timeless mysterious crunchy groove from formix no. 1

may 2018 will see the release of bad company uk’s first new album in sixteen years. the release of their forthcoming ice station zero lp will add to an already genre-shaping discography, and be their first album on the iconic ram records imprint. dbridge, fresh, maldini and vegas are back with a vengeance . it features a selection of tracks which both reflect the outfit’s roots yet also signify how they continue to set standards. featuring collaborations with legendary mc $pyda, singer/songwriter dan lancaster, mat zo & kill the noise, fatman scoop and more, after testing their brand new creations across the globe, anticipation is only set to grow around the album’s release. pressing on transparent double vinyl, housed in a gatefold sleeve.

limited picture vinyl release for rsd 2018.

16 track album from aston family man barrett & the wailers band released by dub store records

british trip-hop pioneers morcheeba return with their first new album in over five years. the band have released 8 albums that have sold in excess of 10 million records in their career. “blaze away”, their positivity-packed ninth album, marks both a fresh start in its organic approach and a return to the joyous genre-mashing of their early days, with featured guests roots manuva and benjamin biolay. there was no template for its ten, extraordinary, future-facing songs, no self-imposed limits on style, no themes to be adhered to or rules in place to break.
black vinyl pressing.

a project 18 months in the making, marcel fengler presents a imf10, a three part compilation series detailing the past, present and future of his label index marcel fengler. part 2 focuses on the warmer and more soulful side of imf and features an outstanding array of artists making their debut for the label, all of which have a strong personal meaning to fengler. there’s fjaak, the exciting berlin trio he admires for their authentic identity and honest sound, a special shed remix of the enigmatic vril whose timeless productions continue to strike a chord with him, good friend eric cloutier who he has long wanted to get involved in imf and of course long-time label champion thomas hessler. viennas arthur robert a new face marcel discovered after he sent him tracks over facebook contributes a beautiful shimmering work to the compilation. highlighting this section of the project is the first azur track marcels new side project. he explains: ive always liked to be diverse with my music, but i also do’t want to confuse people. this is the reason why i decided to give my melodic side its own identity. my music under the marcel fengler name will go back to its roots and be more raw and rough in production terms. the final digital package will be complemented by a dj mix from thomas hessler comprised of tracks from imf10. stay tuned for parts 3 to follow, which includes originals and remixes by marcel fengler, sebastian kramer (aka redshape), luke slater, peter van hoesen and more.

sphonica’s white label series returns with a real deep house excursion by chilean producer massiande in the form of his ‘freedom ep’. massiande is an artist of multicultural roots. he was born in santiago, chile, yet he has lived most of his life alongside us american people and has dutch family roots, which has greatly affected the way he perceives and lives music. growing as a big fan of us soul, jazz and disco, he found his way into music production through house and his biggest influences have been artists such as larry heard, ron trent and chris brann (aka wamdue project).

thoma bulwer returns with jandaze , his latest ep via parasol culture featuring long-time partner in crime anna wall. it follows parasol 001 their first joint vinyl release, that sold out on the shelves gaining support from the likes of mood ii swing and cab drivers plus on the airwaves via nts. their jandaze ep has already been doing the rounds on the dj circuit in hackney wick and beyond. ‘patience’ was the result of a late night jam session with sync boxes, groove benders and the classic tr-909. after much fine-tuning, it’s been tried and tested by cinthie on her recent australia tour and is set to be a staple club cut for this summer. although ‘insouciant’ means a casual lack of concert, a lot of work went into making this one. it’s the most laid-back of the bunch, with smallville-esque juno 106 melodies perfect for the afterparty or warm up session. this goes out to the post-nyd loft party crew in the wick where it was played for the first time. try pronouncing this one at 7am in the morning… ‘fridge speed’ is a minimal house cut influenced by thoma’s garage roots. think rudely placed analogue synth stab melodies, ‘tuff’ skippy drums and big subs ideal for early hours and “it’s a london thing” house sets. ‘egress’ was made with long jam takes from thoma’s modular system. deep, dubby beats, evolving synths and textures make up this track thats been road-tested on the world famous fabric room 1 sound system by voigtmann in his extended set before ricardo villalobos. current support comes from maya jane coles, archie hamilton franck, roger, cinthie, voigtmann, john dimas.

