for the third volume of compilations curated by confirmed crate diggers, spacetalk invites you to take a trip to the magical mediterranean resort of club meduse in the company of beachfreaks records co-founder charles bals.
a creative director, designer and curator by trade, bals spends the majority of his spare time searching for superb, unknown, small-run music releases made between the 1970s and 1990s. while some of these are made available for other enthusiasts to buy via beachfreaks’ mail-order service, many more make it into the racks of bals’ private collection. with club meduse, bals is sharing rare, hard-to-find and just plain brilliant gems from his personal stash for the very first time.
for club meduse, bals was inspired by countless magic childhood summers spent playing amongst the rocks, beaches and warm seas of the cote d’azur. the compilation, then, is a soundtrack to the greatest soft-focus, sunlit teenage summer holiday you’ve never had, with a gaggle of forgotten musicians and overlooked artists for company.

the nyc and berlin based group were invited to aurally explore the archive of the seminal french director jean-luc godard and release their interpretations in an innovative new album what we leave behind. drawing on godards personal collection of shot film, reel- to-reels and historical ephemera, the recordings reveal the moments before and after the camera rolls, from stage directions and on-set asides to rehearsals, false stars and outtakes.

somewhere between electro soul and melodramatic pop. music focused towards the youth set in some strange dream. not sugarcoating anything. these late 80s / early 90s recordings are something to truly behold! . aset was a collective founded by a group of individuals deeply involved in community improvement initiatives and the struggle for justice and equality. a project that would link motivated adults with talented young people in the washington, dc metropolitan area. the compilation takes songs from three released projects of aset, and one semi-unreleased single. latonya, a spunky 11 year old kid singing about divorce, love, and dancing. the poster child of aset. treo, a trio of high school gals in harmony singing about love and relationships. whax, the high school boys who were a bit strangr the silly side of aset. all backed by the aset players. release comes housed in a newly designed jacket with inner sleeve containing info on the label/artists and an interview with the label director, mba mbulu.

since the release of their critically acclaimed debut album in 2013 on names you can trust, la mecánica popular has quietly been contemplating the evolution of the group s sound, philosophy, and overall approach to making music. band leader efraín rozas experimental nature has continually pushed the boundaries of his own definition of not only latin american music, but its broader relationship with music s global culture and history. the sound of -psychedelic salsa- that lmp helped capture in their debut was destined for further outside-the-box interpretations, and with the formation of a new quintet lineup over the last few years, lmp began to incorporate a more free, improvised and instrumental-focused performance of rozas increasingly radical compositions. the band subsequently took this liberated approach directly into the studio, recording roza cruz live, in its entirety. it was a cathartic experience, a necessary methodology for the new album s concept that embraced the intimate performance of its players and did away with standard techniques of isolation and overdubs. the evolution of the band s sound on roza cruz brings forth a blend of styles rarely heard together, a touch reminiscent of electric-era miles davis or eddie palmieri at his most experimental, as the driving force of timbales and congas provide a bed for a wave of lush, analog amplification that mirrors the dueling leads of fuzz guitar and electric piano. but as far out as those instruments take the listener, the raw rhythm the clave always keeps it tethered to the earth and the dance, a cerebral yet visceral gift for the mind and feet.

a repress of our & co. ep, which was originally released in 2015. features both a rub-n-tug remix and a force of nature remix of the title track best of friends. on side a is a remix from the once new york based dj duo rub-n-tug. a2 is from the japanese dj duo force of nature. both are fitting to remix the title best of friends since we feel they are close to us. on the b side, we have the sought after original best of friends track and wine cooler bianca chandon presents & co. & co. started out as a small group of friends who surfed and skateboarded together. as they hung out in venice and shared their interests and ideas about music, sounds started to take shape. what started off with no intentions of being anything serious began to develop, inspiring music composer alberto bof, music advisor paul t. and music coordinator alex olson to think about avenues of release. inspired by a seigen ono record put out for comme des garcons in 1988 olson got the idea to release the trio s project under his brand bianca chandon. this limited 12 has embodied the spirit of the creators and the motivation of the brand to become bianca s first record release.

