features an acid house-worthy bass groove and breakbeat that prove Tatum is playing for the rafters. Tatum produced the rest of the record on his own, partially out of necessity, due to the challenges of the pandemic. The songs were eventually brought to Adrian Olsen at Montrose Recording in Richmond to begin recording drums and filling in the gaps. While largely a product of isolation, Hold also reflects the things Tatum has learned from collaborators, both on previous records and during his acclaimed work with Japanese Breakfast and Molly Burch. The rest of the record was mixed by Geoff Swan, who listeners might know for his work with Caroline Polachek and Charli XCX. Swan put Tatum's vocals high in the mix, and throughout the album, he embraces playful vocal processing like never before. Tatum moved from Los Angeles back to his home state of Virginia about five years ago in search of a scaled-back lifestyle. The relatively suburban environment - and the occasional regret it inspired - proved to be great artistic fodder. It's the paradox of modern America - the suburbs are supposed to be stultifying to art, but they are so full of human desperation perfect for dramatizing. On "Suburban Solutions", he presents an anti-jingle with an acidly bright synthesizer melody, imploring you to sign on the dotted line, put your feet up, and embrace sweet oblivion. Adding to the song's menacing cheeriness is a chorus-sung bridge, made with assistance from Molly Burch and Tatum's wife, Dana, It was loosely inspired by the classic Martika song "Toy Soldiers" and the long-ago pop craze for children's choirs, and he embraces the trend's less-than-stellar reputation. By design, Hold dwells in uncertainty and fear, but in a package that encourages meditation and a bit of fun. "In the face of the pandemic, I think being a parent really forced my hand," Tatum said. "I felt that I had no other choice but to have a positive outlook on the world. Because if I were to give in at any moment and say, "Oh, everything is horrible," then I'll feel as if I've lost and I've given up on my son being able to thrive in this world."

'The Moon Dance' Mark's the come back of one of Chi Towns most innovative and iconic figures to Apnea Records. Jamal Moss (Hieroglyphic Being) sound's were first released on Apnea in 2007. Now, in 2023, he's back with this double 12'' album flooded with synth jazz and cosmic acid explorations in his signature and irreverent style.

Lucky number 17? You better believe it. We here at Brown Acid have been scouring the highways and byways of America for even more hidden stashes of psych/garage/proto-punk madness from the so-called Aquarian Age. There’s no flower power here, though—just acid casualties, rock stompers and major freakouts. As always, the songs have been officially licensed, and all the artists get paid. Kicking off this trip, Grapple’s “Ethereal Genesis” is a heavy psych gem from 1969 written by J. Bruce Svoboda, a.k.a. Jay Bruce, formerly of The Hangmen and The Five Canadians (who were actually the same San Antonio band). The latter’s 1966 garage favorite “Writing on the Wall” has been endlessly covered, but Grapple were never heard from again. With a guitar riff that blatantly rips off Sabbath’s “Black Sabbath,” Image’s mostly instrumental lysergic obscurity “Witchcraft ’71” (originally unveiled that very year) also boasts a horror-movie organ intro, a voodoo drum break and some championship chanting. Private press heads might recall late Image drummer John Beke from his ’80s reemergence with country rockers Crossfyre. Stone Hedge were a seven-piece rock band out of Michigan with a penchant for Creedence and anthropomorphism. “Smokey Bear” is their 1972 tribute to the official mascot of the U.S. Forest Services—not to mention the A side of their sole single—and it recalls the kind of organ-drenched swamp jam that soundtracked many a Burt Reynolds flick back in the day. If you think being a Southern rock band from Milwaukee doesn’t make much sense, that’s probably why Crossfire changed their sound along with their name—to Bad Boy—after signing with United Artists. Bad Boy’s severely underappreciated second album, Back To Back, is a 1978 hard rock jewel, but you can hear their boogie-woogie roots on this rare 1975 single. With a band name like Primevil and song title like “Too Dead To Live,” you probably expect some gnarly proto-metal riffage. Instead, you a get a harmonica-drenched, soul-infused rock rave-up from 1972. Primevil would release their sole LP two years later: Entitled Smokin’ Bats at Campton’s, it’s a reference to their trusty singer, harp player (and bat smoker?), Dave Campton. Brown Acid regulars already know Pegasus from their appearance with “The Sorcerer” on our Seventh Trip. “Ready to Rave” is the flipside to that 1972 single, in which they explain how they like their whiskey cold and their women hot. It’s another killer glimpse of what might have been if these one-and-done Baltimore hard rockers had been able to keep it together. One of two obscure singles released by Texas musician Bobby Mabe in 1969 (the other appears under the name The Outcasts), “I’m Lonely” delivers a heavy dose of vocal soul to the otherwise psych-garage presentation. Fans of fellow Houstonians the Moving Sidewalks—whom Bobby and his Outcasts may well have gigged with—will especially dig this one. Cedar Rapids, Iowa, may not be known as a cultural mecca, but they did give us Truth & Janey. This deadly hard rock trio delivered their holy grail full-length, No Rest for the Wicked, back in 1976. “Around and Around” is a Chuck Berry cover that originally appeared on a 1973 single the band released under the earlier name Truth. Originally released in 1973, “High School Letter” is the debut single from San Diego rock squad Glory. This infectious bonehead cruncher features future Beat Farmer Jerry Raney and the original rhythm section of Iron Butterfly in bassist Greg Willis and drummer Jack Pinney. Glory is what they got up to after their former bandmates left for L.A.’s garden of Eden. “Jack the Ripper” is a mercilessly bootlegged Cleveland classic from 1978 with a serrated punk edge and vocals that recall Mick Blood of Aussie savages the Lime Spiders. Or maybe it’s the other way around—the Lime Spiders formed the year after Strychnine carved off this lethal paean to the infamous Whitechapel slasher of olde.

Introducing the eagerly awaited second instalment of Fabio's meticulously curated collection of liquid Drum & Bass classics - 'Generation Liquid.'

