2nd single cut from kuniyuki new album >walking in the naked city< (mule musiq cd 13). this kuniyukis 12inch version of night forest is more playful and mixable than original version of album. this kind of musical deep house sound is a rare on these days. our favorite african artist mr raoul k made the interesting trippy afro taste minimal house remix.

noir de coeur ep is the second projet of the aglia records label, with the theme africa or perfect mixing between jazz, afro and electro dub style. to do this, krispaglia turned to 3 talented artists: melchyor a (razana prod, rec soulshine, slip and slide, ludovic allen (tribal winds, real tone, basenotic, gswing) rochdee (rec elephunk, boys basment rec)and krispaglia (aglia records) to give their musical vision on this continent. melchyor a feat long bass - house of groove: afro house classic pure style. ludovic allen feat mediff - darkside: moody dub vocal house track. rochdee - idealgroove: pure afro dub...

gotan projects christoph h. müller and peruvian percussionist rodolfo munoz (chinchivi, sandunga) have teamed up to create radiokijada, a unique musical adventure based upon afro peruvian rhythms and culture, a crossover of powerful percussion, strong melodies, deep basslines and contemporary production methods

evoking the very spirit and energy of puerto rico and tis beautiful people, >ponce< pays tribute to traditional instruments like the güiro and maracas and the traditional african-originated musical stlyes of >bomba and plena< which will have you feeling like you’re getting down at a street carnival in downtown san juan in no time! the second in vega records’ new series of tracks inspired by the musical landscapes of lands near and far, louie vega now presents a smooth, rolling track inspired by the bahia region of northeast brazil, commonly referred to as the >african soul< of brazil and the country’s home of afro-brazilian culture.powerful drums, strings, eclectic instrumentation and an electronic edge make ‘bahia’ a rolling masterpiece. perfect to layer that accapella over or just to bounce to, >bahia< is as brazilian as samba and carnivale, and will prove just as difficult to abstain from.

dj oji hits us right in the face with a couple of atypical jazzy afro funkified productions on this double a side! sax you features vocalist kolai & gets eclectic with its slappy percussion & really catchy plucky rhythm string. this only serves to warm up the epic intro of the jazzy sax that comes in as strong as a freight train. doing one of his very special edits is master musical editor & dance legend, dj danny krivit. continuing on his path of afro funkdom, this next oji offering is another quality piece featuring esteban & tettris entitled non believers. a rhythmic hodge podge of sounds in the same vein as the aforementioned style including sax, trumpet, hammond organ, wood clavs, and interjected by a psychotic transistor noise thats sure to drive the listener into a modern day ritualistic frenz

4xcd

after the hip hop after all tour, guts confirms in an idea more than this in the back of his head to make an album where the proportions 80% samples and programming / live 20% would be reversed. ok! an album to push further his musical exploration, go to the electro-funk, afro-disco, space jazz. add choir here, the talkbox there, play a monstrous bassline, a fiery sax solo instruments or let slip only several minutes: guts did nothing forbidden, opened the doors of the studio, broke the unlocked windows and vents so that no breath or vibration is left out.

incl. bonus mix cd! following on from the success of >dirty old hip hop< marc returns with a new visioneers record hipology. hipology is a collage of some of my personal influences as a dj/producer growing up listening to hip hop a real eclectic mix of breaks, beats, soul, jazz, and freaky squeaks and not a sampler in sight. visioneers is about revisiting my love for hip hop, what is was and what it is the musical influences and the culture. hipology will be released on bbe records late spring and features guest spots from john robinson, trac & baron, notes to self, luke parkhouse & the ariya horns!

afro-latin

ltd repress - trio ternura (or tenderness trio) consisted of two sisters, jussara, jurema and their brother robson. their father, umberto silva was a revered brazilian songwriter and recording artist who introduced his children to the music world at a very young age. after performing some songs on broadcast television and at festivals early on, their father umberto and brother, beto scala wrote a gira for the trio to record. the song is a tribute to nature, spirituality and mindfulness. the hommage is made through a form of cantico (chant) or saudação (salutation), aimed at invoking an orisha named oxossi. otherwise known as saints, orishas are the deities worshiped in the afro-brazilian religion of candomblé. african religion and culture have had an undeniable impact in brazil, especially in music and on artists with african roots as its rituals were often accompanied by music comprising highly percussive drumming. as a result, a gira, an homage to a candomblé deity recorded in 1973 involves mesmerizing polyrhythms from the very first few bars and throughout, followed by the sisters soaring vocals and impeccable instrumentation. its a song that they can really identify with, in their own words it has the dancing, the expression, the lyrics and musical relaxation - something very brazilian. originally released on polydor in brazil, fully licensed and remastered from the tapes - mel012 comes forth in its 7-inch original vinyl format and digitally, b/w trio ternuras stunning version of gato barbieris last tango in paris and is accompanied by the first bilingual melozine.