classic pop songwriter nick heywards critically acclaimed ninth album, woodland echoes, harvested an abundance of rave reviews from critics and fans alike. an album of exceptional warmth and intimacy full of paeans to nature, it debuted at no. 4 on the official independent album chart. described by mojo as a top 10 single and the best track on the album, the stars is the third single from woodland echoes and is heywards first exclusive for record store day. its echo of itchy pop-funk recalls his early days as frontman of new wave group haircut 100, a foundational part of the 80s pop explosion. exclusive b-side everyone & everything, brings a swirling psychedelic 90s vibe to the nature pop fest and carries on the stars theme of our universal interconnectedness with everything. limited rsd 2018 release on transparent 10 inch vinyl with download code included.

the debut offering from singer mark wystrach, lead guitarist jess carson and bass player cameron duddy, collectively known as midland. midland is the embodiment of seventies california country, all smooth eagles harmonies and heart-on-your-sleeve lyrics. their songs are intoxicating country sung with the twang of george strait. and it s impossible to resist. their no. 1 hit single “drinkin’ problem” earned best country song and best country duo/group performance nominations for the grammys 2018. if there was a perfect country album which combined those traditional sounds with modern hooks for me then this is it! (six shootercountry). this vinyl is only available in the uk as part of record store day.

faitiche is happy to be releasing the album improvisations and edits, tokyo 26.09.2001 on vinyl for the first time. for the original 2002 cd on soup-disk and sub rosa (audiosphere), jan jelinek and the japanese trio computer soup (satoru hori – trumpet, osamu okubo - toys & electronics, kei ikeda - toys & electronics) presented eight tracks all recorded one afternoon in the trio’s living room in tokyo. they are excerpts from a joint group improvisation that subsequently underwent rudimentary editing, on which jelinek and computer soup worked separately.

dsordne (pronounced disordine) is a project from torino, italy that evolved as group out of the electronic experimental post punk project novostj in 1987. at the core of dsordne is marco milanesio, musical engineer and co-founder of the hax record label, joined by a revolving cast of musicians. their spectrum ranged from experimental to structured electro-poetry and soundtrack like instrumental electronic music. in 1987 they released their first track on a split-single with the legendary pink dots. between 1987 and 1994 they released 6 full length albums, 3 split-eps and appeared on various cassette compilations.

audio-visual artists soundwalk collective were granted exclusive access to the personal archive of the groundbreaking filmmaker and present their ambitious new album and remix ep: what we leave behind. the nyc and berlin based group were invited to aurally explore the archive of the seminal french director jean-luc godard and release their interpretations in an innovative new album what we leave behind. drawing on godards personal collection of shot film, reel- to-reels and historical ephemera, the recordings reveal the moments before and after the camera rolls, from stage directions and on-set asides to rehearsals, false stars and outtakes.

the debut album from seattles delvon lamarr organ trio. the group channels old-school organ combos like the meters and booker t & the mgs, but are making it fresh and feel new again!

with the celebrated return of dr. octagon (dan the automator, kool keith and dj qbert) in 2017 including their first-ever live performances fans are sure to keep gobbling up the space weirdness that first surfaced more than 20 years ago. get on down presents a unique picture disc, featuring the original octagon album artwork by the legendary artist pushead. the infamous doctor’s head and lower torso reach above and below the actual 45 rpm playing surface, as if trying to escape their two-dimensional status. on the a-side is a brand-new dr. octagon song, “octagon octagon,” which picks up where the original energy left off. it’s a dark and grooving glimpse into keith’s rubberband mind, jumping abstractly from line to line, chock full of equal partscharisma and dementia. on the flip is the song for which the group is most well-known, “blue flowers.” the version presented here is the amazing “prince paul’s so beautiful” remix, which first appeared on a mo wax 12” in the uk in late 1996. it was the first meeting of the two great production minds from different eras – dan the automator and prince paul would go on to collaborate many more times over the next decade, most notably as the group handsome boy modeling school. this is another great trophy for any self-respecting kool keith and dan the automator fan, combining the old and the new in triumphant fashion.

