wurzel releases wrzl001 & wrzl002 bundled up for a special price!

the first release on leipzig s ph17 is a compilation of pieces by companioned artists and promising talents which try to pass the limits of regular club music by combining its roots with experimental and weird structures. leibniz sampled his playstation sounds, ariadne created a symbiosis between opera singing and heavy electro acoustics, hobor, who is usually non-conform in his productions, experiments with loopy techno sounds which are creating their own dynamics in-between. annanan and stanley deliver breaks, lo-fi electro and wicked melodies.

following 2014 s well received album for third ear under his :brownstudy alias, life well lived , jason hogans steps away from the mic to focus on an lp of flawless instrumentals. returning to production under his own name for the first time since carl craig s planet e label released his album peter and the rooster in 1998, the age of scrap belies its title to instead deliver a forward thinking record rooted in classic detroit, fused with futurist sonics and dope beats. hogans seamlessly combines strains of house, jazz and hip hop, as well as the futurist bass pioneered by the likes of la s brainfeeder collective, throughout seven perfectly formed musical excursions. tip.

debut release for ra journalist dan petry using the moniker ged. the dry river ep is an accomplished first outing that fans of drexciya, dave clarke and objekt should investigate. ged s sound is rooted in detroit electro, early rave, 90s warp sensibilities and the gorgeous electronica palettes of manchester s skam label, most notable on early boards of canada and bola s work. that is to say kicking drums, dark brooding undercurrents and delicious soundscapes. definitely worth checking.

wbeezas first release since 2012s peckham fly/billy green is ded single. if you believe is a simple stone cold knockout hook over deliciously arranged elements. wacky racers is a peak time banger - maybe his hardest track so far. wise root is a slow burner, only revealing its full force after nearly 5 minutes of keeping the dance floor locked in. mo bella is a rolling, swinging live jam of irrepressible groove. four unmistakable wbeeza joints.

another fine third ear release to start the new year! demetrio with some blissful house tracks that are rooted in the american house traditions of some detroit pioneers as previously nicely documented on the third ear beatdown series!. jazzy, intens and bright sounding tracks with a personal demetrio giannice twist that deserve to be on that everlasting black wax!

ricardo jefferson is a producer and dj based in manchester, england. the four tracks on this ep demonstrate a distinctive style. the roots of his sound are in funk, disco, space rock, prog rock, but he has melded them into a sound that is more than just the sum of these elements. this is funky, bass-heavy, trippy techno for the dance floor. a1 a brutal truth. this is a big tune that builds relentlessly. the track has an inclusive, celebrational, feel which simply invites everyone to lose it on the dance floor. 124bpm. a2 persons unknown. this tune doesn t have the relentless build of a brutal truth. instead, this is a tune to drop when everyone on the dancefloor is in the zone and locked into the groove. a finely crafted trip created with multiple delays skittering around the sound field, anchored by the funky bass heavy groove. 123 bpm. b1 the egg part one. a track employing a tight kick drum of differing weights to propel the groove, overlayed with a circular keyboard motif. on the off-beat, add the processed sound of someone hitting a metal sheet, and viola! - one aggressively funky dance floor bomb! 123 bpm. b2 god of the machine. this track has a simple 4x4 kick and handclap pattern pinning down a delicious oscillating bass line, under a classic descending four chord circular chord progression. off kilter ride cymbals give the track its backbone, and fluidity. ricocheting handclap delays add dimension. sly stone would be proud of this groove. now get on the dance floor and strut your stuff! 119 bpm. the cover shows a still image from the music video a brutal truth directed by ricardo jefferson and laura lee.

reissue

the third album from ghost funk orchestra on transparent red vinyl.

the third album from ghost funk orchestra on black vinyl.

third release on moments records

second studio album from the roots as limited deluxe 3lp edition. contains the original album on double vinyl plus a third lp of bonus material, curated by questlove.

originally released 1983

amsterdam collective de lichting presents the third sequel as part of their collaborative album series. drie emphasizes the euphoric and heated club pieces. the release comprises emotional techno while embracing its breakbeat/electro fused roots in between. in drie , the collective shows an edge without losing their grip of imaginative ambiances.