the 3rd release on alma negra records is dedicated to the music of eritrea, a small (in african terms, that is) country nestled in between sudan and ethopia on the south end of the red sea. drawing from its native spiritual roots as well as the christian and islamic influences of conquering factions, this multiethnical country is home to an amazingly diverse plethora of cultures and musical styles. on this ep, we are happy to showcase the music of the saho people from the region of zula, which is located in between the coastal lowlands close to the dahlak archipelago. the word saho roughly translates (translated?) as nomad, pointing towards a lifestyle where tradition and culture is being passed on orally over generations. the exact source for these edits of the saho sound are thus lost to the murky depths of history, as they are based on traditional folksongs

wieder lieferbar! “mister yellowman” aus dem jahre 1982 hat den superb zeitlosen sound, den die wahren klassiker ausmachen. mit den musikern der hi-times band und den roots radics im channel one studio mit produzent henry junjo lawes aufgenommen, am mischpult saß soldgie hamilton. das album zeigt den superstar des dancehall-reggae der 80er jahre zum höhepunkt seiner karriere! (soundsystem info: benutzte riddims u.a.. vanity, pressure and slide, i can t hide, dirty harry, gunman, bobby babylon aus dem hause studio one und volcano)

in einer limitierten neuauflage gibt es dieses gesuchte album von 1982 noch einmal zum erschwinglichen preis. aufgenommen im channel one studio mit der roots radics band, und im king tubby’s studio abgemischt, entstand hier vielleicht das beste dubalbum von prince jammy der frühen 80er. für das artwork war tony mcdermott verantwortlich, der u.a. die cover für die legendären scientist-alben kreierte.

there is a memory of a forgotten past, or an unknown future. that momentary seed of thought of a time where the unearthly and the spiritual reigned supreme. an abundant force of the senses , linking to the deeper paths of consciousness. where our roots merged and linked with the universal network of thought. where magic and mystery where not seen as illusion, but a treasure of collective inspiration. captured in the now and the endless, the same and the opposite intertwined, the light and the dark. the thing with five eyes is jason kohnen’s phoenix rising from his previous disassembled ‘darkjazz’ projects the kilimanjaro darkjazz ensemble and the mount fuji doomjazz corporation. the continual journey into unknown musical territories. ‘noirabesque’ is that current day journey into those worlds that have been or are still to come. a boundless universe. on this adventure kohnen is accompanied by algerian / french singer leila bounous, who perfectly adds the oriental and mystical vocal timbre to the album. pressing on 180 gram double vinyl, housed in full coloured sleeve.

changing tides ep is the fourth release of our kommuna tapes imprint. the a sides features two breaky, electro-infused tracks from undersound affiliate chris geschwindner, while the flipside goes back to the roots: adam collins, half of legendary tech-house golden era duo omni am, brings us impeccable groove, and early 00s deep house icon seafoam allows us to trip up through the early evening or morning hours.

track by track, we build a kommuna of artists who share our insatiable appetite for music discovery, guided by a certain vision of the dancefloor: deep stripped-down grooves, sometimes challenging, always with character.

limited rsd 2018 release on transparent green 7 inch vinyl.

tony clarke did his first recording in new york in 1971 at hugh hendricks recording studio called -righteous man- of which he played both bass and lead guitar. tony clarke decided to write the song “going home” to reference the roots of his music. in those days and even now good reggae music that was being recorded in the united states was not receiving the approbation from home because, in jamaica they felt that the best reggae music could only come from and be created in jamaica to substantiate the true feeling of the genre. so he decided to go back to jamaica and record “going home” at harry j studio with sylvan morris as engineer. he also recorded the cover version to “hey little girl” originally done by dee clark. for this 12 vinyl edition, the artwork was done with a vintage photo of tony clarke in front of his house at waterhouse and extended liner notes on the back cover.