american soulstress phyllis hyman gets two of her much loved anthems officially reissued on 180g vinyl. you know how to love me is a 7 and a half minute lesson in love. its got that full bodied production of this golden era layering strings seamlessly with a busty brass section and a flute line that even the most hardened can t help but smile at. couple this with phyllis sultry yet powerful vocals bolstered by a backing group containing, amongst others, the mighty gwen guthrie. on the flip, living inside your lov hits you with a soul jam, heavy on the funk complete with hands in the air chorus. just as perfect to close out a set, as it is to warm up the floor. two essential tracks for any soul & disco aficionado!

back in 1962 when this, their third album was released, the group consisted of smokey, ronnie white, pete moore and brother and sister bobby and claudette rogers. while he had yet to be featured in the billing by name that came in 1965 robinson’s photo was top and centre of the lp cover. the ten songs featured barely amounted to 27 minutes of music, but what i ll try something new may have lacked in quantity it more than made up for in quality. and the reason was clear. six of the ten songs stem from robinson s pen five solo efforts and the sixth, closing track this i swear, i promise , a co-write with janie bradford. let s savour an album that, as one perceptive critic put it, features the miracles at their early best... as young, eager kids just starting out, filled with optimism, youthful exuberance and enthusiasm, long before record-company politics, favouritism and restrictions changed the group forever.

cordial recordings are proud to be partnering mel canady with the release of two previously unreleased songs from his 1970s group ruby & the mudflaps. ‘is that enough?’ came from the same recording session as ‘breezy,’ which was released in 1977 on jupiter records and has recently been re-released in 2017 by our friends at cree records. on the flip of our cordial recordings 7&#8243,, is a live take of a song written by mel called ‘country girl,’ which was a popular song for the group at the time of their existence.

phillys instant funk are one of salsouls most well-known and respected groups. appearing on the legendary tsop label in 1976 the outfit was renowned for their ultra-tight musicianship and for backing disco icon bunny sigler as his group. the late 1970s saw them sign to nycs salsoul label and this is the point where this compilation comes to life. i got my mind made up was the groups opening shot on salsoul and was a huge hit for them, helped in part by a super long, stripped back and funked out remix by paradise garage jock larry levan. this track and a whole host of others feature on this amazing compilation and snapshot of one of disco s toughest rhythm sections, boasting all their hits and some stellar mixes from levan, tom moulton, john morales, francois kevorkian, shep pettibone and more! this whole selection features the mixes in their 12inch glory, unedited, end to end, as intended. a truly essential package for the die-hard disco aficionado or for those who are exploring this most important movement in dance music for the first time. curated with the full input and backing of salsoul records and carefully selected to reflect the truly timeless nature of the music contained within. for listening, for dancing, for turning on a party! remastered by optimum mastering. artwork & design by million dollar disco. fully authorised and approved by salsoul records.

jocelyn brown should need no introduction at this stage, one of the uss most respected vocalists famed for bringing the gospel edge into contemporary r&b and soul music. brown was the voice behind the celebrated disco and boogie outfit inner life, the focus of this stars of salsoul volume. cutting 2 lps for the label in the early 1980s, inner life came strong with club hit after hit, working with the top producers, mixers, arrangers and studios of the day the group were gaining cult status with their records becoming the taste of the dancefloors at the garage, the loft, the warehouse and everywhere and anywhere else in-between! it s no surprise then, that these records are still coveted by music lovers and djs today, classic status bestowed upon this most soulful of catalogues. featured here are those hits, in their full unedited 12inch glory. listen to the classics as nature intended, you won t regret it. a truly essential package for the die-hard disco aficionado or for those who are exploring this most important movement in dance music for the first time. curated with the full input and backing of salsoul records and carefully selected to reflect the truly timeless nature of the music contained within. for listening, for dancing, for turning on a party! remastered by optimum mastering. artwork & design by million dollar disco. fully authorised and approved by salsoul records.

