fedde le grand (put your hands up for detroit / let me think about it) returns to host this year sensation festival in its home: amsterdam. this year, sensation presents to you innerspace - the world within.this is the 2 cd compilation with all the tracks & hits of the festival incl. rene amesz, umek, david august, fedde le gand, uner and many more

der new yorker saenger und multi-instrumentalist allen hoist machte seine ersten buehnenerfahrungen an der seite von soul-, latin- und jazz-legenden wie tito puente, dizzy gillespie, millie jackson, solomon burke, sam & dave, ron carter oder mongo santamaria. eine tour brachte ihn schlie§lich nach europa und es begann eine tiefe verbindung zu paris und der dort ansaessigen musikszene. gemeinsam mit einigen der besten world musik-& jazz-musiker der franzoesischen hauptstadt nahm er im jahr 2000 das klassische jazz-album -just before spring- auf. in den darauf folgenden jahren entwickelte sich eine enge zusammenarbeit zum soulab label. fuer sein neues album -soul renaissance- arbeitete allen hoist mit renommierten produzenten wie 4 hero, kaidi tatham (bugz in the attic), greg gauthier oder franck roger zusammen. so entstand eine brillante kombination aus akustischen und elektronischen sounds und einfluessen aus soul, house, jazz, broken beat, doo wop, nu soul, afro beat, latin und funk.

the tenth edition of the decibel outdoor festival on saturday the 20th august was more than successful! this anniversary edition was one to remember: nice summery weather, the hottest music, top artists, and excellent atmosphere and a great audience! decibel outdoor festival has become the largest festival in the world for harder styles, with up to 50.000 visitors. with more than 12 arenas, every genre of harder styles spectrum is represented at the festival. this registration with a lot of extras is a must have for your collection.

from the golden beach of bali, goa and the balearics. this is beachclubbing,a heady, organic soundtrack of the very finest house music for a decidedly different clubbing experience. the alfresco party is nothing new. back when acid house was just a glint in the smiley faces eye, there was outdoor clubbing, a new and exciting expression of our primal urge to dance to a drum under the heavens. for centuries and even millennia, of course, tribal cultures around the world had been spinning wildly around fire, idol and one another without roof or shelter. in terms of pure, hedonistic, feel-good partying, there is nothing that quite compares to dancing with friends with the sun on your face and the sand between your toes. from the golden beaches of bali, goa or the balearics, this is beach clubbing, a heady, organic soundtrack of the very finest house music for a dedicatedly different outdoor clubbing experience.

it s been quite a year so far for x-press 2 not only are the legendary dance floor vanguards at the pinnacle of the international dj fraternity, they remain all round purveyors of the uks finest house music, and with that to start the new year off nicely the eclectic duo are set to release their eagerly anticipated third studio album offering the house of x-press 2.

the best of toolroom records 2011 brings you a selection of this years biggest toolroom releases, from label boss mark knight, tiesto, fedde le grand, funkagenda, michael woods & many more. from miami to ibiza, amsterdam to london, every track has taken over the worlds greatest dancefloors and been essential in the biggest djs sets.

liquid v club sessions first exploded onto the scene back in 2005 to huge critical acclaim. featuring tracks from the scenes biggest producers such as roni size, fresh, calibre, d-bridge it was a landmark project which launched the liquid v vision to the world. with three volumes to date, two compiled by bryan gee and one by vs very own artificial intelligence the standard has beenset high!

diese exzellente mix-compilation sorgt f�r den perfekten einstieg ins neue jahr! die 60 neuesten clubtracks & -mixes aus house/electro (cd1), dubstep/bassmusik (cd2) und trance/progressive (cd3) bringen den puls ordentlich auf wallung. mit dabei sind alle protagonisten der drei genres: von calvin harris �ber skrillex bis armin van buuren! inkl. einem exklusiven track von laidback luke!

we are all children of the earth and immigrants - ausl�nder - immigrati in our world. this was one of the first things coming in siopis mind at the beginning of his new project >ausl�nder< a mixed compilation for klik records. officially an immigrant himself although he is one more of those using the globe as a unity under the guidance of music, he is the person behind the silversurfer alliance that conquered the dancefloors with his raw and dark tune.

cream ibiza needs little introduction as one of ibiza s biggest nights for over 17 years, bringing the world s biggest djs to millions of clubbers. this year is no exception with heaps of talent lined up, not least laidback luke with his high adrenalin super you&me, super hero themed, fancy dress parties, sure to create a massive new buzz for ibiza. cream ibiza laidback luke super you&me perfectly captures the new sound of cream ibiza and if you canÕt visit the white isle this summer then this album is a must-have for your cd player...