julian sanza and andre espeut, are two very familiar names in the scene. julian, who hails from argentinian/cuban roots and andre with his french/caribbean heritage, come together to merge electronic dance, modern funk, soul and boogie, creating their own unique melting pot of goodness! there s something distinctly anthemic about perfect system . low slung, synthed up funk, with a house tinge driven by those sweet soulful vocal harmonies - sure to get stuck in your head for days. opolopo opens up the e.p. adding his trademark disco remix magic touch to the original - upping the tempo, laying a shuffling beat behind, pumping up the bassline and getting spiritual on the keys. on the flip the situation remix channels the inner improv funk, keeping the vocals to choice snippets before the sare havlicek dub rounds the e.p. off reworking the bass synth to the point where it exudes the sleaze. this is the first in a series of collaborations between these two… keep those eyes peeled!

after a very noticed releases on labels such as roots for bloom or rutilance recordings, last offspring of britany terroir, mara lakour, duo of exiled producers in paris sign here a killer set of deep house music jewel. this ep is completed by a remix of a well-known artist in the deep techno scene, havantepe. pressed as usual with qualitative mastering, heavy bass lines and emotional synths.

over the course of four unforgettable eps released on throne of blood since 2013, hardway brother sean johnston has cultivated a broad international following for his singular brand of dancefloor fodder. best known as one half of legendary dj team a love from outer space alongside the one-and-only andrew weatherall, johnston’s roots in the dance music scene include a clutch of leftfield 90’s era bangers on labels like sabres of paradise and flashcomm. beyond his original output, johnston has also remixed the likes of man power, the asphodells, museum of love, split secs, clandestino and many more. the laser ep is peaktime hardway bros business. friedman feedback loop revision (a nod to tob boss james friedmans highly-valued opinions) is a masterclass in efficient simplicity, elevating a few basic loops into an exhilarating 8 minute monster. the laser rounds out the a side with a classic electro rhythm/bass/vocal sample combo could easily have landed in retro territory. instead, hardway bros easily flips a clutch of oldschool tricks into an utterly modern execution. the b-side finds tobs label manager max pask injecting friedman feedback loop revision with his love for all things analog and italo. with his impressive collection of synths brought to life by chinatown records brennan green, the song is transformed into an epic set closer thats already devasting dancefloors like berlins panorama bar. the ep closes with afro sirene, a midtempo groover with melodic arpeggios built for the discerning djs warm-up set.

emapea, the renowned beat-maker from poland, burst upon the scene with multiple compilation appearances on cold busted, an inclusion on mark farina’s mushroom jazz 8, and his stunning debut album seeds, roots & fruits. fans and headz worldwide have been clamoring for a follow-up, but all emapea wanted to do was just zone out. and that’s what happened, with the release of emapea’s twenty song album zoning out, volume 1.

scottish producer & dj graeme clark aka the revenge releases his second album ‘when the thrill comes’ on his own roar groove imprint on 11th may 2018. ‘when the thrill comes’ is a demonstration of a producer achieving a point of maturity in their work, able to exercise a sense of restraint, to allow for their sound to have space. it is also the opportunity for the revenge to explore his own electronic music roots with a deeper pared-back sound more in touch with his earliest production experiences in house and techno.

vega records puts together a vinyl package with one of the hottest records in the catalog. now a classic in the uk into my life is getting a whole new treatment and will be released as a double pack vinyl. a brand new version unreleased, the original studio recording of the song before it was remixed in the house format is already being played by gilles peterson on worldwidefm.net then there are the main version, instrumental, and two original dubs, which are all remastered by vegas mastering engineer walter coelho.