a chance encounter in barcelona, spain brought us together to make this record happen. it’s a precious little marvel of love from kou keri kou and electric cowbell. based in barcelona, spain, the group began with the aim of making music to dance to, taking inspiration from all over the world with no fear: the music from cuba, perú, jamaica, congo and nigeria is as important for kou keri kou as the music played in europe or in the united states. los zafiros, gary numan, los destellos, radio futura, sunny ade and kiko veneno share place in their imagination and help them create open-minded pop that always looks to the future. their lyrics are sometimes open, sometimes a bit more cryptic, sometimes political and sometimes biting, but always try to communicate with the listeners while trying to make them dance. they’ve been playing together for two years, creating songs that didn’t exist before, urging the people to dance and singing about their issues, which may also be yours.

180g double vinyl lp. far out monster disco orchestra returns with black sun, its second full-length album of 100% original, unadulterated disco sophistication, featuring all three original members of pioneering brazilian jazz-funk trio azymuth, a full orchestra with arrangements split between arthur verocai and azymuths late maestro jose roberto bertrami, plus members of the legendary rio funk group banda black rio.

brazilian girls return in 2018 with let’s make love, their first album since 2008. formed in 2003, the group—sabina sciubba (lead vocals, electronics), jesse murphy (bass, vocals), didi gutman (keyboards, vocals), aaron johnston (drums, percussion, vocals)—was born after the four members crossed paths at east village club nublu. “somehow we all ended up at nublu on a sunday and it all came together,” says johnston. the band began playing nublu weekly, embracing a free-form ethos that helped shape their kaleidoscopic sound. “a lot of the spirit of the band comes from being so open to improvise like that,” says murphy. fast earning attention for their euphoric live show—and winning fans like zach galifianakis, who later cast sciubba as a regular on baskets—brazilian girls released their self-titled debut in 2005 and sophomore album talk to la bomb in 2006.

ultra tight & rare soul / funk stylings from mississippis natural high outfit. originally released in 1979 on the chimneyville label, an obscure soul imprint operating as part of the miami malaco label family tree. this one has it all lush strings and orchestration, tight as rhythm section, amazing songwriting and everything else in-between. amazing that this group only cut one lp and a handful of singles. the talent on display here is truly of another level and one wonders how such an album came to be. either way, this is an amazing set of rarest of rare grooves and the lp has been a heavily coveted item by the rare record cognoscenti in the past. this is a 100% legit repress, made in conjunction with the rights holders and remastered to the highest possible standard, a truly essential record for fans of quality underground soul & funk. now s your chance to bag a copy for a decent price! quality all around

highlife throws a curveball for its next release with a piece of kwaito from south africas dj call me. a track sweeter than irn bru, we first stumbled across marry me on the radio by the new york dj, sadaf. after a quick search, we found it on youtube with over a million views, only to discover it had been track of the summer(s) back in south africa at the start of the decade. almost a searching for sugarman moment. the track wasn’t available to buy in any kind of format, and so began an elaborate quest to track down the artist via his defunct facebook page. after many an unanswered email and a couple of years persistence, we finally managed to track down a manager still in touch with dj call me, and we’re now involved in some regular whatsapp exchanges with the man himself. after showing it to a select group of dj pals, it began to show up on the id of music facebook group, courtesy of plays by the likes of axel boman, hunee & kornel kovacs. last summer, auntie flo and andrew played at a wedding in beirut and this track got such a massive reaction that weve been dying to share it with you ever since

this vinyl is a tribute to esplendor geometrico, one of the greatest industrial music icons in spain and abroad.
each one of these remixes has been produced by local artists from madrid, homecity of the band, as their particular homage and acknowledgement of the crucial role that the group has been playing as an example and a catalyst for the most avant-garde electronic music scene. thanks!...
special thanks to our friend and fellow andre&#769,,,,s noarbe, the man behind geometrik records and rotor discos. this project wouldn t have been possible without him.
the original tracks from esplendor geometrico selected for this release are included in their last lp -fluida mekaniko- published on geometrik records.