every summer, a migration takes place that puts mecca to shame. a small island, just of the coast of spain, is the destination of a frenzied crowd of party pilgrims from all over the world. the balearic sounds of ibiza have set the tone for the worldwide dance community for decades and its sizzling club-scene knows no equal. this popular party island isn t just the breeding ground for global summer hits, it also sets the trends for the european clubbin season. after a soothing warm up with one of the warmest springs in recorded history, it s time for the big league. big & dirty house sounds ibiza 2011 is the perfect soundtrack for the hottest season of the year. get yourself a hammock, a tropical cocktail and close your eyes and imagine the perfect ibiza beach club. sun, sea, beaches, blue skies and more images of summer will pass you by while listening to this joyful double album, expertly mixed by mell tierra & essential grooves, two of holland s fastest rising stars in house.

ibiza clubbing institution amnesia celebrates 21 years of ibiza anthems. amnesia is arguably the quintessential ibiza clubbing experience and one of the main sources of inspiration for why dance music culture has thrived around the world. two massive rooms, one a dark cavernous cauldron and the other an expansive arena that is flooded with light when the sun rises, are guarded by the notorious amnesia ice cannons that could strike the crowd at anytime. regularly voted the best global club at various awards ceremonies worldwide, amnesia is quite rightly considered amongst the best clubbing spaces around hosting the world s leading djs and brands across multiple genres. amnesia is currently home to legendary ibiza club nights such as cream and cocoon and its own infamous espuma (foam) party nights. from open air clubbing in the 1980s with dj alfredo s ecletic mix of house, disco and pop, sparking dance music s explosion in the uk, through to a lead roll in the massive harry enfield movie kevin & perry go large, amnesia is part of clubland history and is a name that resonates with dance music fans across the uk and beyond. spread across a 4 cd set, each cd charts a chunk of amnesia history: cd1 covers 2006-2011 with artists such as swedish house mafia, deadmau5, axwell, above & beyond and ti�sto, cd2 curates 2001-2005 featuring big names like david guetta, bob sinclar, cassius and the egg, cd3 looks at 1996-2000 with moloko, ultra nate, nalin & kane, three drives and more, and finally cd4 closes with 1990-1995 taking in anthems from robin s, real 2 reel, orbital, bucketheads and sven vath.

allein die juengsten erfolge von keri hilson sprechen fuer sich: ihre single -i like- machte letztes jahr dem titel alle ehre, sie hielt sich drei wochen lang auf platz 1 in deutschland (sowie ein vierteljahr in den top-10). mehr noch: gold gabs schon nach vier wochen, -i like- lief auch im radio rauf und runter und entpuppte sich schlie§lich sogar als einer der zehn groe§ten hits des jahres 2010. nun also die fortsetzung: -like- buttons werden dieser tage wieder etliche angeklickt werden, denn keri legt mit -pretty girl rock- ihre neueste single vor und knuepft damit nahtlos an die erfolge von 2010 an. mit -pretty girl rock-, der ersten auskopplung ihres kommenden no boys allowed-albums, wendet sich die in atlanta geborene r&b-ueberfliegerin, die in den letzten jahren diverse hits fuer superstars wie z.b. britney, ciara, ludacris, kelly rowland, mary j. blige und usher geschrieben hat, ganz klar an ihre weiblichen fans: mehr selbstbewusstsein Ð so lautet die botschaft, die hilson ueber dem von ne-yo und chuck harmony produzierten midtempo-track artikuliert. eine message, die in anderen teilen der welt bereits angekommen ist: platz 4 in den us-amerikanischen r&b-charts (24 in den billboard-charts), und auch bei der britischen bbc wurde die r&b-hymne schon als -lovely single- gefeiert. 2007 hatte keri hilson als vokalgast auf timbalands -the way i are- single einen mega-hit gelandet. zwei jahre spaeter ging ihr debuetalbum -in a perfect world- in die top-5 der billboard-charts und wurde auf anhieb fuer zwei grammys nominiert. no boys allowed, der zweite longplayer der 28-jaehrigen, erscheint anfang juli.