for the past two years, flee has been working on its first issue entitled benga music – a signature genre from kenya. conceived as an attempt to document a kenyan timeless music genre – benga – this issue is also a visual and audial tribute to the heritage of east african music. approaching this musical genre with a new and innovative perspective, the first release of flee features a vinyl compilation and a printed journal. faithful to the local essence of the genre while transcending unproductive nostalgia, the two objects ensure that the vibrant traditional roots of the benga movement interact with a contemporary approach. to make this initiative possible, we joined forces with celebrated kenyan journalists, ondiso madete and emmanuel mwendwa, and collaborated with renowned international specialists such as douglas paterson. this great team work translated into a well-documented manuscript, with exciting articles, exclusive authentic photos of the era and creative present-day illustrations celebrating the genre. accompanying the journal, the record tells a surprising story, starting with the pioneers of benga (daniel owino misiani, george ramogi and the migori superstars) and concluding with the modern respectful re-interpretations of nik weston, jaakko eino kalevi, and africaine 808, blowing the dust of the original scores.

note: import release - limited repress - comes with digital download code and a 16 pages silkscreen printed journal with articles in english and french.

emotional rescue begins the first in a series of reissues looking at the music of guitarist carl weingarten and his multiphase records label, starting at his highly sought after collaborate album with walter whitney, dreaming in colors. with an early interest in photography and super 8 film leading to a degree in cinema production, weingarten s other, self-taught, love was the slide guitar. taking its blues roots and merging them with his visual arts background created a unique painting in sound style of playing.

parisian veteran dj deep and romain poncet (well known for his traumer allias) released their first sergie rezza album on desire records in 2015, the album received heavy support from dixon, laurent garnier, hunee, antal to name a few. they now decided to start sergie rezza s own imprint. sergie rezzas sound is heavilly influenced by ambient, electronica, dub, jazz, industrial, funk, and also techno and house roots.

grego after all’s underthesea is back with an ep by the polish artist eltron, who has been a big supporter of the label’s vision since the beginning, headlining its inaugural party and contributing to its podcast series. ‘le volte’ is his first release for the label, including three original cuts and a remix by the canadian producer basic soul unit. eltron is probably best known for his quirky, playful, driving house sound with roots in disco, as illustrated in his productions here. the narrative of ‘le volte’ starts with ‘la prima’, full of anticipation and discovery as we set out to explore a new oceanic territory. once the clock strikes two, we find ourselves in a sub-aquatic discotheque with ‘un’altra’, dancing to the rhythm of classic chords revisited with a contemporary touch. meanwhile, ‘l’ultima’ represents a voyeuristic peek into the world of seductive mermen. finally, when basic soul unit gets his hands on ‘la prima’, he transforms the track with complex drum patterns and whirlwind pads with a sense of empowerment to conquer the mood of any dancefloor.

the first word of the album says it all: bang! on their new album midnight in a moonless dream the buttertones dig deep and discover something dark. where their previous album gravedigging played like the soundtrack of a good spaghetti-western heist movie, midnight moves to the dark cityscapes of 70s new york and tells the story itself - a perfect and intricate crime executed by a crew of professionals under cover of night, a biting sound befitting of cbgb s while staying true to their la roots. there are echoes of suicide and bauhaus, nods to the spirit of sax and violence that powered the deadbeats. midnight is music made for dancers but also for doomed romancers that will appeal to fans of the cramps, the gun club, car seat headrest, black lips, king tuff, thee oh sees, ty segall, and parquet courts. supported by noisey, i-d and more full european tour around album release, dates are listed below for fans of the cramps, the gun club, car seat headrest, black lips, king tuff, thee oh sees, ty segall, parquet courts released on innovative leisure, the indie la label behind artists such as allah-las, nick waterhouse, badbadbnotgood, hanni el khatib, bass drum of death and more