‘pat thomas introduces marijata’ is a seminal ghanian album that fuses highlife, reggae, folk, funk and soul, from legendary vocalist pat thomas. originally released in 1976 on gapophone records. ‘marijata’ was a group made up of three members – kofi ‘electric’ addison on drums, bob fischlan on organ and nat osmanu on guitar, hailing from ghana. pat thomas career began in 1969 with the ‘broadway dance band’, leaving a year later to join the ‘uhuru dance band’. he then played with ebo taylor’s ‘blue monks’ and finally formed the ‘sweet beans’ in 1973 where he really made his name. the group released ‘false lover’ in 1974, split and then reformed as marijata, releasing ‘marijata’ (also available on mr bongo) and this album, ‘pat thomas introduces marijata’. thomas career spans more than 50 years and he still tours regularly across the world. replica original artwork, official mr bongo reissue. licensed from gapophone records courtesy of george prah.

timeless legend are a soul group from columbus, ohio. their “synchronised” album from 1980 is one of the rarest rare grooves and both original copies and the single “i was born to love you” currently sell for over £1.000 a copy. for rsd, love vinyl in conjunction with expansion bring you an earlier 1979 single “everybody disco” (itself worth over £200), a remix and “i was born to love you” on a 12” single limited to 750 copies. the remix of “everybody disco” is by the mighty zaf & phil asher who command major respect from the current disco scene and have transformed the song into what will become one of the most significant disco style dance releases of 2018. this is the first and only time for these tracks on 12” single.

san francisco in the late 1960. the hotbed of psychedelic and rock culture. the dead, joplin, jefferson airplane and a host of others all gaining mainstream acceptance for their acid tinged work. but the city and the surrounding bay area had so much more going for them. a liberal political outlook and a large african american and latino population, meant that musical and cultural reference points were wider and more easily assimilated there than (almost) anywhere else in the united states. two of the biggest groups to emerge from this scene were santana and sly and the family stone, with their melting pots of sound that took in jazz, soul, rock and latin influence. for a while they were two of the biggest acts in the united states and scores of local bands tried to follow in their footsteps. they were hard acts to follow and very few got to the stage of making a 45, never mind a whole lp. one of the best to do just that were leon’s creation, whose debut lp “this is the beginning” acid jazz are reissuing here. a native of san francisco leon patillo led the group, whose multi racial line-up echoed that of his heroes on the local scene. self contained and gigging locally they made their debut album at the tiny studio 10 who also custom pressed the album in extremely limited numbers the music is a perfect blend of acid soul, mixed with hippie sentiments that will get you dancing on the uptempo numbers such as the title track, ‘back roads’ – with its glorious harmonies and the soaring ‘power’. more thoughtful numbers such as ‘until you were gone’ or ‘love’ will touch your soul. so impressed was carlos santana that he eventually asked leon to join his band.

the nu-rons, were a family group consisting of two sets of brothers and cousins, the four young men in question being brothers daryl howard and raymond gibson (daryl’s mother registered him under his father’s surname of howard and raymond under her maiden name of gibson) together with otho bateman and charles bateman. they were all born and raised in salem, new jersey and from the age of ten and eleven began singing with a fifth member and gibson brother rudolph in a group called the gospel 5. they eventually decided to crossover to secular music and as a group known for their energetic dance routines they came up with the new performing name of ‘the nu-rons’ (taken from the word ‘neuron’ which is a cell that transmits nerve impulses). however rudolph was soon to leave the group due to physical illness. also daryl howard and charles bateman had also been part of a working group known as the devotions prior to becoming the nu-ron’s.