the southern hemisphere ep features 4 tracks inspired by the immensely rich and diverse musical tradition that south america and africa offers.

musical blog and house party craft music from saint petersburg launches a new label. for the first release they ve invited talented musician funkyjaws from grodno. his music has been releaseed by labels such as kolour ltd, shadeleaf music, pusic (austria) and others.

no artwork - standard cover - alma negra records are proud to present james stewart, resident dj and co-promoter of monthly night black atlantic club at le sucre in lyon, with his cotonou ep! james stewart is the host, resident dj and co-promoter of monthly night black atlantic club at le sucre in lyon. borrowing the term black atlantic from renowned scholar paul gilroys 1993 book, stewart presents black music as a transnational, incredibly diverse cultural exchange. an avid lecturer on the subject and founder of the blog afrosouldescarga, he merges an intellectual approach with the musical and creative side of things: as an active conga player and percussionist, member of voilaaa sound system and showhost at radio nova. this ep is the work of of a mature and thoughtful musician, combining different musical influences at a high level of production. alma negra records are proud to present james stewart with his cotonou ep!

alex dorothée was born in guadaloupe, and lived between paris and his hometown. he began his musical career as part of the band: the will boy, vautours and les junior de paris. he has released 8 albums and several singles. harmonie exotic will re-propose you the reissue of the album “au krisma discothèque” released in the mid 80s.

ltd repress! for their first afro-brazilian compilation the german jazz & milk label teamed up with tahira, one of sao paulo s most active djs andmusiccollectors. levanta poeira (afro-brazilian music & rhythms from 1976 - 2016) highlights a few of his favourite dj pearls and encompasses brazil s various regional musical styles influenced by african and amerindian forms. while most foreign music lovers tend to approach brazilian music by having american music genres such as jazz, soul, funk, disco as a reference, tahira s personal wish was to showcase the rich musical roots and facets of his country by featuring carefully selected artists and bands from the past 4 decades. most of these tracks will be made available on vinyl for the very first time with a highlight certainly being tahira s -a toda menina baiana- remix (vinyl-only) of one of brazil s absolute musical heroes, gilberto gil.

just in time for summer, rnt drops a 3-tracker of tropical heat from brazilian outfit balako. although relative newcomers, their production prowess has been known to their rio de janeiro musical community and beyond for some time, and is on full display here. the a-side showcases their knack for modernizing the canonical brazilian mpb sound, from the deceptively demonic build of batuque, to the acidic-leaning lilt of deixa acontecer. the flip side takes a hard turn left of field with honey honey honey, a 9 minute opus of afro-brazilian disco insanity, primed for those balmy summertime roof parties.

over the course of the last decade, black pepper label boss jose manuel has proved to be one of electronic music s finest contemporary alchemists, conjuring percussive, intoxicating and otherworldly musical treats for such labels as tusk wax, kinfolk, kill the dj, optimo trax and music for dreams. the genius of manuel s productions lies in the italian s ability to conjure cracking cosmic compositions out of a diverse range of global rhythms, instruments and influences. rarely has this been more evident than on his debut release for nunorthernsoul, a four-track serving of dancefloor mysticism that puts mind-altering rhythms and saucer-eyed instrumentation front and centre. track, for example, the light and dreamy wrapped sumptuous balearic synthesizer chords and melodies around gentle hand percussion and drifting zambian vocals on the sublime journey in lusaka followed by the feverish, trance-inducing african rhythms, delay-laden chants, psychedelic acid lines and jangling jew s harp motifs of intense opener journey in lusanda , a ritualistic afro-cosmic onslaught ripe for peak-time plays. if the ep opener is all about being flat on your back and staring skywards, the follow up is all about druggy, heads down sweatiness! manuel s deep love of indian music is explored on journey in mumbai , where exotic sitar lines, fluttering clarinets and echoing, densely layered female vocals rise above a thick, tabla-fired groove. it s naturally hugely evocative and atmospheric - a fine dose of emotion-rich spirituality capable of inducing hallucinations in the straightest of listeners. to complete the ep, our hero travels even further east for journey in osaka , a fittingly percussive exploration of japanese music s past and present that also includes audible nods towards the poly-rhythmic drums of west africa. it s a superb combination of traditional instrumentation, 21st century electronics, heavyweight rhythms and mood-enhancing melodic flourishes. like the rest of the journeys in...ep, it s both hugely alluring and impeccably produced