lithuanian based label sodai started its journey in 2016, making it a label still in it’s infancy but making a big impression. owned by artist gardens of god, who started the label to create his own ‘no limits’ plat-form for his experimental sounds and projects. while at the same time a platform to give other artists the chance to also have freedom with art and music. with releases from raxon, few nolder and third son under their belt, the label shows no sign of slowing down, next in line is italian producer alex schaufel (suara, diynamic) who is welcomed to the label with a his heavy hitting four track ep entitled ‘roots’.

dreadsquad, aka marek bogdanski, returns to the scene with the second and third instalments of his riddim machine series. as part of a collaboration consisting of dreadsquad’s own superfly studio and the renowned moonshine recordings, listeners are in for a treat, courtesy of poland’s most prolific reggae dancehall producer. as ever, dreadsquad manage to encapsulate all evolutions of reggae – from rocksteady, roots and rub-a-dub to dancehall and dub – all with a present-day twist to keep the bass bins rumbling and the people skanking.

dreadsquad, aka marek bogdanski, returns to the scene with the second and third instalments of his riddim machine series. as part of a collaboration consisting of dreadsquad’s own superfly studio and the renowned moonshine recordings, listeners are in for a treat, courtesy of poland’s most prolific reggae dancehall producer. as ever, dreadsquad manage to encapsulate all evolutions of reggae – from rocksteady, roots and rub-a-dub to dancehall and dub – all with a present-day twist to keep the bass bins rumbling and the people skanking.

edizioni mondo as a label, has the goal to produce music that is descriptive of concepts, images and environments. inspired by library music, a genre frequently used as theme or background music in radio, film and television in that very same period, the name mondo has its roots in mondo movies, an italian movie genre born in the 60’s. mondo movies are characterized by documentary-like content that addresses several topics from around the world (mondo). numero nove comes courtesy of rotla. also known as mario pierro and raiders of the lost arp, waves is his third contribution to edizioni mondo. downtempo, trippy, playful and pardon us, balearic, its the soundtrack to the fading summer or the one starting somewhere else in this universe. accompanied by remix works from label head l.u.c.a. and balearic (again!) mastermind mark barrott with his sketches form an island healing hands, its the most balearic (threes a charm) record you will hear this side of the summer (wherever you are).

alma negra are back on heist! after their much applauded 2017 release with that great soulphiction remix, theyve been rather busy taking over the scene. they started their new label alma negra records where they released 3 eps in quick succession, with new as well as older material that showcases their tropical roots and keen ear for clubby reworks. they launched their live show, doing gigs across europe with a highlight at one of londons more intimate live venues: the jazz cafe. their latest outing making their release count a total of 4 in only 8 months was on marcel vogel’s lumberjacks in hell and explored the more live / rework side of their project. now theyre back on heist with 3 new tracks, supported by an awanto 3 remix. conversation is a track we wanted to put out on heist badly, simply because it’s a beast of a track. it sits somewhere between a live african drum track, percussive techno and moody midwest electronics, with pads and strings coming in and out of play while a relentless kick drum keeps the energy on a haunting level. this track is alma negra at their filthiest, and it feels like they’ve taken a next step from last years dark and heavy luanda dub, bringing it from an intimate dreamy stage straight into the main room. this is the place shows a different side of the house spectrum with the alma’s love for dreamy deep house. the track flows up and down, with soothing rhodes chords, arpeggios and mumbling vocals setting a summery mood thats perfect for your warm up or daytime party. meanwhile, their third original track from the heart goes even deeper and navigates around a smart vocal loop topped with strings, bleeps, claps and rimshots that just keeps going.

steppas records presents ‘osaka steppas’ vol. 3, the third in a series of releases showcasing the japanese underground dub movement. this edition features osaka producers hiroshi and roots masashi in collaboration with spanish producer ojah and well-respected uk singer rudey lee. the osaka steppas’ raw and unrelenting sound developed in the subterranean clubs of osaka, a port city famous for its counterculture night life. inspired not only by the sounds of jamaica, but also drawing inspiration from uk and european soundsystem culture with enough bassweight to test even the toughest of soundsystems. presented in a beautifully designed full colour sleeve inspired by the works of the legendary ukiyo-e woodblock artist, hokusai. this release is not to be missed. side a features an earth rocker riddim from ojah & hiroshi, with conscious lyrics sung by the legendary rudey lee. side b features a much sought after dubplate from osaka producer roots masashi, a deep, dark & mystical steppa.