mad decent is proud to announce our very own -mad decent volume 1- compilation, featuring 18 tracks hand selected by our leader diplo from his favorite overlooked remixes of past releases plus a variety of new music from our next crop of artists. the compilation presents a selection of mad decent artist who ve helped shape the labels unique personality since inception. featuring huge new remixes of classics such as bosco delreys -wild one- (reset! remix) and malucas -el tigeraso- (sticky k remix) to unreleased gems like boy 8-bit -house on the hill- and dillon francis -beautician 2.0-, to in your face bangers like ruskos -everyday- (netsky remix). mad decent vol. 1 is as much a showcase of the labels biggest names and tracks as it is an illustration of its incessant efforts to bring new genres and cultures to light. the label has come a long way from the underground philly scene where it all started, collecting a diversified group of artists along the way. from blaqstarr, to rusko, to savage skulls and po po, the sound and influences come from all over the world, and somehow work together to form a unified front of weirdos that make music outside the lines.

60 house tracks on 3 cds...

in 2009 the flamingo records crew compilation captured the white isle s club-juice in ibiza and 12 months later set their sights on the big apple for a new york chapter. now, with the city s musical mercury at sky-high levels, they ve returned flamingo nights to their home streets for the amsterdam edition. this year flamingo honchos funkerman and fedde le grand have ceded the mix controls to label lieutenants nicky romero and deniz koyu - two of central europe s fastest on-the-rise spin-masters.

nagelneue mix-compilation des hollaendischen trance/progressive-acts first state mit einem vorzueglichen tracklisting von fedde le grand ueber funkagenda und arty bis robbie rivera, edx und marco v, plus exklusiven tracks des kuenstlereigenen labels first state music, darunter die eigene neue single -maze- feat. tyler sherrit.

status quo are set to release their new studio album at the end of may, which will also featuring an exclusive official bootleg life albuum recording in amsterdam & melbourne in 2010.

renegade hardware is proud to present ink: the last scroll. the first artist led album ever to be released on the label. tracklist lp: a. ink feat. btk Ð reptile, b. ink - hidden dreams, c. ink feat. btk - 5 elements, d. ink feat. perpetuum - world turns

2 cds with 36 tracks...

jeff mills once again indulges his passion for classic sci-fi with this 2cd re-imagining of the score to harry kleiner s titular 66 flick. it follows his -cyborg 2087- recreation and imaginary soundtracks for -the power- and -the occurence- with a deep voyage of discovery. but unlike the aforementioned, the original film plot - about a team of scientists who re miniaturized and dispatched inside a human body to fix a blood clot - thematic scales are inversed and we re drawn to mills inner, as opposed to outer, space-scapes. the action unfolds across 22 tracks and 2 cds, from bleepin, womb-like viscera and hazardous noise bursts through archetypal rhythm arrangements and fluid programming reflecting the man/machine, organic/synthesized themes of the film and his own alien/human aesthetic. it s wonderful to witness mills maturing as a composer and refining his art to something beyond a soundtrack for dancefloor rituals, but without ever losing his original blueprint, and showing that the line between cinematic imagination and dancefloor functions can be a very fine one.

this collection documents the two-decades-plus recording career of r&b icon luther vandross. even before he started putting out records under his own name, he was a first-call session singer (hes the one who created and sang the chorus hook on david bowies -young americans,- for just one example). throughout the 80s and the 90s, he was (both commercially and aesthetically) one of the most consistently successful r&b singer/songwriter/producers. this healthy two-disc selection of highlights from the impressive vandross catalogue moves deftly from heartfelt ballads (-a house is not a home-) to percolating, poppy numbers (-never too much-), spotlighting the mans mellifluous voice and tasteful phrasing at each turn. this is quite clearly the definitive career summary for this deeply influential r&b titan.

deluxe edition - includes previously unreleased tracks...

incl white crosses & black crosses.. + 32 page booklet!

the tenth edition of the decibel outdoor festival on saturday the 20th august was more than successful! this anniversary edition was one to remember: nice summery weather, the hottest music, top artists, and excellent atmosphere and a great audience! decibel outdoor festival has become the largest festival in the world for harder styles, with up to 50.000 visitors. with more than 12 arenas, every genre of harder styles spectrum is represented at the festival. this registration with a lot of extras is a must have for your collection.