following lo sheas industrial iterations ep, duskys 17 steps welcomes the mysterious polymod to the label family with a three track ep of club tools that draw on classic acid house and techno influences. hooked with a vintage 88 piano loop and tightly sprung bassline, opener no other has been ever present in dusky’s sets since the autumn - already inspiring multiple posts in a certain well-known facebook id group, as well as causing one eager id hunter to tweet dusky with home played piano videos of the main loop. for all its catchiness, though, it maintains an understated approach that plays on dynamics and contrast - a driving club tool. taking a darker route but maintaining the intensity, tx goes for the jugular with a looping surge of acid and rolling electro rhythms. completing the trio is the spacious pg1000 that joins the dots between 90s ambient, proto-house and detroit machine music at its most dreamy.

the pendletons return with their latest ep, funk forever, a jazz flavored boogie affair with soul inspired song-writing that evokes old school vibes while still staying fresh and current. horn lines, yamaha dx7 keys and snapping hip hop inspired drum programming topped by sweet singing with heartfelt themes, the group carves out a bold new sound on these 5 solid tracks. featuring elive, potatohead people and ishtar. the pendletons are a long-standing boogie-funk and modern soul project of e da boss (of myron and e on stone s throw) and trailer limon. the group emerged with their very first release in 2010, a 7inch inch of coming down/waiting on you on the slept on record label, which set the tone for the group to emerge it instantly became a cult classic receiving constant play at nights like sweater funk and funkmosphere, and fetching for serious sums among collectors. most recently, in 2016, they released the ep gotta get out. the title track caught the ear of renowned dj gilles peterson, who liked it enough to release it on his brownswood bubbler compilation. in 2018 the group is hitting the ground running with a brand new ep out this spring, and a full-length album to follow later later in the year on the renowned bastard jazz label. now armed with a horn section, a vast array of accomplished jazz and funk contributors, and a knack for quality song-writing, the pendletons sound has shaped into something fresh and unique, setting it apart from the legions of imitators.

steve reich’s new album “pulse / quartet”, released on cd and digitally in february, is now available on vinyl as well (with download code included). pulse is performed by international contemporary ensemble (ice), and quartet by colin currie group.

2018 reissue on vinyl (originally released on sarah records /uk). >youve got to listen to this band, youll really like them, i know. a colourful storm presents the first-time vinyl issue of one of the true treasures of modern pop music: blueboys the bank of england. the group of paul stewart, keith girdler, cath close, ian gardner and james neville are sarah records royalty alongside the field mice, heavenly, the wake and the orchids, and this is the final recording from arguably the most beautiful, afflicted band of 90s indie-pop and diy. mastered from the original recording tapes with assistance<

auke riemersma (aka aux tha masterfader). erio simonini and gilberto caleffi (aka disco doubles). together this partnership from the netherlands and italy form light cycles, a trio raised on sci-fi sound tracks and smouldering synth anthems. these influences are omnipresent in the group s debut 12-: flowing. addictively catchy hooks and clean beats are central to the light cycles sound with their dazzling melodies glimmering across the 12-. elements of disco are folded into these spirited compositions as this forward-looking triumvirate marry past inspirations with a hope-filled future. seamless radiance. simply put, flowing.

kodiak bachine is a multidisciplinary artist and one of the truly pioneers of electronic music in brazil. he first formed in 1980 the legendary band agentss considered to be the very first brazilian electronic group. in 1982 he composed and recorded -eletricidade- with the use of a minimoog model d, moog liberation, crumar string ensemble and vocoder. this track could be considered as the first techno-pop in brazil. it was also used on a video-art awarded by different festivals. -espirito das maquinas- is a re-version created the same year.

its not often you stumble upon a 9 piece soul band, who were so close to signing a deal with mca’s new subsidiary source records. but group politics and other factors got in the way, and the band shelved what music they had recorded. no reels surfaced but fortunately a member had kept some of those 1978 recordings. between the two seemed to fuse great soul compositions without the durge of the disco era circa 1978. with well thought out lyrics, backed by keys, trumpets and a driving bassline we really are pleased to add the group to the super disco edit roster.