mikkel metal returns to copenhagen’s echocord this may with his new mini lp ‘just enough light’, comprising six originals from the danish artist. copenhagen based producer and dj mikkel metal has been a beacon of light in the danish electronic music scene and further afield for nearly two decades now, with the dub techno imprint from his hometown, echocord, being the predominant home for his output, whilst also releasing material on cologne’s kompakt, tartelet, semantica and avant roots, a telling sign of the quality embodied in his work. here though we see mikkel deliver a mini album concept in the shape of ‘just enough light’ and opener ‘awake’ perfectly sets the tone with emotive, dynamically unfolding atmospherics, tension building bass drones and spiraling dub chords subtly easing us into the project. ‘bregnan’ then stirs in some classing dub-techno tropes with billowing stab sequences, lumpy subs and off beat high hats carrying the hypnotic groove for six and a half minutes. ‘jech’ then strips things back to an almost beatless amalgamation of murky chords and modulating synth whirrs. opening the flip side of the release is ‘include’ which embraces a brighter feel via ethereal pad swells, jazztinged synth melodies and bumpy 909 rhythms before ‘konkin’ edges back into the eerie, brooding aesthetic with bubbling echoes, broken drums and menacing bass swells at its core. ‘restore’ then closes the package on a stripped-back vibe, laying focus on an ever- eveolving singular dub chord to ebb and flow around thunderous subs, kicks and bright hats.

following the success of last years kunta kinte 2017 riddim, brooklyn-based label and collective dub-stuy add a new installment to their popular dancehall inspired series with a fresh riddim from in-house producer dj madd, featuring international vocalists from jamaica, spain and bermuda. jitta riddim is a brand new production from dj madd, a sturdy yet spacious riddim carried forward by a lilting melody and guitar stabs that are anchored by slapping snares, dub flourishes and a rolling bassline. this is a weighty but energetic riddim with the dancefloor in mind. bringing the riddim to life are a trio of vocalists representing the roots and global expansion of dancehall and sound system music. spains sr. wilson delivers an anthem in the making with zapatillas, a song dedicated to all the sneaker heads worldwide who like to sport fresh kicks when they hit the dancefloor. singing in his native spanish and english, sr. wilson shares tales of daily shoe addiction around a catchy refrain that name checks the best known brands. his blend of reggaeton-flavoured autotune and kicks geek outs is sure to resound loudly around clubs worldwide. backing him is jamaican veteran deejay cutty ranks, a man whos been lending his distinct flow to productions for over 30 years. on double trouble cutty speaks to the daily realities of life on the streets and the ills keeping people down, warning of the trouble that awaits those in charge. wrapping up the release is bermudas troy berkley who aims his vocal rifle straight to the orange-skinned resident of the white house, spitting rapid fire lyrics about the deteriorating state of things in 2018 america. lace up your sneakers and get ready to move and chant with dub-stuy’s new riddim.

after a short break in the african wilderness, black rox return for part 4 of this acclaimed series. date with the rain sees soft rocks turn in an 11 minute one for the lion king manipulation of a joyous and uplifting jam that fuses traditional rhythms (think a humm-ba-ba) and vocals that are underpinned with a strong 4/4 kick.on the flip side,roots unit perform some major surgery with a pump up the jam reconstruction on le beat is technotronic. crazy percussive jungle rhythms and wonky vocal hooks rule the roost until it merges into a future techno-techno amazonian world.

soul jazz records’ latest excursion into the crescent city vaults delves deep into the roots and history of the voodoo world of new orleans funk. packed to the brim with serious break-heavy, heavyweight funk tunes from classic new orleans artists including eddie bo, betty harris, dave bartholomew, johnny adams and eldridge holmes (with the ever-present allen toussaint and the meters as always behind the scenes). there is also a host of rare cuts from a number of lesser-known second line new orleans artists, whose fame rarely reached past the walls of the city, including gus ‘the groove’ lewis, james k-nine, norma jean, bob french, chuck colbert, zilla mayes and joe haywood. comes as heavyweight 180 gram double vinyl, housed in a gatefold sleeve with download code included.