Fabio, a true legend in the music industry for over three decades, kickstarted his illustrious career as a Pirate Radio DJ in the mid-80s. Throughout the years, he masterfully evolved his style across various musical genres, ranging from Dub and Hip Hop to House, until he ultimately solidified his position as one of the pioneering forces behind Jungle and Drum and Bass. Fate played a remarkable role in Fabio's extraordinary musical journey. Serendipitously, he landed a pivotal spot on the pirate radio station Phase One, all thanks to a connection through a close friend. This opportunity allowed Fabio to showcase his raw talent and hone his early skills. As destiny continued to guide him, Fabio formed a powerful partnership with Grooverider, and together, they soared to fame, headlining numerous major outdoor raves and orbital M25 parties during the late '80s acid house boom. The duo's magnetic presence and innovative sound captivated audiences, setting them apart as trailblazers in the electronic music scene.

As club culture blossomed, Fabio and Grooverider became the distinguished residents at the iconic club night RAGE, hosted at Heaven in the heart of London. Their influence was immense, as they were credited with moulding the early Jungle sound and orchestrating the world's first-ever weekly Jungle night. Fabio's unwavering passion and dedication to music have not only left an indelible mark on the industry but have also inspired countless aspiring artists. His boundless creativity and willingness to push the boundaries continue to shape the ever-evolving landscape of electronic music, solidifying his status as a true pioneer and a living legend.

After the Jungle scene declined and underwent a distinct shift in sound and style, Fabio took the initiative to establish London's first dedicated soulful deep Drum and Bass night, known as Speed. Week after week, Fabio shared the decks with LTJ Bukem, and their skilful sets eventually garnered immense popularity, drawing in not only junglists but also celebrities, club kids, record label A&R representatives, and the who's who of the West End at that time. When the curtain fell on Speed Fabio's legacy continued to flourish with the inception of his legendary Swerve weekly residency at The Velvet Rooms, which later relocated to the iconic club, The End. The influence of Swerve was profound, serving as a catalyst for the creation of influential labels like Hospital Records, Tony Coleman (also known as London Elektricity) became a regular attendee, further contributing to the scene's growth and innovation.

The term 'Liquid', was born out of Fabio's deep admiration and support for his protégé, the talented Northern Irish producer and DJ, Dominick Martin, famously known as Calibre. This inspiration led to the creation of his acclaimed 14-year radio show on BBC Radio 1, 'The Liquid Funk Show', which drew from Calibre's masterful productions that Fabio likened to "liquid gold" for the ears. Through this show, Fabio played a crucial role in breaking numerous iconic records, and artists such as Chase & Status, High Contrast, and many many more.

Now, 'Generation Liquid' takes the baton from the legacy of Speed, Swerve, and 'The Liquid Funk show', capturing the essence of the era and the soulful, deeper music that Fabio has championed throughout his illustrious career. This meticulously curated collection celebrates records that embody the spirit of soulful D&B, making it a must-have for anyone who has followed Fabio's musical journey since the vibrant days of the 1990s up until now.

The second volume of this immersive exploration into the soulful realm of Drum & Bass is just as indispensable as its predecessor. It boasts a curated collection of rarities, timeless classics, and straight-up anthems from the vibrant liquid D&B scene. Esteemed artists such as DJ Marky, Calibre, Calyx & TeeBee, and dBridge all contribute to what is undeniably becoming a seminal anthology of the subgenre. The track selection and seamless programming are expertly guided by none other than Fabio himself, providing listeners with a nostalgic glimpse into the electrifying atmosphere of being right on the dance-floor at iconic events Speed and Swerve.

Debut album from Norwegian alt-country artist Thomas Hansen (aka St. Thomas) reissued on vinyl for the first time. 13 songs of unpretentious and melodic Psycho Cowboy tunes with beautiful heavenly harmonies underscored by acoustic guitar, organ and acid banjo. Recommended for fans of Will Oldham, Elliott Smith, who were the guiding stars for Thomas that led him to quit his dayjob as a
postman to become a full time songwriter and artist. in the 2000's he topped the charts in Norway, toured with bands like Lambchop and Of Montreal. He sadly passed away in 2007.

Phase O' Matic, an eccentric treasure hunter, ventures to the Parcel Islands after hearing about Erik and Huber's psychedelic antics. Intrigued by tales of a telepathic shark guarding a hallucinogenic treasure (Shadowfin), he dives deep into the South China Sea wearing his signature glowing shark tooth necklace.

Amidst swirling colors and cosmic jellyfish, Phase communicates telepathically with the school of sharks and ends up locating something he did not expect to find: hundreds of aged vials labelled 'Acid Lean'. Phase O' Matic quickly realized that the 'Acid Lean' vials were the very eau de vie Serb and Paramedic initially sought. He decides to deliver the treasure to Qassem Acidmani himself, hoping to claim the elusive reward promised by Gandalf OG.

Previously unreleased live soundboard recordings from this groovy group from the '60s San Francisco Bay Area scene. Along with The Sopwith Camel, The Beau Brummels, The Mystery Trend, The Great Society, Jefferson Airplane, The Warlocks and The Grateful Dead, The Final Solution were part of the first wave of San Francisco rock bands having formed in 1965. They were very popular all over the Bay Area and appear on countless early posters of the period, but they never released anything. If you dig The Great Society and The Warlocks 'Emergency Crew' demos, this is for you!

Following the acclaimed 2022 album releases, 'On The
Grove' and its dub counterpart 'Grove Dub', Soul Revivers
return with a new 7" single 'Shouting Dub' / 'Furthest Dub'.
Shouting Dub' is a rebuild of a classic, vintage rhythm that
was recorded at Studio One, and features Henry Matic
Horns Tenyue on trombone, Dougal Caston on sax, and
Adrian McKenzie on drums. 'Furthest Dub' is a fresh dub to
'Look No Further' (from the 'On The Grove' LP), which
features featuring Ms. Maurice, bandleader of London-based
Afro-jazz collective Kokoroko. Both tracks were mixed live on
the board, old school style, at Yard Studios by Soul Revivers’
Nick Manasseh.

Jakob Mäder is a DJ and producer based in Stuttgart. Very close to Johannes Albert (Frank Music). He has been multiplying his releases in the last years. His universe is a subtle mix of house, italo and even trance. And it’s some good house music with some slightly trancy touches which are in the spotlight on the first track of this EP for our beloved label Skylax Records: The fabulous „Chord Anthem“. 