after two incredible eps, wayne snow the nigerian-born, berlin-based vocalist and songwriter now presents his debut album on tartelet records. freedom tv is the natural sequel to the max graef produced tasters red runner (2014) and rosie (2015) a project marinated in afro-caribbean, soulful grooves and topped by waynes effortless falsetto acrobatics. as the title suggests, freedom tv is an album with themes of liberty, struggle and creative identity pumping through its veins. within ten tracks, snow fluently meanders between musical styles: from low-tempo soothers like album opener cooler and fall to the syncopated bruk of the rhythm and cosmic funk escapades found on nothing wrong. production comes from three varied and solid sources. the tag-team between snow and fellow berliner, max graef

grammy award winner louie vega is known worldwide as one of the finest creators and purveyors of house music, both as an individual artist / producer / dj and as partner with kenny dope in the renowned production team known as masters at work. his multiple musical talents have also brought him much acclaim in the genres of salsa, afro-beat, jazz, hip-hop and soul. last year he reached another career milestone when his album “louie vega starring...xxviii” was nominated at the 2017 grammys for best dance album, which further solidified his position as one of the industry’s premier artist / producers. but not everyone knows about louie’s deep respect, admiration and knowledge of the disco genre that laid the foundation for so much music that moves crowd on dancefloors and festivals today.

grammy award winner louie vega is known worldwide as one of the finest creators and purveyors of house music, both as an individual artist / producer / dj and as partner with kenny dope in the renowned production team known as masters at work. his multiple musical talents have also brought him much acclaim in the genres of salsa, afro-beat, jazz, hip-hop and soul. last year he reached another career milestone when his album “louie vega starring...xxviii” was nominated at the 2017 grammys for best dance album, which further solidified his position as one of the industry’s premier artist / producers. but not everyone knows about louies deep respect, admiration and knowledge of the disco genre that laid the foundation for so much music that moves crowd on dancefloors and festivals today.

alma negra records are proud to present james stewart, resident dj and co-promoter of monthly night black atlantic club at le sucre in lyon, with his cotonou ep! james stewart is the host, resident dj and co-promoter of monthly night black atlantic club at le sucre in lyon. borrowing the term black atlantic from renowned scholar paul gilroys 1993 book, stewart presents black music as a transnational, incredibly diverse cultural exchange. an avid lecturer on the subject and founder of the blog afrosouldescarga, he merges an intellectual approach with the musical and creative side of things: as an active conga player and percussionist, member of voilaaa sound system and showhost at radio nova. this ep is the work of of a mature and thoughtful musician, combining different musical influences at a high level of production. alma negra records are proud to present james stewart with his cotonou ep!

a native of the caribbean coast of colombia, abelardo carbono achieved legendary status in his country’s storied ranks of musical icons by combining the homegrown sounds of cumbia with the chiming guitars of west african soukous, enormously popular with the local tropical sound systems, and drenching the whole thing in his off-kilter, surreal and slightly psychedelic sensibility.
with the exception of a well-received compilation of songs from his 1980s heyday, carbono has been rarely heard from outside the sweaty dancehalls he still commands in his hometown of barranquilla. now, names you can trust has welcomed the reclusive guitarist and singer back to the vinyl format with a simmering afro-carib beast of a cut, recorded with the assistance of will -quantic- holland on rhythm guitar and mario galeano frente cumbiero, ondatropica on keys and in conjunction with lucas silva of palenque records & polen records. it’s a true cross-generational and international collaboration that is uniquely possible via colombia. the first release of this expansive & power packed studio session is a cover of vallenato pioneer guillermo buitrago’s la piña madura. this updated take veers heavily towards africa on a rock solid foundation of bass and drums, with abelardo’s trademark guitar and quirky vocals leading the way.