this is the first part (of four) of the much anticipated reissue series of drexciya s early catalogue, marking 20 years since the release of their first ep deep sea dweller , and 10 years since their final album grava 4 . one of the most influential techno acts ever, and part of the heritage of detroits underground resistance, drexciya explored techno like no-one else before: raw and uncompromising music that reflected the harsh environment of the city where drexciya was conceived, with a mythical approach that only added to their cult appeal. drexciya arguably stands for the darker side of techno and electro, made not only for the club scene, but a further development of the music as an expression and extension of the mind. journey of the deep sea dweller is a near-complete collection of their early works, released in four parts, with all audio remastered from the original master tapes. since the original releases have such a strong character and stand on their own, these reissue can never recreate the magic of those originals. instead, clone have stirred up the catalogue, taking tracks out of their original context, giving the committed fan a fresh experience and the new listener a document that is the best possible introduction to the aquatic world of drexciya.

legendary bournemouth-based trio aquasky return with their 8th studio album raise the devil featuring 16 bass-heavy party tracks which include guest vocals and collaborations from lee mortimer, engine earz experiment, daddy freddy, ragga twins, tenor fly, mr. thing, pyramid, acafool, deja, roisin brophy, didjelirium and bex riley. this album sees the trio take it back to basics and return to what people expect when they hear the name aquasky! having been solid friends since the heady days of rave and acid house, the guys first hit the studio together during the jungle era and in 1995 aquasky was born, signing immediately to moving shadow before going onto release on some of the biggest and best labels including polydor, botchit & scarper, reinforced, good looking records, hospital, southern fried and mr. bongo. in 2001 they took the decision to launch their own imprint passenger as a place where they had free reign to unleash their full creativity and develop both their sound and the sounds of other acts.

the album is just a few seconds under an hour long, consists of seventeen tracks and covers every style from wonky reggae through pop-funk, street spitting, straight up hip hop, sung ballads and epic death-disco. it deepens much of what mr manuva has already achieved over a glorious decade of innovation, but also throws in enough new ideas and adventures to last most creative artists a lifetime. we think it is his very best work since run come save me. we re wondering (whisper it) whether it might be his best album ever.

the xxlerator concept has become the longest running hardstyle club night of europe. it is one of the most successful nights hosted by club matrixx, where many well-known hardstyle djs have taken their place behind the decks. this particular club has been at the top of the dutch club scene ever since the doors were swung open 10 years ago. it has understandably been voted as the number one club of the netherlands three times. club matrixx stands for quality and they will no doubt prove it to you once more with an incredible compilation cd. behind the scenes, club matrixx teamed up with one of the biggest hardstyle artists in the world today: ran-d. this man has a large amount of memorable sets at parties like defqon.1, decibel, intents festival, emporium and xxlerator. in addition, his discography displays a high rate of quality and quantity with regards to his productions. ran-d pulled out all the stops to put together this cd. the result is a brutal mix with a perfect combination of raw and euphoric tracks. pure hardstyle will project from your speakers with the sounds of italian hardstyle legend the rebelz, a records and gunz for hire colleague adaro and of course the hottest tunes from noisecontrollers. he also added tracks from other great producers such as: alpha, psyko punkz, coone and crypsis. this album puts every hardstyle lover in the party mood and is a must have for any collection.

the cocoon label presents the cocoon morphs tokyo cd, previously released exclusively in japan. presenting exclusive work by artists of the highest cocoon-caliber, cocoon morphs tokyo also celebrates the aesthetic partnership between world-renowned german photographer and artist andreas gursky and cocoon-head sven vaeth. gursky has published a cycle of large-sized pictures with -cocoon- as the central theme: the -cocoon- pictures reference current club culture, with gursky using the big techno events cocoon stages as inspiration. the architectural frame of his work refers to the design of the cocoonclub in frankfurt. the spatial concept was developed by v�th, together with the design agency 3deluxe. in gurskys cover art, you can see the idealized approach to the original cocoon club in all its fervent glory. here, excellent electronic music meets the work of the most important contemporary german artist worldwide - again, cocoon explores new frontiers and combines art forms of the 21st century. artists include: gerber & kalbata, tiefschwarz, pig & dan, vaeth vs. rother, schneider & galluzzi, ricardo villalobos, david k, and patrick zigon.

the album is as diverse as his world-famous dj sets, blending a mix of genres from hip hop, dance, world, soul, etc alongside some great features including chrys anthony, lateef the truthspeaker, jazz mafia, raashan ahmad, aima the dreamer and many others.

jazz cinema 2, a touching remembrance of poignant love, takes you swimming through the joy of music and serenity and entering into a time of majestic legends. the performers in this album includes jamie cullum, one the most popular jazz singers in the world, stacey kent, a grammy award nominee, peggy lee, who has a great reputation in both singing and film career, nat king cole, one of the most legendary jazz singers, louis armstrong, the swing star, billie holiday, and ella fitzgerald, two of the most honorable jazz queens. their renditions of songs are from inception, the english patient, un homme et une femme, cars, oceans 11, casablanca and the curious case of benjamin button, those romantic melodies which is to remind you of the classic stories and write you an most unforgettable and delicate note in life.