This excellent opener reminds us the mid 90’s finest hours when there were no genre barriers. A title designed to last! To be played without moderation as well as in a house, italo or trance DJ set. “The Essence”, a solid and smooth title, receives the „Shan“ (from Running Back) treatment. “Magic Pitch” is eyeing the side of Chicago with always this hovering and acid side. And to close this EP, the uptempo “There Is Hope” because yes there is indeed a lot of hope for this young producer full of future. Note that on the label’s bandcamp, with the purchase of the vinyl, you can get 3 exclusive bonus tracks (!): „Always A Dreamer“, „The Essence“ (original version) & Universe.

The story of the invention of the term, 'deepfunk' is probably only known among fans and practitioners of this niche-genre. In short, it all started in the 1990s when DJs like Keb Darge, Mark 'Snowboy' Cotgrove and others began spinning obscure and feral Funk 45 RPM singles from local American bands, ostensibly generating another sub-category branch off of the mighty Northern Soul tree. The dance-club phenomenon inevitably spilled over to contemporary groups on the funk scene which immediately tried to record their music the way their idols did. The 'rare groove' and 'acid jazz' movements had run their course and there was a concerted effort to reinstate primitive idiomatic styles and techniques into the music, most notably by 90s funk collective The Poets of Rhythm. As more years passed by the number of bands steadily increased (although in tiny numbers, compared to the mainstream market). Almost every country had a representative with the majority of them coming from the United Kingdom. The deepfunk sound was still a niche, however a very few bands made it onto the mainstream charts, most notably Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings.

At the height of the retro-soul movement a questionable development took place. As more bands arrived on the scene, the production became more and more polished and pop-ish. Some of that squeaky-clean tidiness began to creep into the recordings, encouraged in part by the signature sounds of the digital recording technology available at that time. Some bands even tried to jump onto the possibility of promoting their music as 'deepfunk' although they were actually playing slick, funky pop music. This way some people who thought they were listening to raw, energetic funk actually felt quite ambushed when hit with real deepfunk. In fact, a certain percentage of funk music produced within the past 20 years does not deserve to be described as 'deepfunk' at all. Fortunately there were (and are) some pleasant exceptions which did not just imitate but actually rendered amazing funk music just like some of the finest funk combos of the 1960s and 70s.

One of those creative minds is without a doubt Joel Ricci aka Lucky Brown. Originally from Seattle, Washington, USA, he has enriched the deepfunk community since the mid-2000s with his stellar abilities. He is not only an amazing musician playing multiple instruments, but also a brilliant composer, arranger, and producer too. But for us here at Tramp he is much more, a close friend and remarkable human being. Whenever we were struggling, whether with the label or in private life, Joel and his musical work helped us to overcome everything and to keep going our path.

So here we are in 2023. The songs you are listening to right now are the complete Space Dream collection, split into two parts, representing the two living-room recording sessions from which his 2011 Tramp Records debut was compiled. Each fully remastered album contains unreleased material and comes with brand new, beautifully reimagined artwork by Ricci himself, housed in an authentic 1960s tip-on cover. A first class product from a first class musician for the discerning funk enthusiast.

The story of the invention of the term, 'deepfunk' is probably only known among fans and practitioners of this niche-genre. In short, it all started in the 1990s when DJs like Keb Darge, Mark 'Snowboy' Cotgrove and others began spinning obscure and feral Funk 45 RPM singles from local American bands, ostensibly generating another sub-category branch off of the mighty Northern Soul tree. The dance-club phenomenon inevitably spilled over to contemporary groups on the funk scene which immediately tried to record their music the way their idols did. The 'rare groove' and 'acid jazz' movements had run their course and there was a concerted effort to reinstate primitive idiomatic styles and techniques into the music, most notably by 90s funk collective The Poets of Rhythm. As more years passed by the number of bands steadily increased (although in tiny numbers, compared to the mainstream market). Almost every country had a representative with the majority of them coming from the United Kingdom. The deepfunk sound was still a niche, however a very few bands made it onto the mainstream charts, most notably Sharon Jones & the Dap Kings.

At the height of the retro-soul movement a questionable development took place. As more bands arrived on the scene, the production became more and more polished and pop-ish. Some of that squeaky-clean tidiness began to creep into the recordings, encouraged in part by the signature sounds of the digital recording technology available at that time. Some bands even tried to jump onto the possibility of promoting their music as 'deepfunk' although they were actually playing slick, funky pop music. This way some people who thought they were listening to raw, energetic funk actually felt quite ambushed when hit with real deepfunk. In fact, a certain percentage of funk music produced within the past 20 years does not deserve to be described as 'deepfunk' at all. Fortunately there were (and are) some pleasant exceptions which did not just imitate but actually rendered amazing funk music just like some of the finest funk combos of the 1960s and 70s.

One of those creative minds is without a doubt Joel Ricci aka Lucky Brown. Originally from Seattle, Washington, USA, he has enriched the deepfunk community since the mid-2000s with his stellar abilities. He is not only an amazing musician playing multiple instruments, but also a brilliant composer, arranger, and producer too. But for us here at Tramp he is much more, a close friend and remarkable human being. Whenever we were struggling, whether with the label or in private life, Joel and his musical work helped us to overcome everything and to keep going our path.

So here we are in 2023. The songs you are listening to right now are the complete Space Dream collection, split into two parts, representing the two living-room recording sessions from which his 2011 Tramp Records debut was compiled. Each fully remastered album contains unreleased material and comes with brand new, beautifully reimagined artwork by Ricci himself, housed in an authentic 1960s tip-on cover. A first class product from a first class musician for the discerning funk enthusiast.

Funkiwala Records presents CUBANGLA - the sixth album by London fusionistas LoKkhi TeRra.
Following on from their hugely successful collaboration with UK afro-beat ambassador Dele Sosimi on 2018's "Cubafrobeat"(mixing afrobeat and Cuban Rumba/Timba), this album sees them return to their Bangla-Afro- Latin-Jazz-Roots.
8 tracks of 21st century London groove – from Sufi Samba to Baul Blues to Bengali folk-Son to Bangla Roots Reggae to London Descargas - recorded in between tours, sessions and collaborations – a true celebration of traditions taking on new forms as they travel and co-exist. In these divided times, their collective musical journey has never been so relevant.