trora vol. 1 is panda lassow’s interpretation of recent global tropical bass movements like gqom, kuduro and more. she likes bass music from around the world. thus, we can also hear influences from bounce and booty elements. as born and grown up in eastern germany, in trora vol. 1 she combines these with her musical roots she found in techno and rave music.

bergen is the next, and natural step in the expanding career of dutch producer tom trago. the acclaimed producer behind voyage direct will release his fourth lp, with the label and crew he s built a close relationship with over the past ten years - dekmantel. with a new studio and approach to music, bergen is trago sounding at his very finest, returning to his roots with a focussed, and dedicated production ethos.

i wonder is the first vinyl release on sean mccabes excellent good vibrations music label. originally featured on nathan adams audio therapy lp (2013) on tribe records, i wonder demonstrates nathan s ability to write real heartfelt songs spectacularly delivered & oozing soul. the original, which saw early support from louie vega, dj spinna, mood ii swing, joey negro and kevin hedge, is now released as a single for the first time on sean mccabe s good vibrations music label. complete with brand new remixes from the one & only louie vega, and a killer late night dub from sean - this is the real deal

pura vida has been releasing some heavyweight roots albums with reggae legends lee -scratch- perry, the congos, congo ashanti roy... during these years pura vida’s composer and producer bregt -puraman- de boever has made a lot of dubversions, only a few have been released. this album has the vintage lost ark sound and presents 9 new songs + a dubversion from treat me right. it was created using a combination of old analog gear and modern day recording methods. all the dubs are live mixes using the mixer as an instrument. the magic of the moment is in every mix... lost ark studio vibrationz...

2015 repress - compilation of soulful, rare roots reggae on double vinyl.

the ninth release on the dsr-c series comes from rhine. a new name with his roots in atmospheric techno steps up for his first solo ep.the ninth release on the dsr-c series comes from rhine. a new name with his roots in atmospheric techno steps up for his first solo ep. de storm opens the account with a loose collage of textured drums and scuffed-up synths. it makes for a bubbly groove that journeys far off into the night while de bron is more rooted underground, with cavernous echo chambers run through by supple bass synths and icy hi hat trails. spooky and haunting, its a track to send shivers down your spine. last of all, het meer is a watery affair, with aqueous drips and drops, radiant pads and then more tightly coiled drums brushing up against one another to make for something atmospheric but also nicely driven. all three tracks are characterised by a rather tender and reflective mood that makes them all the more unique.

unique soul jazz records’ record store day seven-inch box set which brings together a stunning five-single/ ten track selection of mind-blowingly groovy selection of african, latin, jazz and funk music from the congo. absolutely killer and essential tracks (mostly unknown) from the masters of the vibrant congo scene in the 1960s – featuring the groups franco & ok jazz, rock-a-mambo, african jazz, african fiesta and more. roots african meets dizzy gillespie, james brown, ray barretto & more. the bomb! this unique box-set edition is only available as a one-off pressing especially for record store day 2018.

r&s newcomer karim sahraoui delivers an ep of deep, emotive techno that draws on the rich legacy of detroit while staying relevant for the modern era. sahraoui is a globetrotting seeker of musical truth spending time in malaysia, italy and spain as well as his native france, he recorded in the early 2000s to some acclaim as djinxx, releasing prolifically for delsin, cocoon, f-com bedrock, and ovum amongst others. in 2009 he took a couple of years out from the industry, travelling to malaysia to find himself. in 2011 a chance meeting reconnected sahraoui with derrick may, who he originally met in the late 90s. may was reactivating transmat and persuaded karim to let him release his music, but on the condition it be under his own name. the resulting pair of eternal life eps in 2014 and 2016 marked his rich return to form glorious melodic, contemplative techno in the classic motor city mode. his plenitude ep for r&s builds on similar positive themes - from the percolating arpeggios and mystic melodies of spy of the desert, to the anthemic jazzy techo paen of born again or the aching symphonic build of before the 2nd coming its clear that after decades in the business sahraouis talent is only growing rather than diminishing. i wanted to give it more spirituality, musicality and roots with the choice of the sounds. going back in the past and transcribe everything with visionary fusions, sahraoui explains.