third roots united ep called “kisko kisko” comes from one of the finest electro producers from finland, mesak (tatu metsatahti), who is also known from his legendary projects like mr velcro fastener and harmonia skweee label.
this 4-tracker features another finnish underground hero mono junk (vocals on b2 track) and includes a real ghetto-remix by grand master dj overdose straight outta the hague.
all of these tracks were produced in 2018 especially for roots united in a true hardware style.

the third album by blundetto, the man behind french radio station radio nova. for this fourth album, he’s back to the roots of his music : the reggae. . an album focus on jamaicans music, roots or digital, with legendary singers as ken boothe, cornell campbell, little harry and some close friends as biga ranx or jahadan blakkamoore. produced by blackjoy. why this title? slow dance? that’s a musical movment in the north of brazil. all the reggae soundsystem are slowering the tempo of the songs and the crowd is dancing in couple. closely. blundetto is one of the most played of this new musical movement.

loco dice has unveiled his darkly eclectic album ‘love letters, a 15-track embodiment of his diverse production range. featuring the latest single ‘were alive, the most highly anticipated record of his recent sets. dices third studio album after ‘7 dunham place and ‘underground sound suicide sees him reflecting on his musical influences and connections to dusseldorf and beyond. the album is packed with the producers typically forceful tones, which blur the lines between house and techno. utillising the bristling sounds and smooth drum beats, dices love letters album serves as an aural embodiment of the tones which make his sound so unique. throughout ‘love letters, dice uses his own vocals more frequently than on previous albums, which makes the production both trippier and more personal, representing past and present.

banoffee pies records drop their third beats release samba del sol with clifford brown & jeen bassa ft. ella mae sueref - the album is influenced by carnival and latin sounds with hip hop drums and soul roots - meeting in middle ground as an expression of the production duos upbringing, johns heritage in mauritius and cliffords childhood in south america. partnered with ellas spanish language fluency and soft badhu acclaimed voice as previously heard on the single stop rewind credited by the like of gilles peterson and mr. scruff. the tracks were recorded on garageband by clifford brown and jeen bassa with 2 karaoke microphones, mixed in bath and later buried on a hard drive for over 6 years never to be heard again. sliding into the forgotten darkness of lost tracks and rediscovered in 2017. the production, originally just an instrumental, was then found and reignited, revamped with a vocal insert from the wonderful ella mae sueref. the 10 track album demonstrates a flurry of drums, latin inspired sampling, and mesmerizing vocals from start to finish. for the music and the lovers. living room jams made in smoke. banoffee xx in loving memory of anna sueref.

following afrobeat makers vol.1 (sold out), comet is pleased to announce the second volume of the afrobeat makers collection, due for release in june this year: the tony allen’ original afrobeat patterns revisited by few of the best international dj/producers, with among them: doctor l (paris), thiago franca (sao paulo), mps pilot (amsterdam), or gnowee (paris) tony allen has spread afrobeat to the corners of the globe, a perfect synthesis of tradition and sophistication – his various collaborations with great artists from all genres and styles are a truly proof of his openness. doctor l, paris based music producer, is a sound activist going through the musical galaxies, fusioning from 80’s punk rock, to hip-hop, electronica and afrobeat ... in 2000, already on comet records, he brought lagos afrobeat towards the third millennium with the album black voices by tony allen, and even send it to the moon, with his other project, psyco on da bus. since 2002, dj/producer mps pilot (nl) has immersed himself in the cutting-edge tropical bass scene. in every possible direction and slippage between all different genres, mps pilot maps the crosspollination and divergence of contemporary music. he performed on 3 continents, both in remote desert or major festivals. thiago franca is a producer, musician and saxophonist from são paulo arts scene, this year with his power afro-punk trio meta meta, they released for the first time in europe (mais um discos -uk), their debut album metal metal. thiago is meanwhile developping his african rooted solo outfit, sambanzo, and was also in criolo’s touring band for two years, where he met tony allen, which led to two collaborations on the the afrobeat makers and meta meta’ albums.