Background
Kishon Khan's Lokkhi Terra have been blending the musical traditions that surround them in London, for many years now.
"Stunning Headliners... A majestic multi-cultural blend of sounds... effortlessly builds bridges between rolling Indian raga rhythms, Afro-Cuban grooves, Acid Jazz/funk and free flowing improvisation" (Timeout London).

The band is composed of musicians who take seriously the different languages of the different genres they mix. Each in their own right play with calibre purist outfits. Members have collaborated with the likes of Hugh Masekela, Tony Allen, Ibrahim Ferrer, Johnny Clarke, Orlando Poleo, Africa Express, Jazz Jamaica, Ska Cubano, Giles Peterson's Havana Cultura, Kyle Eastwood, Bellowhead, Akram Khan to name a very few.
The tracks on this album were gigged for a number of years before being recorded, with the exception of the last 2 tracks which were recorded in 2015 just before performing at Womad and Songlines Encounters.
With CUBANGLA the band has come round full circle – a journey that started a decade ago with their debut No Visa Required (2010). An urban London view on the musical world.

Dubquake Records dig deep in the vaults to reissue five more iconic Iration Steppas tracks from the 90’s!

Still buzzing from the hype around Part 1 of the ‘90’s Classic Cutz’, this new drop includes their very first release ‘Scud Missile’, the legendary ‘Hard Time Pressure In A Babylon’, ‘Locks’ featuring Tena Stelin, ‘Kitachi In Dubwize’ and their spiced up remix of Vibronics’ ‘One Drop’.

These tracks were produced and mixed by Iration Steppas’ founding members Mark Iration and Dennis Rootical at the High Rise Studio in Chapeltown, Leeds. At the time, the dub-making-duo were heavily experimenting with new sounds, blending dub with acid soundscapes in a way that had never been done before. At the frontier of reggae and electronic music, their ‘Dub Inna Year 3000 Style’ re-defined UK Dub in the 90’s and continues to inspire the new generation.

All tracks have been remastered and put onto five separate 12” slabs of wax. And to add to the excitement, each release features original mixes + previously unreleased ‘dubplate cutz’ that could only be heard live up till now!

Dubquake Records dig deep in the vaults to reissue five more iconic Iration Steppas tracks from the 90’s!

Still buzzing from the hype around Part 1 of the ‘90’s Classic Cutz’, this new drop includes their very first release ‘Scud Missile’, the legendary ‘Hard Time Pressure In A Babylon’, ‘Locks’ featuring Tena Stelin, ‘Kitachi In Dubwize’ and their spiced up remix of Vibronics’ ‘One Drop’.

These tracks were produced and mixed by Iration Steppas’ founding members Mark Iration and Dennis Rootical at the High Rise Studio in Chapeltown, Leeds. At the time, the dub-making-duo were heavily experimenting with new sounds, blending dub with acid soundscapes in a way that had never been done before. At the frontier of reggae and electronic music, their ‘Dub Inna Year 3000 Style’ re-defined UK Dub in the 90’s and continues to inspire the new generation.

All tracks have been remastered and put onto five separate 12” slabs of wax. And to add to the excitement, each release features original mixes + previously unreleased ‘dubplate cutz’ that could only be heard live up till now!

Dubquake Records dig deep in the vaults to reissue five more iconic Iration Steppas tracks from the 90’s!

Still buzzing from the hype around Part 1 of the ‘90’s Classic Cutz’, this new drop includes their very first release ‘Scud Missile’, the legendary ‘Hard Time Pressure In A Babylon’, ‘Locks’ featuring Tena Stelin, ‘Kitachi In Dubwize’ and their spiced up remix of Vibronics’ ‘One Drop’.

These tracks were produced and mixed by Iration Steppas’ founding members Mark Iration and Dennis Rootical at the High Rise Studio in Chapeltown, Leeds. At the time, the dub-making-duo were heavily experimenting with new sounds, blending dub with acid soundscapes in a way that had never been done before. At the frontier of reggae and electronic music, their ‘Dub Inna Year 3000 Style’ re-defined UK Dub in the 90’s and continues to inspire the new generation.

All tracks have been remastered and put onto five separate 12” slabs of wax. And to add to the excitement, each release features original mixes + previously unreleased ‘dubplate cutz’ that could only be heard live up till now!

Dubquake Records dig deep in the vaults to reissue five more iconic Iration Steppas tracks from the 90’s!

Still buzzing from the hype around Part 1 of the ‘90’s Classic Cutz’, this new drop includes their very first release ‘Scud Missile’, the legendary ‘Hard Time Pressure In A Babylon’, ‘Locks’ featuring Tena Stelin, ‘Kitachi In Dubwize’ and their spiced up remix of Vibronics’ ‘One Drop’.

These tracks were produced and mixed by Iration Steppas’ founding members Mark Iration and Dennis Rootical at the High Rise Studio in Chapeltown, Leeds. At the time, the dub-making-duo were heavily experimenting with new sounds, blending dub with acid soundscapes in a way that had never been done before. At the frontier of reggae and electronic music, their ‘Dub Inna Year 3000 Style’ re-defined UK Dub in the 90’s and continues to inspire the new generation.

All tracks have been remastered and put onto five separate 12” slabs of wax. And to add to the excitment, each release features original mixes + previously unreleased ‘dubplate cutz’ that could only be heard live up till now!

The Faithful Brothers

Soul and R&B from Tel Aviv

"It's so difficult to produce the feel and the excitement of the classic northern sound, but The Faithful Brothers were born to do it and they do it so well." Craig Charles, The Craig Charles Funk & Soul Show, BBC Radio 6 Music.

Is there a Northern Soul scene in Tel Aviv? The surprising answer is – yes, there is. If you're a soulie and in town, look for the Tel Aviv Soul Club, and you might find yourself swaying across a talcum-powder covered floor to Tel Aviv's own unique blend of classic Northern Soul 45s and early 1960s R&B sounds.

Chances are that those 45s will come out of the record boxes of one of the brothers Neeman, Johnnie and Bin. Sons of an Israeli diplomat, they travelled abroad extensively as children, in the 1960s and 1970s, discovering the wonderful world of rare soul music on the way. Tel Aviv Soul Club, aka TASC, is the brainchild of Yashiv Cohen, a DJ who, in 2006, lured the brothers Neeman, whose massive soul collections been hitherto confined to their respective living rooms, into playing their records to the Tel Aviv public. Yashiv is also the lead singer of Men of North Country (MONC), a Tel Aviv band with a distinct sound, blending rock, British pop and soul, that has recorded two albums for the London based label Acid Jazz Records, and toured Europe numerous times.