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.

born in cameroon, vicky began banging the drums at the age of 9. by 13 he had moved onto bass and within a couple of years he was playing every night from 10pm to 5am in the castel douala cabaret. at the age of 19 vicky moved to paris to study banking and commerce and cram in even more music. he took classes at Épinay-sur-seine conservatoire music school and it was here that he met bandmates of his dikalo project. word spreads and he soon becomes one of the most sought after bass players in the afro arena. his session work features on many scenes stars, manu dibango, eko tala am, kemayo, sammy massamba, toto guillaume and many more. a chance meeting with the gibson brothers also see him play on two of their hit albums. in the 80s vicky moved to the us for spell and excels as a session bassist and touring musician. we pick up the story in 1981. with his stature as a musician and bass player riding high he takes a detour to nigeria to record with the afrodisia label in lagos. the thank u mamma album is the result. it is repressed for the first time, here in 2018 on the revitalised afrodisia label. musical proceedings open up with the heartfelt ode to his mother thank u mamma, smooth pop meets afrobeat boogie. marina driv slows things down with its smoldering jazz. side two opens with its not serious a catchy vocal number underpinned with funky guitars and striding basslines. stormy rain is lazy guitar jazz swansong. we close off the album with the ever so funky you. slick funk grooves powered along with a dose of slap bass. as a side note vicky actually plays left handed but with a upside down right handed bass. this upside-down precursor making his effortless slap playing even more impressive. vicky went on to record a two other albums and still tours and plays as an ever-in-demand session musician.

lumberjacks in hell welcomes deep house vet andy compton and shamrock for a trip into plush disco, laid back funk and more besides. bunny chow was reportedly recorded in south africa, and features the vocal talents of asli on a number of the tracks. you can certainly hear the afro influence creeping into the simmering groove of the title track, while aslis vocals shine through the clearest on the downtempo tones of everything is gravy. nifanyeje is another warm trip through afro disco replete with noodling guitar lines and a crisp drum machine beat, while roga mziki ends the record on a high note with a final blast of that infectious, sunkissed sound the pair have clearly mastered on their musical adventure

for the past 15 years the tanzanian megalopolis of dar es salaam has had one of the most exciting underground electronic music scenes in east africa. a constellation of micro-scenes from mchiriku, sebene and segere all the way to its latest mutation of singeli that finally after years of lurking in the underground has exploded into the mainstream and taken over bongo flava as the music of choice amongst tanzania s youth. born in the sprawling working class neighborhoods of tandale and manzese, singeli s signature sound consists of fast paced frantic loops interlocking with each other, with influences from zanzibars tarab music all the way to south african afro-house coupled with mc s who often spit satirical lyrics about the challenges facing tanzania s youth, from police corruption to the complications of dating girls when you are broke. if there is one studio that stands out amongst the hundreds that dot dar es salaam s musical landscape it is sisso records. centered around producers, bwax, sisso, bampa pana and yung keyz morento and mc s dogo niga and makavelli, they were early pioneers of the singeli sound. whilst some singeli artists have begun fusing their music with more traditional tanzanian hip hop, sisso have remained uncompromising in their sound, always raw, fast with a punk diy aesthetic that can at times verge on noise and gabber, to produce a spell binding music that is like no other sound system culture in the region.

sterns edits returns after the sell-out success of its debut edition with another two catalogue reworks from ben gomori. this time he turns his attention to burkina faso s much-loved taxi-driver-turned-singer, amadou balaké. balaké ( porcupine in mandinka) is burkina faso s proudest musical export, and in 2013 he recorded his final album before passing away: in conclusion. the record saw him revisit some of his most popular tracks from his remarkable 50-year career, backed by an eight-piece burkinabé band who took the country s traditional sounds and brought them into a contemporary light. gomori retains the essence of the original recordings which were mostly captured in one take and marries them to vigorous afro-house stylings. bar konon mousso (musicien c est pas quelqu un) in which balaké tells of a bar lady being unimpressed by his profession, gets a gentle push towards the modern dancefloor, its wonderful sax lines resplendent. massa kamba is taken for a drive down the more traditional route, with commanding drums bolstering the original grooves and a marvelous triple harmony brass section at its core. balakes freewheeling style suits the hypnotic feel of the edits to a tee. sterns edits is an official collaboration between african music stalwarts sterns music and london s ben gomori.