babe roots are a relatively young duo from turin, italy, making a unique brand of atmospheric, techno-infused dubwise. on our radar since their splendid debut 7 inch on rohs! records in early 2016, we are very pleased to invite them into the zamzam fold with two mesmerizing and contrasting tunes. * be still* is a deeply meditative yet driving dub techno trek in classic fashion, featuring rastaman kojo neatness intoning on righteous living, working the land, guarding the tongue, and avoiding babylonian schemes and traps laid by the wicked. maternal bass and shimmering reverbs envelop a heartbeat rhythm of kick, shaker and distant snares for a timeless vibe that shows mastery of the idiom while updating it for contemporary sound systems. * rawness* is an extraordinarily deep 140 journey that opens with rich pads and swirling atmospherics, creating a psychoactive ambience that builds into a steady kick. the full riddim hits and plunges us even deeper with restrained, syncopated drums and percussion. churning bass powers us through the dense, hallucinatory fog as tendrils of electricity probe and zap, and serrated snares cut through the tape haze and studio clouds in the last third. carving out a gorgeous edge between deep dubstep and dub techno, * rawness* hits all the marks and will find a home in a huge range of sets.

formed of laura lee on bass, mark speer on guitar, and donald “dj” johnson on drums, khruangbin’s sounds are rooted in the deepest waters of world music infused with classic soul, dub and psychedelia. their 2015 debut album ‘the universe smiles upon you’ was heavily influenced by 60’s and 70’s thai cassettes the band listened to on their long car journeys to rehearsal in the texan countryside. ‘con todo el mundo’ takes inspiration not just from south east asia but similarly underdiscovered funk and soul of the mediterranean and the middle east, particularly iran.

just as magnified record grooves reveal dust constellations and lunar landscapes, so too does godblesscomputers’ third album. “solchi” is a deep search into previous moments in lorenzo nada’s lifetime, influenced by the presence and power of music. his process began with the recovery of some old cassettes, mixtapes nearly forgotten, audio recording of voices from his childhood, and lots of dusty jazz, soul, and hip-hop records. as the starting point of this travel merge with its end, past and present combine to form gbc’s current sound. warm electronic production rooted by grooving bass lines form the core of a kaleidoscope of sixteen tracks, colored by synthesizers, guitar echoes, scratches, samples, fading voices and kalimba. the album is a collection of sixteen stories, sixteen soundscapes, each of them gbc’s tribute to the path taken thus far, an homage to his love for music. the recording and studio work took place over a year, with the adding and subtracting of many elements. for this project, gbc invited several musicians into his home studio, both old friends and new. they helped to recreate the sounds of the original recovered recording, as well as add fresh ideas to the project.

one of the worlds most revered drum & bass outfits spectrasoul return with their third studio album how we live, self-released on their burgeoning ish chat music imprint. turning back to their roots for a more hardened, underground sound, how we live pushes through the full spectrum of d&b showcasing once more that trademark spectrasoul sheen and musicality that has won them legions of fans across the globe over the past 10 years.

hauntological dub taking the mystical eastern melodica scales pioneered by augustus pablo and applying them to a unique mix of reversioned cult themes and roots rockers. doctor pablo was a key member of creation rebel as well as contributing to such canonical albums as cry tuff dub encounter volume 1 and some of the early hitrun records sides, a pre-cursor to on-u sound. it is also the third album appearance by the dub syndicate. features the much-loved dub re-rub of the theme tune to classic british science fiction show doctor who.

multi-faceted irish musician david kitt aka new jackson returns to permanent vacation in full force, riding high from releasing his critically acclaimed debut album from night to night, which was filled with rich melodies, dusty synth pop, late-night boogie and cinematic deep house. for his third pv ep, new jackson tightens the strings and brings back the bounce with two rather floor-friendly tracks that are still deeply rooted in the unique new jackson universe. to round things up feather by feather is a love-trenched early morning anthem, which is the perfect soundtrack for doing all things that are nice in this world.