Since Neeman means Faithful in Hebrew, Yashiv woke up one morning with the crystallization that MONC must create a spin-off, a more puristic soul band, called the Faithful Brothers. There the biological Neeman/Faithful brothers would be joined by some of the members of MONC and a few more musical brothers from Tel Aviv to create new, original soul and R&B music. With a nod to the Northern Soul slogan "Keep The Faith", the name seemed too perfect to waste. The fact that the Neeman brothers were collectors, and not musicians, did not bother a man of vision like Yashiv. One day, he sent Johnnie some lyrics he wrote, asking him to compose music for it. Well, Johnnie called Bin, and they met in Johnnie's record room. With Johnnie playing some of the few chords he knew on his dusty old acoustic guitar, out came Teenage Frost, the first-ever musical composition of the Neeman brothers, recorded by MONC.

It took a few more years, but gradually the brothers succumbed to their fate, to continue their musical progression, from collectors to DJs to musicians. Johnnie took his guitar, Bin took to the piano, and the brothers began pouring out some of their influences, creating new songs. It is finally all coming together. The Faithful Brothers – now an eight-piece band, complete with a mighty brass section – release their first album "The Faithful Brothers".

Magestic album re-issue : The complete colelctions of tunes Manu Le Malin did produced in 2004, minus the tunes that were already pressed on vinyl and plus the tunes that were not produced on the CD because that would have been « too long »... Here also stand a LFO Mark Bell remix. Peace.... And more...

In 1972, a foursome of design students set out to make a record. This was, in many ways, a strictly creative endeavor. The quartet — composed of Dave Pescod, Alan Lewis, Phil Rawle, and Ted Rockley — were all trained, not as musicians, but as creatives. Art school heavyweights, the four were well-versed in the methodology of intentional experimentation, in the delicate balance of pushing the limits without completely unmooring oneself from a guiding creative intention. Emboldened by a high-brow familiarity with thoughtful experimentation and all the non-conviction of non-musicians, Bowes Road Band’s stint in the world of popular music yielded a record that is as much mind-melting as it is a direct product of its time. Their sprawling LP “Back in the HCA” embodies the exigence “art for art’s sake,” but it is for art’s sake that this record, however off the deep end it seems to travel (hear: “Doctor, Doctor”), remains a unified, and stunning, body of work. The LP’s do-ityourself garage rock noisemaking meets highfalutin creative processes. “Back in the HCA” is warbling psychedelic freakout (“Two Fingers,” “Doctor, Doctor”), Donovan-esque English countryside folk stylings (“Inside My Head,” “Goodbye to Rosie”), and avant-garde jazz improvisions (“Grass is Grass,” “Tomorrow’s Truth”) in one luminous release.

Originally an 9-track LP, Jakarta, Uno Loop, and Bowes Road Band decided to mine the six most cohesive tracks for the reissue, though the extras may be released somewhere down the line. Cohesion efforts aside, “Back in the HCA” stands alone in its singular conception of a genre-bending continuum — it evades definition. That said, the LP can easily be situated in the sonic environment in which it was conceived. By the end of the 60s, England was crawling with blues-based rock outfits that were starting to venture into prog rock territory. You can hear this popular dint cast over the folkier side of the LP. But Bowes Road Band was armed with their non-musicianship: they existed completely liberated from the motivating yet ultimately paralyzing lust for stardom. Enjoying this liberation, Bowes Road Band was utterly free to make noise. This freedom meant drawn out sax interludes amidst sweetly folk stylings (“Grass is Grass”) and Shaggs-like fuzzed-out freakouts that spiral into a void (Doctor, Doctor). This freedom also meant straight-forward tuneful cuts like “Goodbye Rosie” that conspicuously introduce heavily distorted auto-organ accompaniment mid-track amidst poignant lyricism. Bowes Road Band crafts a unified sound and then cracks it open.

With a completely off-the-radar status, Bowes Road Band could only press 50 copies of the record — 10 for each of them and 10 for the school. The band’s lifespan was to end there, or so they thought. “Back in the HCA” was the accidental fruit of a Berlin flea market treasure hunt by Jannis Stürtz, DJ and co-founder of Habibi Funk and Jakarta Records. After finding and sharing the LP with a few colleagues, Stürtz managed to get in touch with the band, get ahold of the master tapes collecting dust in Ted Rockley’s attic, and start the reissuing process. The record is still adorned with its original cover art designed by Alan Pescod, both reminiscent of bygone school days and the Zoom calls of yesterday — in short, reunion. Its re-discovery was happenstance and ought to be listened to as such. That is, “Back in the HCA” was not made to be listened to on a broad scale, or, at least, was not made with this goal in mind; it is neither in its time nor of its time. Of course, the group explicitly cites the folk tunes of the English countryside, the distorted rock groups that reigned during the record’s conception, and the fringes of psychedelic music that only the uber-underground might recognize (e.g., “Dreaming of Alice”). Yet still with these obvious influences, “Back in the HCA” always existed beyond the domain of both traditional musicianship and conventional commodification. Bowes Road Band’s DIY musicality beams through in technicolor across “Back in the HCA.” The vinyl includes an 8-page booklet detailing the albums creation and interviews with the band.

Lead single “Grass is Grass,” out July 14 along with album pre-order, encapsulates the record’s range: the track unfurls into a sprawling sax-driven trip following a sundrenched, Donovan-esque intro w/ lyrics “naively about parks and gardens, not marijuana!” The keyed-down folk cut “Goodbye to Rosie” is single 2 and elevates stripped-down acoustics with golden tinges, out August 4th. Focus track “Tomorrow’s Truth” constructs the fuzzed-out underbelly of acid folk. Listen for echoes of late Beatles, Mark Fry, and Donovan (if they were armed by an unshakabele willful naiveté). Like Sgt. Pepper’s on a shoestring budget—take a trip to the underground with LP “Back in the HCA,” available everywhere physically and digitally on September 1st via Jakarta Records and Uno Loop.

Besides online promotion from label profiles, the album will be further promoted by external agencies within the UK and US.