the new ep by rroxymore signals another audacious step forward for one of the most daring artists in the electronic music diaspora. thoughts of an introvert part 1 is born out of introspection, out of the necessity to disconnect from the frenzy of crowds and to create a soundtrack to an inner landscape which exists beyond the reach of government and dogma. in the words of the artist, -it is a sonic diary of sorts, cataloguing the events of a world which has not yet been invented, in the form of three mesmerizing dance tracks free of nostalgia and the expectations of style.- the spatial afro futurist funk of prodrome finds rroxymore balancing darkness and optimism as only she can. the title track, thoughts of an introvert is instantly familiar and carries a soothing utopian spirit, so needed today. mycetozoa, the closing track is bouncing, drum driven and mad, a celebration of rroxymore s complex musical mind, offset by irresistibly banging toms and rolling rimshot patterns. it is a track which is at once melancholic, happy, vulnerable, and full of hope. everything seems possible on the dancefloor this music was written for

trained multi-genre dancer, dj, producer, mc and pure force of energy: meet william djoko, the latest talent from one of house music s foremost cities, amsterdam. djoko s effervescent performances and eclectic musical melange of disco, tech, afro, leftfield and straight up house first earned him a name in his native stomping grounds at places like trouw and are now propelling him onto the international dj circuit with slots at london s printworks and elrow town, circoloco in ibiza and concrete in paris among others. cutting his production teeth in the late zeros on amsterdam imprint thirtyonetwenty, william has gone on to release tracks on rush hour, mobilee, tuskegee and, most notably, tom trago s voyage direct label, as well as delivering remixes for the likes of darius syrossian and anja schneider. omg, william s quirky, colourful debut for strictly features vocals from jazz man camilo and remixes from the original king of new york house, todd terry. the todd terry in house mix is exclusive to the vinyl release.

canada’s fastest moving and hardest working collective are back with one of their finest albums to date, a brand new journey into tropical, soul and jazz styles on their scorching new release, “under burning skies”. turbulent times call for strong voices and the souljazz orchestra’s new set packs a suitably heavy lyrical punch, with wry observations and an urge for progressive change. musically, the band continue to push the limits, dusting off 80s vintage synthesizers and early drum machines for the first time, bringing lo fi disco, boogie and electro touches to their trademark horn arrangements and earthy analogue sound. the fruits are a-plenty and the group sound at their confident and versatile best from start to finish. opener “dog eat dog” powers in with mabinuori idowu and philippe lafreniÞre lambasting the powerful and the corrupt over an infectious afro-disco groove, “lufunki” takes the group right back to their b-boy roots, bringing the afro vibes to beat street and “is yeelyel” delivers a killer rework of an obscure original by somalian super-group dur-dur band.

the arrival of marvin parks on today’s musical scene can be considered a very fitting addition to the renaissance of the afro-american jazz crooner panorama, deeply rooted in the black music tradition. having his roots in gospel and in the ’50s and ’60s jazz singers by the likes of nat king cole, johnny hartman and joe williams, marvin parks yet remains by all means an artist of today.
in his debut marvin shapes his light baritone colors within the sound of a well-established group of musicians under the direction and production of nicola conte. the main idea was to create a soundscape to give a different light to well-known standards and some originals.

first ep from okwa under his side-project s saint paul. he delivers an introspective musical journey from his own vision. the whole stainted with organic sounds coming from various influences, which include funk, jazz, soul, hip hop and afro music.

we hit you with the second single from jimpsters acclaimedsilent stars lp loaded with the good stuff! the album has received much love from djs and critics alike and its clear that after 25 years in the business jamie odell retains his reputation as one of the most talented and consistent electronic artists in the uk. as a&r and dj he also boasts a fine ear for emerging talent and here he hands over the reigns to two hotly tipped producers to rework his originals. first up we have the incredible peggy gou who takes on the sun comes up ft. jinadu.her speedy rise through the ranks over the past 12 months has been down to just a handful of brilliant eps on rekids and phonica and her skills as a club dj. the berlin based korean sits somewhere between detroit, london and berlin in sound and her dj sets are an assured, kinetic combination of dark, pulsing house and techno, broken beats and abstract compositions. her influences shine through on her remix which goes deep and musical whilst retaining an energetic drive for the dancefloor. perhaps the most mesmerizing, floor-focused track from the lp is up next, silent stars. an electronic tribal dance which builds to a speaker-wobbling sub-bass breakdown and wonderful chord section at the climax. next, a remix from west coast native urulu who came to jimpsters attention through his releases on lets play house, dirt crew and his own amadeus label. trying to describe his remix of where you areft. khalil anthony is no easy task, fusing elements of techno, broken beat and afro house, but check it out and if you can think of a suitable new sub genre to pigeonhole it with, let us know. closing the release we have the slow-burning, balearic-tinged beauty known as the sun comes up featuring jinadu on vocals. this is one to drop in the warm after-glow of a crazy night under the stars when tired legs and happy hearts crave a soulful groove to give them one last lift.