drone pursues new resonant frequencies with itÆs twelfth release, a tonal, penetrating, and experimental album. vii was recorded by laying full takes of synthesisers and guitar feedback with repetitive melodies as a nod to the tradition of ragas. each song was written for a specific power centre in the body and to engage both active and passive effects of sustained and concentrated sound.

pulse drifts third installment brings you the vinyl debut of a very talented young artist from canada. and he delivers something quite special on this 4-track ep. deeply rooted in detroit electro, his musical sprouts gravitate towards a more experimental, forward-thinking sound universe. build on a solid stem of rhythmic structures and covered with a cortex of melody and atmosphere, funk grows and groove emerges.

u-roy was a true reggae pioneer, dubbed the originator for good reason. bursting onto the jamaican scene in the earliest 1970s, he pioneered the vocal approach called ôtoasting,ö which in addition to branching out jamaican music into a new era, was also heavily influential on an american genre in its infancy: rapping. on dread in a babylon, his third full-length, he stretches out over traditional roots grooves provided by the soul syndicate and skin, flesh & bones bands, riffing on topics including love (ôrunaway girl,ö a 1975 single released in the uk on virgin records), the bible (ôthe great psalmsö), walking the straight and narrow (ôlisten to the teacherö), and even his take on governmental policy goals (ôchalice in the palaceö). the album finishes with an instrumental version of bob marley & the wailersÆ ôtrench town rock,ö for good measure. u-royÆs style and charisma are always on display, and û as with all of his classic records û the groove rules all. presented on black vinyl with a poster of the glorious, ganja-drenched cover art, itÆs the perfect chance to revisit one of the more underrated voices in jamaican musical history.

the third and final part of the jacob f. desvarieux anthology on endless flight brings two more hot productions of the fabled french zouk veteran with roots in guadeloupe. the tune “rifyx” is taken from desvarieux’s 1985 album “oh madiana” and delivers arresting jazz-funk and zouk-suspense enlarged with touching horns, synth-enthusiasm and longing female vocals. the second song comes from the paris based, west cameroon born singer tala, produced by desvarieux for tala’s album “mother africa” in 1982. also here desvarieux tuned the synthesizers odd and edgy to let them dance with an afro styled rhythm. above all tala sings sexy with a chorus of girls while percussions go crazy and the sounds of horns are longing for the sky. on top of everything endless flight asked again the japanese producer kuniyuik to edit a desvarieux track. he chose “rifyx” and tuned it into an epic soulful eight minutes long dream house anthem that funks all dancers crazy. hotter than hot stuff here!

come together: re.yous younion returns with more sublime unifying forces. beats that bring us closer, feelings that break down barriers and artist partnerships whose creative connections are more than the sum of their parts. the message is clear in every directio, from the longstanding younion parties across europe to the slow-but-smouldering rise of the label, of which we are proud to present its third release tapping into the very same younion spirit that regularly shakes the walls of iconic clubs such as watergate berlin and pacha barcelona, this four track ep is an incisively curated collective ep comprising three acts who complement each other implicitly. as the dust still settles from florian busses recent younion outing, and solomun continues to hammer the labels first release from eins tiefer, the timing couldnt be better. the perennially on-point dutchman rancido takes the lead with two deep tribal odysseys that take root in the sound he’s made his signature. both >lagos< and the vinyl-only >rabat< conjure deep mystic textures around his stately, restrained and constantly developing grooves. there is a reason he is released with the mighty innervisions in the past. deeper again re.you whips up a percussive storm over palpitating synths in the form of >dao< before handing the controls over to rising german duo cosmo & kramer for an inspiring finale. a duo re.you has been championing since they warmed up for him five years ago, >dance< is a calling card for an extremely exciting future… and it more than lives up to its name. three releases deep and younions unifying forces couldnt be stronger. its time to combine.