tevatron is back on its metrohm label with its -my origins- concept. inspired by the fathers of techno he synthesizes his influences and his project is quickly acclaimed by one of the masters of the genre like derrick may in others. -my origins part 2- is an invitation to discover the roots of techno, with this new version, tevatron returns to the sources by offering us two beautiful timeless tracks powered by bass lines based on arpeggio, powerful beats with a groove supported, striking agreements with a backbone very representative of the techno of the mid-90s. laurent garnier considers this ep as a new classic of its kind.

fear is the vilest of human emotions - it weakens and corrupts, leaving mistrust and paranoia in its wake. in against the dying light, swarm intelligence embraces and wields fear, all the while breathing life into its rival: hope. to explore these concepts, swarm intelligence turned to horror films for inspiration - choosing dissonance and atonality to create sinister and unsettling melodies, as well as foley techniques to produce disturbing, unnatural sounds. the results are at times vicious and abrasive, at others acquiescent and almost mournful. swarm intelligence s against the dying light marks the first, full-length album on voitax. with moments of seething tension, unrestrained fury and dejection, as well as glimmers of hope - this record may have its roots in industrial techno, but ultimately it defies classification.

richy ahmed has been steadily building his four thirty two label over the last 12 months, introducing talented artists such as jansons and senzala to the fold. the imprint is fast becoming a go to label for those who like their house music uncomplicated and hype free, ensuring the chicago and detroit house sound burns bright with new music indebted to the roots of the music. after recent releases on seth troxler’s play it say it label, and remixes for london grammar, richy brings the goods back to home on this latest four thirty two release. on cant stop us, chunky stabs incessantly jab at meaty drums, as a female vocal loop rides on an opening filter. the good vibes build to a classic house piano crescendo that marshall jefferson would certainly approve of, as the soaring strings and evolving drums raise the rapturous mood to dizzying heights. on the flip, the percussive disco drums of dials mavis are bolstered by a booming sub bassline whilst deft keys and deep rhodes chords deliver the infectious melody on this bumping jazz ride.

the second of alma negras 12 rhythms series is dedicated to the maloya sound from la réunion, a tiny island where a melting pot of cultures is reflected strongly in its music. maloyas roots go back to the time of slavery, its quick tempo and raw energy making it not only a popular dance music but also a powerful protest through movement. on their maloya ep, the basel collective pay tribute to the hypnotic rhythms that were feared both by the catholic church and the french government for the musical forms subversive part in the rebellion against colonialism.

don’t sleep on this, as a record crammed to a brim with such insanely tight and varied material doesn’t hit the shops often. printed on a customary 180g elusive wax and limited to a measly 300 copies it won’t stay on the shelves for long and might just cause a riot! andrey burtaev is somewhat of a gleaming, speeding meteor that is about to hit our planet big and elusive records are proud to welcome him back for his second effort for the label. right from the start of the “move on dub” we are teleported to the heart of the deepest rainforest. the humid hallucinatory mist of the opening bars subversively flows into hooks laced with explosive jitters and locked-in, dubbed up tech-house beats. the jive comes in and reasserts the reggae roots so central to andrey’s music. the track is so dense with fresh ideas – it leaves you with that rare feeling of ‘not enough’.

in those times of newfound experimental conformity, it is sometimes needed to go back to simplicity. this may be where dj oil is leading us to. you think you know what you can expect but common ground is not always in your head, it is sometimes under your feet. this is the second 12inch of the bref avenir collection (to be released digitally later this month), our southern activist using well-known tropes and samples to provide necessary confusion. telephunk is nothing else than a monster breakbeat funk (away from the new lynn collins dictatorship), unfashionably cool if you see what we mean. if paresse is its twin dark sister, locking electro in its black music roots whilst remaining strangely european, then fall is its downer baggy brother.