trumpeter/ composer sefi zisling incorporates afro-jazz with psychedelic funk in this new solo project. sefi is known as the top trumpeter of tel aviv jazz & funk scene. while still attending high school, sefi performed with various funk and groove acts, laying the foundations for many more musical encounters and fruitful collaborations with other members of the ever-growing tel aviv music scene. sefi performed with bands such as the ramirez brothers, kutiman orchestra, funknstein, gili yalo, and many more. today, after fifteen years of recording and performing all over the world alongside almost everyone within the israeli music scene, sefi is taking a step forward to release his debut solo album.

first ever reissue of “salsita mami” by lisandro meza y su combo gigante, a highy sought-after discos fuentes “salsa dura” classic lp originally released in 1970. lisandro meza is one of colombia’s most talented all around musical giants. equally adept at playing musical instruments as he is at composition and singing, meza has recorded just about every type of colombian genre as well as his own decidedly colombian versions of salsa, afrobeat, funk and disco.

in our fast moving times five years of sharing a musical path is a remarkable way and a good moment to celebrate. mollono.bass & ava asante celebrate with their first joint album: birds flying high. by combining the catchiness of their solid grooves with a touching violin and a breathtaking voice they create a magical journey a journey that takes you along endless roads from lively african villages to mystic asian dreams. while part one of their vinyl double brought pleasure to the festival world in summer 16 already, the silence of winter gave more of their precious time in the studio to melt all their musical feelings into the second vinyl - and spring finally combines new mixes of all tracks on the album cd. lay back and relax or move your feet in passion.

if you’re setting out on an epic voyage to the electronic disco universe, it pays to recruit an experienced pilot. when it comes to intergalactic musical fusion, few are quite as experienced as cosmic disco pioneer and noted dancefloor explorer daniele baldelli. produced alongside friend and regular studio partner dario piana, zero gravity cannily updates baldelli’s early ‘80s cosmic disco blueprint for the 21st century. we think that the ep contains some of his strongest music to date, with each of the three cuts offering subtle nods to the italian maestro’s original cosmic club ethos. a-side “infinity machine” expertly combines many of baldelli’s greatest musical inspirations into one mind-bending late night workout. underpinned by a druggy, arpeggio style bassline, the track rises and falls through waves of funk-rock guitars, crunchy clavinet lines and intertwined synthesizer solos. throw in jammed-out electric pianos, and you have a near perfect fusion of cosmic disco and blazed funk-rock. the producer’s long-held love of african rhythms surfaces on “if you drive”, where bold acid bass, ricocheting percussion hits and weightless chords combine beautifully with starry melody lines and vintage analogue synthesizer motifs. it’s afro-cosmic for the nu-disco generation. a fine ep is completed by “air lock”, in which baldelli and piana pepper a rubbery, electrofunk-influenced groove with cascading synthesizer melodies, swirling pads and a swathe of fuzzy, eyes-closed guitar solos. it’s bold and assertive, but also as otherworldly and stratospheric as you’d expect from a pioneer at the peak of his powers.

it really feels like we (aka mad mats & tooli) have been around way longer than 5 1/2 years with local talk, but it s really true what they say, time flies when you re having fun! from what started as a somewhat simple and almost primitive urge to create a small house imprint has now grown into a much bigger affair. we really tried hard to keep the label from getting stuck in any genre (remember 90s house?) and to always keep the local talk relevant, curious, diverse and with a healthy dose of underground mentality. from our very first release with bassfort s excellent moon shadow in the summer of 2011, we had a crystal clear vision of what local talk should represent... house music in any way, shape or form! over the years we released soulful, disco, jack, afro, vocal, deep, jazz, tech, latin, old school, acid, uk, berlin, new jersey, detroit and of course chicago inspired house music. if it made us bump...we put it out! this brings us up to today and about +80 releases later. we thought about how we best could sum up these first 5 1/2 years and immediately the image of blaze s classic album 25 years later popped up. besides the fact that it s an amazing album cover it also a good representation when different musical genres fuse together. it s not strictly a house album but just as well a r&b, reggae and soul album. this fusion and variation of house sounds is something that we ve tried to capture on our 5 1/2 years later compilation, split into two parts. on part 1 you ll find a dark bassline driven house jam from art of tones (check the mad sax!), a proper deep journey jam from nyc s dj spinna, a blaze homage with that classic new jersey sound from sean mccabe, and a bumpy world/jazz inspired cut straight outta brescia from wonder kid corrado bucci. all in all we think we got most angles covered and hopefully this album will make you spread that chalk on the dance floor and get down...local talk style!