karl meier, ken meier and jon krohn, aka stave, are launching a label called standards & practices.
the three us artists, who share chicago roots, have a pretty straightforward mission in mind for standards & practices: “to provide a platform for releases by both talker and stave, as well as for material by other like-minded artists and collaborators.” talker is the downwards-affiliated duo of karl meier—a longtime techno dj, now based in berlin, who took part in ra’s playing favourites series last year—and krohn, formerly of the experimental rock group male, who’s also been putting out his own brand of abstract, industrialized electronic music as stave for around four years. ken meier, a new york-based graphic designer, partner at common name and dj—and karl’s brother—takes care of art and design for the label.
standards & practices’ opening move is a talker 12-inch, battle standards, the duo’s third full release and first since their 2014 album for downwards. a three-track ep built with material from their new live set and “aimed squarely at the dance floor,” it includes a new version of “my favorite colour is gold,” from 2015’s the immortal eye compilation cd. it’s due out in late july. next will be black hills, a five-track ep from stave that’s expected in september.
along with the soon-to-launch label, the meier brothers recently rebooted their fear of music podcast with some new mixes, including two from karl.

from the italian dub duo babe roots comes the groups third vinyl release since their debut 7inch last year on the sardinian rohs imprint which sold out in record time. like the a-sides artwork suggests (a photo of the major league baseball pitcher doc ellis famous for pitching a no-hitter while on lsd), this record will take the listener on a trip. in classic babe roots fashion, each song was carefully crafted using traditional jamaican dub techniques, blending 90’s chain reaction / basic channel atmospheres and uk trip-hop elements. spiritual connection / brown walls aims to be their strongest release yet. us-based label visceral vibrations teams up with big horn sound (a sound system out of las vegas, nv) to provide a record worthy of any dub-heads collection, presented on 12inch vinyl and professionally mastered by beau thomas at teneightseven.

ltd 50% deal ...significant success for artists is based on two things: talent and timing. dave.i.d has talent by the spadeful but his timing may also be spot on. when dave.i.d released his debut single in march 09 he was probably too ahead of the game but now as we enter the last third of 2010 it feels right on the money. daves initial release went down very well though. paul lester in the guardians important new band of the day feature totally lost it, calling dave.i.d >totally brilliant< and dubbing him >aphex timbaland<. his single was voted single of the year in dazed & confused and made the end of year round-up in drowned in sound. now with the amazing zola jesus setting up so well around the world and the dark electronica coming more to the fore outside its nerd roots, dave.i.d sounds perfectly in tune with the unhappy, troubled sound of now.
bespoke packaging using industrial blue plastic cut in a rhombus shape. the same blue plastic forms the backdrop to the live stage show.

the second part of the jacob f. desvarieux anthology on endless flight brings three more productions of the fabled french zouk veteran with roots in guadeloupe.
the song “sika” by georges décimus, bass player of desvarieux’s band kassav, features outer-national synth works driven by salsa-like percussions and sweet steel-drum melodies, dancing around the seducing zouk guitar chords of desvarieux. a truely moving psychedelic zouk gem, that is for the first available on vinyl only since its release on georges décimus’s solo debut mini-album “la vie” in 1983.
the second song “avèou doudou” was firstly released in 1985 and was written by the martinique born zouk star and former kassav keyboarder jean-claude naimro. his tune spreads feathery synth-laden caribean boogy vibes, enlarged by his tempting voice and more zouk guitar magic by desvarieux. the third gem comes from the zouk pioneer patrick saint-éloi, listens to the name “do bay lan main”, was never re-released since 1984, features the former kassav singer saint-éloi on the microphone, electric piano, organ and mini moog and gets once again softly heated by jacob f. desvarieux’s enchanting zouk guitar virtuosity. as already on the jacob f. desvarieux: anthology pt 1. release, japanese producer for special affairs kuniyuki delivers a unique edit. his version of “sika” is made for eternalness dance floor moments. the steel drums dance with more magic than in the original. propelled by spaced out synth-sounds, echoed drums and the discreet guitar chords of desvarieux, kuniyuki’s version of “sika” is ready to be a mind-expanding summer hit on all open minded dancefloors around the globe.