Under the alias 4E, producer Can Oral created his own unique sound of raw, futuristic acid-electro. The A-Side tracks "Ask Isadora" and "Conga Banana" first appeared on the album, Blue Note, released on Home Entertainment in 1996. On the flip are two unreleased tracks picked from his extensive archive and edited by FIT Siegel. These were also recorded during this era, which Can describes below:

"In the 90s I moved to NYC to start a band with Jimi Tenor. I had a small flat in the East Village with the apartment number 4E and that became my artist name for the downtempo and electro material I was working on. The style I called Futuristic Electro because I didn't want to relate to the old school with this. I had my studio on the kitchen floor and pretty much only used EMU SP-1200, TB-303, TR-808 and SH-101 by good ol’ Roland. In a way NYC was still developing because it was all about house music. In 1995, I opened Temple Records in Manhattan with Dr Walker from Air Liquide and DJ DB from Smile Communications. The record shop was inside the Liquid Sky clothing store. After a fire in the shop, along with a falling out with the owner I decided to talk to a fortune teller to find out what the future held. Her name was Isadora, and she had a TV show called "Ask Isadora." She told me on live television to move out, have my own shop and be independent, so I did. Thanks Isadora!"

Limited to 300 copies. The Groove Connection formed in Medway, Kent during the early '90's, amongst the Acid Jazz heyday, playing clubs, pubs and festivals up and down the land with their urban jazz-funk grooves. The band comprised of usually six to eight members over the years, including Mark 'Bertie' Gilbert, the former (initial) bass player from The Milkshakes, and was originally an instrumental project, with vocals added later giving the band further appeal. Recording/releasing their first CD EP in 1996 (In Full Pursuit), described by Blues & Soul as 'an impressive debut set', The Groove Connection also released a 7" vinyl single in 1998 (What It Is), which was produced by respected DJ and percussionist Snowboy. A year later, their first album 'Infiltration' was released. All releases were via their own NeuJaz label. As well as working with Snowboy, the band also supported Jamiroquai twice in 1997 (at Finsbury's Jam in the Park and the Phoenix Festival), as well as playing to a full house at the Jazz Cafe, Camden on many occasions, and the band toured the UK as part of the Messin' Around Jazz Cotech collaboration. In 1999, the band found themselves on the Verve Records' released compilation 'Messin' Around Presents Root Down', alongside Lalo Schifrin, Jimmy Smith, The JBs, and Roy Ayers to name just a few. In 2001 the band recorded, and released their second album 'Back To Brooklyn', introducing vocalist Laura Knight and guest hammond virtuoso Gary Baldwin, a ten-track full-length, CD-only release. Other tracks were recorded in the same session… Two tracks that didn't make the last album were 'Can You Hear Me' and 'When I'm With You', both vocal filled, and we've decided to capture them onto two continuous 'grooves'.

-15 year anniversary and first time on vinyl with brand new artwork, including previously unseen pieces from the Tame One archive.

-Remixed and remastered audio for a fresh listening experience. -Featuring guest appearances from Sean Price and Del Tha Funky Homosapien - One half of legendary graffiti rap group The Artifacts. -140 gram black vinyl, matte flood jacket with spot uv, 12x12 double sided insert with black poly lined inner sleeves. Rough, rugged and raw. Nothing better describes one's listening experience when they first heard Tame One & Parallel Thoughts, “Ol Jersey Bastard”. It was 15 years ago when Tame One came to "The Paradigm", the recording studio of Freehold's own Parallel Thought. One session turned into two, then quickly turned into three, resulting in a twice-weekly recording ritual that spanned three years. This ritual would give birth not only to this album, but three (Acid Tab Vocab & Parallel Uni-Verses w/ Del Tha Funky Homosapien) instilling a lifelong creative partnership. But let's focus on "Ol Jersey Bastard," Tame One's homage to the almighty and original OL Dirty Bastard. It was not the cleanest record to listen to, but it was true to Tame One's style and vision. He was not constrained by working with a group or having to answer to a label. As a side note, Amalgam Digital, the joke of a label who originally released this album wouldn't let us follow through with our original artwork concept. So the new cover and layout created by close friend Michael Interrante is Tame’s original concept. We also were able to include original scans of unseen artwork, tags & lyrics from Tames archive. This was unfiltered raw hip-hop, showcasing Tame One's unparalleled ability on the mic. Sometimes that called for no hook or maybe a 54 bar verse, traditional song structures were out the window. That being said, coming back to this album all these years later as producers, we wanted to elevate the album's listening experience. We cleaned up the mixes, so you might notice Tame sounds a little clearer, or those beats might knock a bit louder. It was what was needed to further elevate the music while not compromising our and Tame’s vision. Further demonstrating that music is a living, breathing piece of art. Always able to evolve. We hope you enjoy it!

Lazy Reflex Complex lands their second release with a split EP by Clone's techno-ambassador Lenson and Sculpturism / Miller & Keane; two collaboration projects of Dave Miller that were produced back in 2003. Tranquilizer, originally released on the Schenk1 compilation (Onderwereld), has been remastered for vinyl and is exclusively available for the fitting format. Label head 543ff reworks Tranquilizer in an ominous and hypnotic fashion. Big room beats built to shake floors and move crowds. Mastered by Audiosculpture.

Detroit's Rebecca Goldberg, aka 313 Acid Queen, releases 5 techno bangers incl. Mark Broom remix on Phoq U.

Phoq U Phonogrammen, the rebellious U-TRAX sublabel, returns after 26 years with its eight release, produced and manufactured in Detroit. Detroit native Rebecca Goldberg, who has previously released music and performed live under her 313 Acid Queen alias, will present her brand new People Mover EP at the Detroit Movement festival, on May 26, 2023.

The EP features 5 dancefloor fillers, including the Detroit-style remix by Mark Broom of the opening track Automated. The EP is inspired by transportation, industry and travel, as well as the city of Detroit of course, paying homage to the original minimal techno music and the evolution of technology and industry.

All tracks are live jams, recorded in one take on all hardware instruments. Rebecca tries to do as little post-work as possible, with just a little bit of final arrangement. Her work often incorporates field recorded sounds, and for this EP she used samples recorded while riding on the Detroit People Mover itself, the elevated automated light rail system in downtown Detroit. Goldberg started a sound walk group called Detroit Frequency and the recordings were taken on during the first event last summer.