repress from space-disco lp from 1983/1984 by argentinian group led by keyboardist bruno carlos musso. carefully remastered by fabrizio martina (jolly mare), who also produced the bonus track (a disco-club oriented remix).

wonderful 70s work from tom ze! the record’s a bit more straightforward than some of his other records from the decade, and has a number of tracks with a samba sound at the base – but there’s more than enough fantastic material to keep the record fresh, and tom’s writing is as great as ever. there’s a vocal group that sings with ze on many of the tracks on the record – but they also seem to sometimes act as a greek chorus, in response to breakaway vocal passages that are dominated by ze. includes the excellent baroque funky number “dor e dor”, plus the tracks “sonho colorido de um pintor”, “a baba”, “o sandalo”, “a briga do edificio italia com o hilton hotel”, and “happy end”. pressing on 180 gram vinyl, housed in a gatefold sleeve.

wicked compilation. holds only rare top notch zouk tracks that have never been compiled before. superb for your tropical dancefloor. winners only! big tip! according to the label: after the success of koute jazz, heavenly sweetness comes back with a dancefloor but not jazz compilation, enough to move your feet at through the whole summer! 13 disco, boogie and zouk tracks recorded in the 80s in the west indies.

something happening somewhere returns with a new collection of stories unified under the brand new nowhere compilation series. shards of tales long forgotten are told and retold by a group of fellow travellers, exploring sounds in many shapes and forms. sailing towards an unknown destination, revealed here are the hymns luring you into the abyss… the nowhere 01 vinyl sampler is a carefully curated selection of freshly crafted propellants pressed on wax for the very first time. quince gives us a saturated electronic work-out, combining gritty drum sounds with bass guitar and odd timed synth zaps. kurt baggaley’s detect was a digital exclusive from his remembering infinity ep, now finally available on black gold! it features a similar electro groove but uses artificial intelligence to add vocoder sounds and digitally aliased robot tears. fader from borneo takes a more frontal approach providing a catchy bass riff with warm pads and synthesised strings to guide you in a comfortable trance.

penthouse penthouse is a duo born out of the la-based crew team supreme. their debut lp ‘cruise control’ lands on alpha pup this february, with features from tony larchmont, carla, love logiq, kingjet and more. right in time for valentine’s day, cruise control is a smooth and sultry 9-tracker of r&b-tinged pop songs. in the short time since the group’s formation, they have collaborated with the likes of djemba djemba, mr. carmack, stwo, chloe martini, marvel alexander & promnite and have been billed with acts such as xxyyxx, sweater beats, salva, and the glitch mob. their music has received support from bbc radio 1, vice, earmilk, and la’s kcrw.

gnawa is a uniquely moroccan sound with roots in islam and links to a healing ritual called lila (arabic for night). from this heritage comes innov gnawa, the only new york-based gnawa group made from moroccan natives, led by the mâalem (master) hassan ben jaafer. in 2016, pique-nique recordings presented their debut ep together and, since then, the band have also featured on bambro koyo ganda from bonobo s latest album. aicha is their much anticipated follow-up. alongside the joyous call and response between the maalem and the group that s common in gnawa, there are also hints of electronic programming interspersed between the traditional live instrumentation no doubt an influence of nicolas jaar collaborator dave harrington who produced the ep.

fockewulf 190 was a new wave group from milan formed in 1980 by vittorio barozzi aka victor life and dario dell aere. in 1979 the duo met outside a cinema and began a lifelong collaboration of projects: diamond dogs, ice eyes, demode boulevard and fockewulf 190, named after the model jet planes dario fanatically built. musically, the duo were inspired by the human leagues reproduction and john foxxs metamatic, while they took visual cues from the new romantics visage and ultravox. with the fockewulf 190 moniker, they created their own dark blend of italo disco and new wave, and released two singles in 1984 and recorded an album?s worth of music that eventually saw the light of day in 2010.

after the success of the first full album ‘dagxnacht, the group formed by gilles helsen (keys) and freek vreys (guitar) expands with jazz-percussionist cas kinnaer. the musical recipe of seizoensklanken remains the same: instrumental compositions balancing between colourful afrobeat and intimate electronica.