one of the sweetest and most idiosyncratic voices in reggae, tenor singer cornell campbell also has one of the longest-running careers of any jamaican recording artist. taken under studio one founder clement sir coxsone dodd’s wing at a very young age, cornell cut his first recordings in 1956, long before ska was even established. he remained based at studio one for many years (working as a label printer as well as a recording artist), and also voiced sides for king edwards in the ska years. he then briefly joined the sensations in rock steady and recorded at treasure isle, before moving back to studio one as leader of the eternals when reggae arrived, cutting huge hits there such as stars and queen of the mistrel, and giving early coaching to slim smith, jacob miller and bassist robbie shakespeare. joining forces with ace producer bunny striker lee in the mid-1970s brought a dramatic new surge in popularity that greatly boosted his profile overseas. the ropin lp was issued on third worlds justice subsidiary in 1980 a sub label set up to handle strikers product in the uk (though hits like mash you down and the title track had been handled in jamaica by joe gibbs). one of the albums outstanding moments is bandulu, an anti-rude boy epic voiced on the late night blues rhythm, while opening cover, just my imagination, has an uncredited toasting portion from errol scorcher.

medical records presents the third release in our transfusions 12- singles series. certain creatures (born oliver chapoy) currently resides in brooklyn, ny but has a career dating back to the early 90 s. he has roots in the miami hardcore scene that evolved into post-rock and even electronic pop (warm ghost). he began exploring electronics as certain creatures in 2013 with a 12- on styles upon styles with guest vocals from stuart argabright which led to oliver producing the 2014 black rain comeback record on blackest ever black. in 2015, oliver created a lush and enthralling lp vipassana, also released on styles upon styles. for this particular release for transfusions, oliver sought to step out of his production bias comfort zone by recording live takes with minimal editing and production in order to maintain a dirty, raw, haze-filled warehouse aesthetic. mission accomplished! the 12- contains 5 tracks total of uncompromising techno which we are ecstatic to unleash on the world. presented on classic 160gram black vinyl in our transfusions 12- sleeve. mastered by martin bowes at the cage studios, uk. crucial material for fans of surgeon, regis, as well as labels such as downwards, mote-evolver, and the like.

roots underground records was born out of pure love for pure house in 2012. their third instalment on wax, “riccardo vs ricardo // italia to chicago” is a split 12” with each side exploring the more exotic frontiers of that wholesome house sound.

distinctive tenor singer linval thompson honed his singing craft in his formative years, growing in the west kingston ghetto of three mile, where he was associated with dennis brown, johnnie clarke and al campbell. a subsequent move to new york brought him into expatriate act hugh hendricks and the buccaneers, with his debut recording, ‘no other woman,’ being made circa early 1974 at patrick alley’s art craft studio. a series of other singles followed from his new york sojourn, but the return to jamaica in 1974 led to more noteworthy singles for stamma hobson, phil pratt and lee ‘scratch’ perry, with ‘jah jah redder than red’ and ‘girl you’ve got to run,’ both cut at the black ark for pratt, being the most successful. yet, it was all but a prelude to the breakthrough success he would finally achieve upon teaming up with bunny lee for ‘don’t cut off your dreadlocks,’ one of the most popular releases of 1975, a debut album of the same name, issued by third world in 1976, contained some of his most outstanding material, including the devotional ‘jah jah the conqueror’ and ‘long long dreadlocks,’ the romance thriller ‘black princess lady’ and the anti-rude boy opus, ‘cool down your temper.’

one of the very first artists to begin recording in jamaica, derrick morgan is beloved as a ska icon and a pioneer of the ‘skinhead reggae’ style. blessed with a rich, deep tenor, which with he belts out his clever and often humorous lyrics, morgan became known on the kingston music scene through vere johns’ regular talent contests, and enjoyed a lengthy run of hits during the 1960s for producers such as simeon smith, duke reid and clement ‘sir coxsone’ dodd (among others), cultivating a popular vinyl feud with prince buster after being brought into leslie kong’s camp by the young jimmy cliff. morgan moved to england during the late 1960s to capitalise on the skinhead reggae craze, but was back in jamaica from the early 1970s, and since bunny lee was his brother-in-law, the two have always maintained a close working relationship. people decision, voiced at king tubby’s studio for lee and released by third world in 1977, sees morgan in politicised roots reggae mode on songs like ‘let’s build a better jamaica,’ the symbolic racetrack drama ‘racing at ballistic park,’ and the title track, which all boosted the socialist policies of the ruling people’s national party, ‘natty dread forward out of babylon’ updates the ‘tougher than tough’ saga, and there’s a slew of rude tunes when you flip the disc, including ‘my dickie,’ ‘rough grinder’ and ‘ride manny fanny.’