andy vazs straight vacationing, his first full-length artist album, since the 2006 release of repetitive moments last forever, registers as less a straight-up collection of dance-floor burners and more of a variety pack that mixes club tracks and full-fledged house songs. listeners hungry for just ordinary 4/4 throw-downs will not entirely get their share of those, but theyll also get a whole lot more on this dynamic and well-rounded set of eight album tracks and that is exploring house music not just as a simple one way street, but give you a very personal view of the music we call house. straight vacationing dives into the genre in all its rich variety: from deep melodic, early chicago influenced acid house, jacking-jedi mind tricks to disco-type grooves and last but not least excursions into bizzaro world, with a vaz typical almost psychedelic experimental-edged sound, its all there.

driver drive faster are a new band from manchester, but you wouldnt necessarily tell. this masterful debut album presents a rich, timeworn sound that exists somewhere between americana and spectral indie rock. its crafted song-writing at its best, hinging on stirring chord sequences and moments of fragile beauty. -a review described us as misfits,- says singer/ guitarist dylan giles. -we took it as a compliment.- named open house and recorded in the shared digs in which the entire band reside, the album was a labour of love begun in late 2009, poured over in 2010 and set for release in 2011. the result is a lush, layered record that slowly draws you into its world. think mercury revs deserters songs for a new generation.

mysteryland takes place saturday august 27th at the beautiful fields from floriade. with a total of 18 areas mysteryland can be considered as the largest dance festival in the netherlands. the mother of all dance festivals is still leading after more than seventeen years! this mixed double album gives a good reflection of the music and line-up of this year s edition. where cd1 contains the more popular dance styles, big name artists and club hits, cd2 takes you to the more underground and edgy side of the festival. so whatever your taste is , this mixed compilation gives you a little piece of mysteryland 2011 not to forget.

aardvarck returns with his third full length album for eat concrete records. anti concept showcases a taste for deep ambient and minimalstic soundscapes, dub, detroit techno and bass heavy beats, mixed into a perfect flow. as the title suggests anti concept leaves aside musical genres and focuses on atmosphere rather than style. on anti concept aardvarck carefully and patiently builds his own world of sound, adding layers and complexity with each track.tip!

gits album -imagination- could be described as an experimental design with roots in underground hip hop. gits musical style may be hard to pin point. his love of drums set the foundation for his sound: driving, percussion heavy productions anchored in traditional hip hop, with an experimental streak. his sound has many flavours and is not to be boxed in one label. one of the goals of this album is to fill the void that pop music has left. -imagination- will remind us that talent and emotion can still be found in music today and one not always needs a million dollar budget to make good music. if you like music that is raw, pure and speaks from the heart then you will love this project.

2011 release, the follow up to 2010s successful first volume of bangs & works. the carefully curated compilation showcases chicago footwork, one of the most forward-looking, innovative new styles of electronic music on the planet. footwork is beginning to spread outside of chicago, influencing productions around the world. bangs & works vol. 2 brings the focus back onto chicagos own producers, showing where the real innovation still lies. while its predecessor sticks mainly to the more hallucinatory and left-field elements, this one has a wider remit, ranging from mad techno-style tracks to those that sound like musique concrete gone footwork.

anders trentemoller has become one of the most respected names in cutting edge electronic music in the last few years. his rise to notoriety was sparked by his early, techy releases for poker flat and audiomatique and has since gone on to stellar highs with his own personal take on the genre, spanning, pop, rock, indie and classical. his debut album >the last resort< was released in 2006 to much international acclaim, and the producer also began to become an in-demand remixer in the house and techno world. as the decade wore on his sound continued to progress, opening up his studio to more live instrumentation, and a looser, rock-meets electronic vibe with his stunning >into the great wide yonder< lp. now this special double cd and double vinyl release celebrates some of the producer s favourite remixes he completed for other artists, and also some of his personal picks where other musicians have reworked his music.