ltd 2017 repress
following on from his return to dance orientated music on neroli records with the lush and endearing music for the golden age , multi album artist lars bartkuhn (sonar collective & needs) brings contrasting sides of his musical character for alex bradley s burgeoning utopia records, touching on detroit, jazz fusion and ambient. tokyo burning is a youthful and stripped back electronic club track harking back to the detroit house heyday of galaxy to galaxy and happy records but with a modernist approach and bartkuhn s unique musicality for what has all the hallmarks of a peak-time club classic. in contrast title track nomad brings the full spectrum of bartkuhn s musical range with a more organic and rhythmic dance composition. a fusion of afro percussion, his own emotive vocal hook, melodic keys, joyful flute playing, bound together with the guitar playing that has had many compare bartkuhn to the likes of jazz master pat metheny. the track builds into a breakdown that is perhaps best described by anthony nicholson as, a combination of truth, inspiration and cosmic energy . rounding out the ep a gentle acoustic reprise, a deeper introspective piece for ambient music lovers.

toy tonics mushroom house series brings together different shades of afro-weirdo-psychedelic vibes in dance music. all tracks have been made exclusively for toy tonics. the musical range is wide: the third ep goes from arabic guitars to nubian chants and looots of percussions. the bass drum is four-on-the-floor, but switches from midtempo (kiwi: we are here) to classic new york lofi disco grooves (ponty mython) the other 2 tracks on the ep feature an emptier vibe: less toms more drum machines. more techno. red axes deliever probably one of their weirdest works. their munk rework is pure craziness. the melodies come from another space. the last track on the ep is made by old toy tonics friends from milano: the barking dogs. they teamed up with tom trago in the basement studio of the great record store they run in milan: serendeepity records. they are known for selling obscure, but classy music for dance floors and thats what they do when the make music on their own. like on your high: an obscure groove meets a sloppy bassline and stoned vocals.

ltd ed clear vinyl 7 inch
by popular demand, we are delighted to present you a super ltd edition reissue of marta ren & the groovelvets mega in-demand 45 -i m not your regular woman- / -be ma fela- this time on a splendid transparent 45 vinyl. originally released in december 2015, marta ren & the groovelvets -i m not your regular woman- 45 went sold out in few weeks and became a regular spin on funk soul dancefloors. if you ve missed the 45 the first around, you better get on it quickly as this it s limited to 150 copies worldwide. on the flip side there s the afro-tastic scorcher -be ma fela-. the 2 tracks are taken from 2016 marta ren & the groovelvets impressive debut album stop look listen. our portughuise soul sister is currently on tour and has just ignites stages of the trans musicale and eurosonic 2017.

originally released on track mode in 2003, nu forms is a musical nod to all things fania and afro-cuban jazz. malik alston shares keyboard duties and delivers a blazing flute solo on beautiful brown people along with alton miller on percussion. a definite groover reissued on inner muse!

music for swimming pools proudly presents it s first release, and who better to get the ball rolling than reverso 68. pete herbert and long time musical partner phil mison come together with three new tracks and a rework of their first ever release piece together. originally released on specialist interest recordings and then promptly picked up by eskimo recordings who gave the part two version exposure to a wider audience, we thought it was about time part one was given a new mixdown and polish.. and the results were superb! .. a freshly served version of this seminal mid tempo afro/80 s inspired classic. and onto the new productions, first up red day heads straight down italo alley with chunky slo mo drums and some infectious synth action. buzara heads into typical reverso territory, and a nod to frontera del ensueno with grainy flamenco guitars, loose percussion and old school house synths for the dancefloor.. and finally orange sky rounds things off with a lush hypnotic afro percussive work out. . we recommend you test the water.