tenor singer johnny clarke had many false starts in his youthful days. hanging around studio one as a schoolboy with jacob miller, clarke was supposed to record material written for him by bob andy, but somehow never made the grade. his 1973 debut recording for lesser-known producer glen stair was not released, and early work for clancy eccles failed to hit, though ‘everyday wondering’ for rupie edwards made an underground impact in britain and new york. subsequent singles for keith hudson and glen brown also did not get very far, but the breakthrough finally came when bunny lee asked him to sing ‘none shall escape the judgement,’ which was written by the singer earl zero, it became a massive hit that launched the ‘flying cymbal’ craze (based on an open-and-closed high-hat cymbal pattern, adapted from the soul train theme), and clarke became one of lee’s most reliable hit-makers, partly because lee stoked a rivalry between him and cornell campbell, whom lee had previously asked to voice ‘none shall escape.’ clarke’s satisfaction lp was recorded at harry j for lee, voiced at king tubby’s studio, and issued by third world in 1979. it is a set largely comprised of cover tunes, such as the strong opening update of the paragons’ ‘riding for a fall,’ the title track adapting their rock steady hit ‘my satisfaction’ in a post-rockers style. better still is the hard-hitting ‘reality’ tune, ‘play fool, get wise,’ which uses a proverb to relate a means of avoiding trouble on the dog-eat-dog mean streets of kingston.

aus welcome back label favourite shenoda for his third release on the label, burn backed with a remix from juxta position. previous releases on hypercolour & electric minds have seen shenoda firmly on the ascent but its in his recent outings on aus that his bold, rugged club music has really reached its zenith. burn follows suit with its predecessors with its power being rooted in seismic, analogue drums that are balanced against soft, allaying melodies. the muscular vista then rolls out punching stabs and tight, shuffling drums before label mate marquis hawkes dusts off his juxta position alias and delivers a pacey and forthright take on burn. melodies are softly mangled and given a spectral quality that recalls his mazury on dvs1’s mistress wrapping another solid addition to the catalogue as the aus music family continue to deliver the goods.

tommy mccook to be leader of the skatalites in the early 1960s, he went on to become the chief exponent of rock steady as leader of the supersonics house band at treasure isle. mccook remained a key session player throughout the reggae era, and during the roots reggae heyday of the mid-1970s, his expressive melodies found particularly strong outlet, especially on the music he created for grassroots producer bunny ‘striker’ lee as a member of the aggrovators, the studio outfit lee hand-picked from the cream of jamaica’s musical crop. when enhanced by the adventurous mixing experiments of king tubby, the engineer that turned dub into an art form, instrumental aggrovators music became positively ethereal, yielding an exceptional listening experience. on king tubby meets the aggrovators at dub station, tommy mccook blows mean sax and flute over dubs of outstanding tracks by johnny clarke, cornell campbell, linval thompson, delroy wilson, and others greats. first issued on third world in 1976, this vinyl reissue comes complete with four thematic bonus tracks, and the whole disc makes for essential listening. reissued on lp and cd with bonus tracks!

first word enters 2017 with a bang: a 28-track album courtesy of eric lau. this, his third instrumental album, is a veritable tapestry of vibes, ranging through hip hop, soul, jazz, funk & brazilian beats. a mere taste into the genius production skills of london’s mr. lau, it’s easy to understand why he’s so revered by djs, artists and producers across the world, including rich medina, 9th wonder, bobbito, dam funk, gilles peterson, james poyser (the roots), phonte and ali shaheed muhammad (a tribe called quest), amongst others.