land of confusion is one of the most seminal chicago acid house records. originally released in 1987 on bam bam s westbrook imprint and produced by the legendary armando gallop it marked the start of a recording career that would make him a household name among house and techno aficionados. to say land of confusion is raw is an understatement, it consists of a handful of elements but its impact when played is incendiary. armandos tb-303 acid lines sound possessed and unruly while the primitive drum machine patterns stagger around the track giving it a feeling of out of control urgency, a truly lo-fi piece of crazy chicago acid that was popular with many djs in chicago(including ron hardy at the muzic box) and around the world and continues to be influential today. an essential record for any discerning house or techno fan.

chris “bam bam” westbrook is one of the unsung heroes of chicago house. his westbrook label was responsible for releasing a slew of quality records from artists like armando & mike dunn as well as his own productions. one record that mysteriously never officially came out on the label was “hot spot” from 1987, never making it past white label stage. here, for the very first time, “hot spot” finally gets a full release boasting all 4 alternate mixes of the track by the man himself. suggestive lyrics, chattering drum machine rhythms and uplifting pianos in the classic raw chicago style are what makes “hot spot” a special re-issue. harking back to a headier time, the record still slams hard today and shows contemporary producers how house music should really be done. a long lost, un-released nugget from the old school, re-mastered from the original dat and officially released for the first time with original westbrook label artwork in conjunction with bam bam / westbrook records, chicago usa.

limited, hand-numbered vinyl

volume 3 showcases more of the unique tropical music created in panama in the fertile decades of the 1960s and 70s. panama is the thin, tropical bridge that connects north and south america, and is home to three million culturally diverse people, its music is a soulful blend of latin american, caribbean, european and indigenous forms. from bilingual calypsos to guajira jazz, from tropical guarachas to cumbia tamboreras, panamanian musicians fearlessly combined and brilliantly executed styles that reflected their multicultural environment during a turbulent time in the young countrys history. this collection presents more of the golden age of panamanian music and the music of the combos nacionales on rare recordings that have never been released outside the isthmus until now.

30 loops ep with armando, robert armani, woody mc bride, hardfloor, steve stoll, dj pierre, bam bam, mike dunn, adonis, phuture, fast eddie, farley funkmaster funk