The EP kicks off with the fast-paced Automated, that echoes the hypnotic minimal techno sound of Robert Hood. Mark Broom added an extra dose of 909 funk in his Mark Broom remix, which provides the track with even more pumping rhythms and making it sound even more 'classic Detroit'.

The B-side opens with Elevated, that features industrial-ish DPM sounds on a bed of pure acid, as if Goldberg wants us to remember why she is named the 313 Acid Queen.
Staying On meanwhile, puts a repeating DPM announcer's voice central stage, making it a fascinating piece of minimal techno. The closing track Linear Motion creates a dark atmosphere, with eerie, down-pitched DPM sounds that makes this a spooky techno trip that we believe many people will love.

William Penn Fyve aka William Penn & His Pals were a regular presence on the early Bay Area scene, opening for the likes of Jefferson Airplane, Paul Revere & the Raiders and Them. Their line–up included lead singer / organist Gregg Rolie, later of Santana / Journey. In 1966 they recorded their lone single, "Swami" / “Blow My Mind”, for the Thunderbird label.

The A-side (written by guitar player Mike Shapiro and famous for being included on “Pebbles-The Acid Gallery”) is early acid-punk with fuzzed-out raga guitars and hilarious lyrics about a guru. The flipside is an energetic garage-punk number with swirling Vox organ and a fuzz rave up á la Yardbirds.

Cyphon is proud to bring you brand new music from one of Europe’s pioneers of techno and IDM, Stefan Robbers aka Terrace and Florence. His early releases for Djax-Up-Beats and his own Eevo Lute Muzique in the early 90’s were hugely influential striking a sweet spot between stark minimalism, majestic analogue lushness and dance floor grooves. In more recent years his own reinterpretation of the Detroit sound can be found on the highly regarded Dutch label Delsin.

Here on his ‘Thermionic EP’ Terrace sings out with such intensity that minds are blown. Listen to the brutal, exhilarating sequences of ‘Territorial’ which leads the new EP, and you will receive that message loud and clear. While the music is as much about the consequence of soulful depth, it is also about edgy machines communicating intimately. Sweet chords fuse and then contrast with grainy acidic sonics, leaving the tempo poised at an irresistible pace like all our futures depended on it.

As you move next onto the more subtle electro pulse of ‘Thermon’, shimmering keys dance around a frame-by-frame remembrance of robotic disco in the 23rd century. The uplifting brilliance of ‘Woodward’ follows filling the void with an explosion of colour that is all about life-affirming instrumentation, hitting you fast and loose with a cascade of arpeggios, tough drums plus an incendiary surge of melodic distraction causing the airwaves to crackle with celebration.

Completing this stunning release from Terrace are the fierce, hotwired grooves forged by ‘Ritual’, conjuring up endless combinations of an analogue model rediscovered. The sheer dancefloor animation found within each of Terrace’s productions on this EP purposefully point to and enhance Cyphon Recordings own mission to explore, propelling the emphasis forever forwards.

DJ Support:

Sean Johnston, Kevin Reynolds, Vince Watson, Gareth Sommerville, Daniele Baldelli, Dj Rocca, Massimiliano Pagliara, Craig Smith, Jason Kendig, Rarish & Yoshi Horino

S Transporter is Izaak S and Ryan Spencer, a pan-American duo of exact origins unknown. With roots spanning from Detroit to San Francisco, the project is somewhere around four years old, though no one remembers exactly when it started. The songs were initially demoed in Ryan's bedroom and promptly forgotten about in the chaotic whirl of both members’ efforts in other music projects, DJing, and party-throwing ventures until Ryan played them at his weekly, Monday Is The New Monday (co-founded with PGS' Ben & Zach). Immediately, the songs burst with new life into our ears, and we excitedly requested to hear more. In a tale every creative can relate to, Ryan simply didn't know if they were any good. We found them extraordinary.

What followed were several months of additional recording sessions in a collective effort to finalize the tracks, done at Ryan's apartment in Southwest Detroit, Izaak's in SF, and the Portage Garage in Hamtramck. Bay area DIY underground luminary Anya Ghiorzi joined the group and contributed her vocal talents to the songs, which began to exhibit a sound representative of the genre-collisions featured at MITNM– from krautrock and boogie to trance, acid, and house– in a way other PGS releases have hinted at, but have not fully expressed until now.

S Transporter is the name of the EP, the project, and all four songs. A maximalist sound with a minimalist presentation, naming the songs - so many years after their inception - would, perhaps, take away from the feeling that struck all three of us the first time we heard them on a club-grade sound system.

Izaak S and Anya Ghiorzi are San Francisco residents, musicians, and DJs in the Loveshadow dance collective.

Ryan Spencer is a Detroit resident, DJ, co-founder of Monday Is The New Monday, and is a member of Freakish Pleasures.

"S Transporter 1"
Uptempo, backspin-laden electro/acid with a winding 303 bassline that reveals itself slowly over the pulsing breakbeat backbone. Immersive, haunting and enchanting.

"S Transporter 2"
Downtempo electro. Slap bass. Heavy boogie. Sensual vocals reminiscent of early Chris N Cosey carry you through this industrial funk heater. Heavy synth lines and rhythmic grooving guitar that is club-ready for dance floors of all kinds.

"S Transporter 3"
A fast paced, percussion forward adventure with balaphone melodies and bending synth pads. Spoken words guide the journey, arriving at a movement inducing Juno ascension that dances into a calm end.