damon bell arrives on dba with a debut three-track ep that delves deep into the musical influences that shape his sound. best known for his output on fellow oaklander aybees deepblak recordings - where he holds the title chief connoisseur- bell has won ardent admirers both with his string of eps and with last year s debut lp blues for the libyan , in addition to releases on r&s sub-label meda fury. the trio of tracks that make up the ankh boogie ep find bell returning to the dynamic african rhythms of his most floor-friendly work, with live instrumentation layered over an electronic pulse. having had his start as a teenager obsessing over afro-cuban jazz and jazz fusion, his long-standing devotion to learning and adapting the music s polyrhythmic sensibilities in his own music, coupled with the voyages of sound deepblak is known for, result in a unique collage of sounds that at various moments can recall the likes of joe claussell, dj qu and ron trent. where the title track plays with sun-kissed melodies and percussive elements, the b1, aural afrek, goes into darker techno territory, while b2 cut time for change is an organ-led house workout.

one of the most accomplished and celebrated bands in the field of contemporary, unclassified pop music. almamegretta are masters in combining a wide range of elements such as dub, funk, reggae, world and electronica, all filtered through their own deep southern italian roots. the band from naples is now back with a new album, mixed by the dub master adrian sherwood, who had already been involved in their mid-nineties masterpiece “sanacore”. this new work consists of ten tracks, nine originals plus a well chosen cover of an old neapolitan hit by nino d’angelo transformed into a lovers rock style song. almamegretta’s original line up of gennaro t tesone, paolo polcari and raiz is augmented by a great list of collaborators and the result is a strong and multi layered set made of afro-funk numbers, reggae ballads, and other riddims, while the british dub influence remains central within the group’s wide sound palette. the title “ennenne”, which means no name, is inspired by the acronym used for those who are born from unknown parents. the right title for such a highly dense picture based on the combination of contemporary sounds and social topics.
file next to: massive attack, on-u sound, dub syndicate, tricky

golden parachutes is a unique, collaborative musical effort comprised of stewart walker (us/berlin) and touane (italy/berlin). following five years of collaborative live-performances and techno releases through stewart’s persona records imprint, here the duo has decided to co-mingle their influences from afrobeat and progressive jazz into a boundary-free exploration. liberated from the constraints of repetitive, pounding kick drums, they unveil a new sound of timbral fluidity built-up from live and sequenced instruments. more than just music, their innovative approach delivers 43 minutes of consummate aural landscapes that pull the listener in head first. as the title ‘into the dark grey morning’ suggests the album takes you on a sweet atmospheric journey where melodic washes of colour and light flicker illumination into the dark clouds of monochromatic noise and reverb compositions, evoking fresh beginnings in electronic music... like a light at the end of the tunnel. as level records third long-play release, ‘into the dark grey morning’ is an unexpected turn away from the labels normal tendencies. with it’s live-instrumental melodies layered over sweeping electronic backdrops the album dips deeply into progressive rock waters and surfaces with a contemporary krautrock sound, logically delivered by a label from düsseldorf, the birthplace of krautrock music.

the highlife world series is a collaborative series of releases by uk-based brian d’souza aka auntie flo and esa williams. the first three parts are to be released in quick succession in early 2015, beginning with cuba, followed by kenya and finishing with uganda. each release features original songs produced in collaboration with local musicians. all proceeds from each release will be sent back to the respective countries in order to fund further musical production costs in years to come. we will also be seeking various ways to distribute the music in each country so the music is freely available for the musicians to use at home.

uber bring the new mushrooms project ep. a slight diversion for uber into the cosmic afro infused musical stylings that the mushrooms boys are masters. madrugada s tribal energy is reminiscent of tony esposito or tullio de picopo. the italian afrobalearic groove that we at uber love so much. the big boobs is a slower more contemplative track, still holding onto the percussive feel but with hints of the east. i suspect the title is influenced by last summers trip to the great outdoors in birmingham. finally we come to the epic musical journey that is african obsession. continuing the fine italian tradition of tribal dance music this is a tight superbly produced trip into afrocosmiche. 15 minutes of hypnotic beauty. uber hitting the spot again.

philou louzolo is a natural born artist, a raw talent. zolo grooves are 4 afro funk masterpieces, its a record produced to sound effortlessly musical, sure to do wonders on dancefloors worldwide.