nagano native yoshiki tsuchiya aka mirugas roots are deeply embedded in jazz music. his studies included jazz and funk drumming as well as the catalog of the legendary strata-east label. miruga presents four emotionally deep cuts which fit perfectly on moods & grooves. each track in the spirit garden ep tells a unique story as seen through the eyes of yoshiki. into the zone is a plea for people of all countries to come together based on recent world events, in heaven above is a prayer for those lost in japanese natural disasters such as the one at the fukushima daiichi nuclear power plant. the pain, sorrow, and absence of love is felt in without words, while scenery in my mind is an insight of mirugas dream or philosophy: dont stop or look back, keep moving, and make things happen. if you appreciate the original spirit of what was once known as deep house, then you are sure to find pleasure in this offering from miruga.

breach returns with his first solo release since 2015 and with it a return to his roots as breach.breach returns with his first solo release since 2015 and with it a return to his roots as breach. nkdltd001 brings two deep, dark, moody tracks to the table plus a fantastic mark e remix to boot.

the bug goes head to head with burial for two bass-bin heaters that is flame 1, cementing the first release on his freshly formed label pressure. following on from the bug’s recent sidewinding 12 inches for ninja tune and a colossal album recorded with earth, fog / shrine is possibly kevin martin’s most soundsystem decimating collaboration yet, joining forces with the most elusive figure within the uk underground and hyperdub mainstay, burial. ‘fog’ rolls along at half-speed steppers tempo, submerged deep within the roots n future aesthetic of the bug’s signature beats, yet perfectly balanced by burial’s hollowed out and haunted night vision. ‘shrine’ delves deeper inwards with the beats slowed to a crawl, the bassline hanging heavy in an atmosphere thick with smoke. the vinyl comes in thick grey card discobag with download code included.

der schwedische produzent kasbo veröffentlicht sein debütalbum auf odeszas label family collective! im bislang wohl aufregendsten moment seiner karriere kündigt der aufstrebende schwedische produzent kasbo sein debütalbum places we dont know via foreign family collective/ counter records erscheint. mit seinem dreizehn tracks langen projekt „places we don’t know“ welches unter anderem vocal-features von tender, amanda fondell, nea und charlie kim enthält hat kasbo seinen sound sehr raffiniert und zu sich selbst gefunden. Über das ganze album hinweg brilliert er geradezu und hat seine bislang stringenteste und überzeugendste musik überhaupt produziert. er geht aktiv auf entdeckungsreise und stellt musikalische ideen gegenüber, wodurch melancholisch-schöne tracks entstehen, die zwar komplex sind, zu denen man aber schnell eine beziehung aufbaut.

andreas tilliander released his first album as mokira at the very turn of the millennium on almighty raster noton. 11 years later, the latest mokira album time axis manipulation was issued on ulf erikssons kontra-musik and now it s time to pick up where we left off with chill out . there s an air of happy retrospect and light solemnity surrounding the new album - enhanced by the fact that it marks kontra-musik s 50th release. with chill out , mokira attempts to bring back the dreamlike state from those magical late nights of his youth spent in front of mtv s chill out zone, to go back to his ambient roots using contemporary techniques and perspectives. the result? well, imagine lee scratch perry and klf enjoying an episode of stranger things on a crappy vintage tv after being hard at work burying old tape recordings in perry s tropical garden. imagine them sitting together totally at peace in a big, cosy sofa while a heavy haze is building up in the room, pleasantly affecting the eerie images on the screen. we always knew kontra-musik s 50th release had to be something quite out of the ordinary. as expected, mokira didn t disappoint us one bit. the vinyl lp is accompanied with a download code for a mixed version of the album, containing almost double the amount of tracks. the mixed version makes it easy for the chill out listener to just sit back and let go of reality for a while, just like mokira did 25 years ago in front of his old tv.