loud follows-up rated r (november 2009) and its sequel rated r: remixed (may 2010). previously, the double-platinum good girl gone bad (may 2007) contained the grammy-winning global 1 hit -umbrella- (featuring jay-z), then -shut up and drive,- -hate that i love you- (featuring ne-yo), and -don t stop the music.- the cd+dvd package good girl gone bad: reloaded (january 2009) continued the hits with the 1 -take a bow,- the 1 -disturbia- and top 20 -rehab.- good girl gone bad was the third album release in less than two years by barbados native rihanna, who turned 22 on february 20th. it followed-up 2006 s riaa platinum a girl like me, which contained the back-to-back hits, -s.o.s.- and -unfaithful-: and her riaa gold debut from 2005, music of the sun, featuring the world-wide smash, -pon de replay-.

a brand new compilation featuring the a- and b-sides of all the bands chiswick singles. includes four tracks new to cd. when we recently came to re-press our long-standing the best of the damned, the pressing plant told us that, unfortunately, the films had been lost. rather than simply make a new set of films, we decided to make a completely new cd and so present you with the damned: the chiswick singles - and another thing... overseen by the producer of the bands chiswick releases, roger armstrong, the package comes with brand new high-end transfers from the original master tapes - the damned have never sounded better. an extensive trawl through box after box of saved material from that era means that the booklet features a lavishly illustrated package including rare photographs and tons of memorabilia.

after his slo-mo disco debut, the >terror island< 12 inch, pizzico records founding father billy bogus returns to nang with an eagerly awaited full length, named >night movie<. as the name suggests, this is one for the night crawlers. >night movie< is an exercise in twilight disco propulsion, rich with fuzz, funk, world sounds and sci-fi tendencies

2011 debut from the brooklyn-based band. rapprocher sees front person elizabeth harper pushing the songs into new directions. harper remains the force that binds the songs into a cohesive statement, her winking coo darting about in the deep drums and lofty arpeggios, and her passion backed mostly with electronics summons thoughts of yazs alison moyet. in concurrence with the title (-rapprocher- is french for -bring closer-), the candid, sincere lyrics meld with the atmosphere, enveloping the listener into class actresss world of 21st century romanticism.

sander van doorns new artist album 2011. if theres one thing we can say about the evolution of the worldwide dance scene this year, is that its genres are being mashed up like never before. on his new artist album eleve11, sander van doorn once again does what he does best, mixing up styles, genres and artist-cooperations. along side his smash hits koko and love is darkness, eleve11 is packed with artist-cooperations such as believe with singer/songwriter tom helsen, eagles with adrian lux and sanders latest purle haze installment timezone. an emotional dancefloor-killer that brings shivers down your spine each time you hear us singer fredericks voice. more uplifting is sanders collab with fellow-dutchman laidback luke. whos wearing the cap is an idea born when their resemblance on a photo was so anstonishing that the songtitle was placed underneath it, making fans wonder if they might be brothers. those who have heard nadia ali on iios classic rapture have probably wondered when her voice was due for a svd treatment. well, that time has finally come and the result is called: rolling the dice together with sidney samson all in all, eleve11, with its neatly corresponding 11 tracks all recorded in 2011, shows the world exactly what sander van doorn has evolved into.. a worldwide dancemusic phenomena.

2011 collection featuring cuts from shuggie otis, sly & the family stone and aretha franklin.. the old grey whistle test has now been synonymous with quality music for 40 years. although possibly best know as a show for rock music, the show maintained an amazing variety when it came to choosing its artists, it really only had two criteria, 1, that the artists had released an album and 2 that they produced great music. this collection mostly features artists that appeared on the show but also include artists who for whatever reason didnt or couldnt appear on the show.

being a product of the age it was written, slow clubs 2009 debut, yeah so, dealt with the all too familiar space between adolescence and the oncoming storm of adulthood. a boy-girl duo who played a flower-adorned chair live, they were the polar opposite of what was coming out of post-arctic monkeys sheffield. slow club were fun, cute, whimsical and all manner of other words just shy of twee - and they hate being called twee. paradise, however, is where the duo grows up. two years on, it stumbles out of a trivial, self-indulgent teenage malaise (where sexual adventure was priority for most) and carries itself with a sense of perspective that only adulthood can give - a darker, more thoughtful view of the world. for instance, on the poignant you, earth or ash, a song about rebecca taylor s granddad, her melancholic vocals (beautiful, as always) evoke an awareness of mortality for those around her: singing -and i know, soon you ll go,- her voice seemingly breaks under the weight of premature grief. whereas even love-wise (an inspiration every band draws from) slow club s lyrical output is glossed with a more mature and detached sense of sauce, with taylor crooning on where i m waking: -i can see you looking at me / you got the brains i ve got the body-.