"S Transporter 4"
Encompassing the seemingly disjointed, individualistic styles of S Transporter 1-3, ‘4’ combines elements of the entire release into one final gesture. ‘4’ could be Byrne/Eno ("Regiment"), but it's something else - the product of decades of dance music history, distilled by two musicians & DJs into one song.

credits
releases July 19, 2019

PGS 010
S Transporter
"S Transporter"
EP

2015-2019
Written, Mixed and Produced by Izaak S & Ryan Spencer
Vocals by Anya
Bass on “2” by Lucas De Leon Turner
Percussion & additional production on "3" by Shigeto
Percussion on “3” by Julian Spradlin

Mastered by Josh Bonati at Bonati Mastering
Recorded at Izaak's apartment in San Francisco, Ryan's apartment in Southwest Detroit and the Portage Garage
Records Pressed at Archer Record Pressing, Detroit, MI
Design by Will
MMXVIX

12” LP cut at 45 (for the first time) (color vinyl only) Pressed on a 12" for the first time and cut at 45 RPM so it's EXTRA loud. Jacket is an extra hefty 24pt board with printed inner sleeve full of rare never before seen photos When Acid King pressed up their self-titled debut EP on a tape and started handing them out at shows with business cards, it wasn’t an aesthetic choice. It was 1993. And while the world was still reeling in the aftermath of grunge breaking big on rock radio, this dirty-as-hell trio founded by guitarist/vocalist Lori S. were digging into even heavier vibes. Born out of Lori's shiftless days of wasted youth hanging around Chicago-area public parks, Acid King laughingly adopted the name from the book 'Say You Love Satan' and its subject Ricky Kasso, a local drug dealer who killed a friend over angel dust, thereby becoming the stuff of Satanic Panic local news broadcasts all over the country. Founded after a move to San Francisco, Acid King were outliers on punker bills in the tradition of West Coast rifflords like Saint Vitus and Sleep, and this four-song outing captures them at their rawest. Long before the career-defining roll of Busse Woods (1999) and the psychedelic mastery of their latest offering, Beyond Vision, this EP set in motion one of American heavy rock’s most landmark careers. Presented on reissued vinyl through RidingEasy Records – the original 10” was on Sympathy for the Record Industry – Acid King’s Acid King also established one of the most crucial partnerships in underground rock in that between Lori S. and producer/engineer Billy Anderson (see also: Neurosis, Sleep, Om, Amenra, Eight Bells, Cattle Decapitation and too many others to list). As Acid King went on to help define stoner rock in the mid and late ’90s with Zoroaster (1995), their Man’s Ruin Records split with Altamont (‘97) and Busse Woods, that creative relationship would flourish no less than the band’s sound, and here it is distilled to its meanest and most elemental self. Led as ever by Lori, Acid King at the time featured bassist/vocalist Peter Lucas and drummer Joey Osbourne – legend has it both had to read 'Say You Love Satan' before joining – and Melvins drummer Dale Crover had a hand in producing it as well as singing lead on “The Midway” after Lucas took a turn on “Drop.” A preface to the many majesties to come throughout Acid King’s many-storied career, behold the formative incarnation that started it all. A piece of heavy rock history AND killer riffs? You can’t possibly go wrong. - JJ Koczan, May 2023

Hi Scores is beyond excited to present SSR Records: In Retrospect. This 2LP compilation album presented in a beautiful gatefold sleeve and through all digital platforms, wishes to highlight the immense and hard to grasp legacy of the Brussels based label. SSR Records was founded in 1988 by Marc Hollander as a sub label of his Crammed Discs and spanned the nascent years of house, acid, rave, trance, new beat, hip-hop, future jazz and broken beat, collaborating internationally and racking up close to 200 releases until it was put to sleep in 2002. Far ahead of their time, SSR Records released music of both European and North American artists that hadn’t broken through yet, such as those collected on this compilation: Move D, Nu Era, Gemini, Bjørn Torske, Glenn Underground or Matthew Herbert.

SSR Records was run by Crammed Discs chief Marc Hollander and Minimal Compact singer Samy Birnbach aka DJ Morpheus. SSR Records: In Retrospect comes with extended liner notes, exploring the pivotal milestones in the history of the adventurous label and zooming in on the origins of all records featured on the compilation.

All nine tracks on SSR Records: In Retrospect were selected by Hi Scores’s head honcho Kong DJ and have been remastered. Created between 1990 and 1996 and in the at the time pioneering spheres of house, breakbeat, electro and trance music, these treasures from the vast SSR catalog today stand as a stunning testimony to a truly remarkable and timeless musical legacy. Kong DJ: ‘While collaborating with Crammed Discs on the releases of Aksak Maboul in 2016 and Zazou / Bikaye in 2018 on Ensemble, I began to grasp the impressive catalog of the label and its sub labels, including SSR. Surprised by the tiny footprint SSR had left on the world wide web - often the case for labels ceased before the internet revolution - I wrote an article for British website The Vinyl Factory.

This would later prove to be the first step towards this compilation album, collecting favorites from the label as a kid in a giant candy store.’

Back in 2018, two mysterious twelve-inch singles appeared in underground record sthops. Credited to Blotter Trax, a previously unknown outfit who cherished “faceless” anonymity, the pleasingly twisted and mind-altering music on show was a mutant form of electronic psychedelia. The included tracks were variously informed by analogue techno, acid, electro and minimal, but inhabited their own clandestine sonic space. These tracks were, we later discovered, lightly edited “straight to tape” jams, crafted on the fly by their creators in one of Berlin’s most admired studios.

By the time Blotter Trax delivered their follow-up on Clone offshoot Frustrated Funk a year later, the secret was out: the project was in fact a collaboration between two storied artists, techno titan Magda – a DJ/producer who should need little introduction – and serial underground aggravator (and man of many aliases) Jay Ahern, sometime Hauntologists member and acid techno royalty thanks to years spent releasing similarly shadowy EPs as T.B Arthur.

In the years that followed, and before the COVID-19 pandemic grounded them in Berlin, the pair took their incendiary, modular-driven live show to esteemed clubland institutions (Fabric included), on an acclaimed tour of Japan, and onto the stages of festivals across Europe.

Four years on from that appearance on Frustrated Funk, Blotter Trax are back in updated and expanded form. Now a trio thanks to the addition of bassist Hannes Strobl, the band is set to release their far-sighted, funk-fuelled debut album, Super Conductor – a pulsating, thrill-in-minute ride includes contributions from a swathe of notable guests (Nina Hynes, Ilhem Khodja and David Moss provided vocals, Shigeru Tanabu played guitar, Matthew Styles mixed the set and old friend John Tejada mastered it).

While rooted in electro and acid, the album is impressively low-slung, stylish and funky, with nods towards Blotter Trax’s mutual love of Arthur Russell, early ‘80s NYC downtown disco, leftfield new-wave pop and flash-fried punk-funk. Released by JD Twitch’s Optimo Music imprint, it charts the ongoing dancefloor evolution of a band whose days of mystery and mischief are now a distant memory.