dark entries editions is proud to reissue ghost town the 1984 debut 12inch single by mono band from italy. the project was conceived by producer rene d herin and massimo fantinatiti aka fantenax. they teamed up with songwriter and guitarist luigi venegoni aka svengile who had previously worked with progressive and jazz-rock bands arti & mestieri and venegoni & co. as well as cosmic disco group stratosferic band. treading the lines between italo disco and the darker side of new wave, the trio crafted a mysterious sound. melancholic arpeggiators, a throbbing baseline, stuttering samples, and the classic linn drum machine run throughout the track. vocals were handled by an uncredited carlo rossi who raps about a ghost town filled with fear. when female vocalist elena sansonetti begins to softly whisper the chorus one might get goose bumps. the trio were joined in the studio by dj mike aka michele paolino of make up/mike up, dj moody, fabrice bellini of art fine and producer miceli. the song was recorded in a few days at dynamo sound studio in turin and originally released on the popular discomagic records. this reissue includes the original vocal version, backed with a longer dubbed out instrumental ?ghost version? on the b-side. all songs have been remastered for vinyl by george horn at fantasy studios in berkeley. the 12inch is housed in an exact replica of the original sleeve with an astrological photo the planets orbiting the sun. each copy also includes a 2-sided postcard.

lp, 180g + downloadcode. mara is the debutalbum of munich-based jazz group fazer.

marionette is very proud and happy to announce kilchhofer s debut album the book room. benjamin kilchhofer is not new to the world of recorded music, yet he doesn’t seem to fit into a particular scene or group. as an outsider he is, however, fully immersed and melded into his own universe. he mentally escapes to a parallel world and weaves an alternate reality which would otherwise not exist in his daily life. kilchhofer avoids the spotlight and therefore isn’t really visible in today’s culture of ever changing content and social media. this is where marionette steps in to attempt to shed as much light as possible on this unique and incredibly talented artist. the book room is kilchhofer s musical diary, it s his library of emotions. it s a fairytale, an imaginary place shaped by exotic cultures, an escape from modern society, a collage of real and imagined experiences. you can hear influences abstracted from a wide number of musical approaches: the story-telling nature of folklore music, naive and conflicting rhythms of tribal drums, melodies and pads reminiscent of classical minimalism and microtonal experimental music, the freeform approach of early electronic music and krautrock, and buried deep within the tracks some hints of hedonistic dance and club music.

few traces surveys a near decade of mark renner’s scarcely released and unreleased material from 1982 to 1990, embracing and evoking the timelessness of his artistic statement: a wordless translation of the individual’s musical experience, met with the poetic expression of being here. the double vinyl release comes with download code and booklet with extensive liner notes from brandon soderberg and unseen ephemera.

privately pressed to lp in 1978 under the name j. jasmine and made especially for the ann arbor film festival, with artistic collaboration from the festival’s founder and once group artist, george manupelli, my new music is the debut album by jacqueline humbert and david rosenboom. featuring a cast of mills college personalities like david behrman and sam ashley on backup vocal duties, this song cycle is at every turn boundary-pushing and gender-busting, yet still hilarious, sweet, and genuine, all delivered in a post-genre, art-song, cabaret musical style that happens to boast some serious avant-garde chops, courtesy of rosenboom. if it weren’t so spot on, you’d swear it was a guilty pleasure. as j. jasmine writes, my new music is a collection of personal stories and private desires, exposed, articulated, performed and dedicated to the hope that one person’s fantasies can contribute to another person’s freedom. get lost in j. jasmine’s world for a little long while, and be free.

milan, italy, 1983. in the midst of the 80s economic boom, which gave an injection of optimism after the heavily political 70s, a group of young local musicians meet every night in a basement to rehearse and record a peculiar breed of italian disco music. originated from the ashes of various other projects, and rooted in the broader jazz-funk tradition, the group creates music which is equally inspired by contemporary fusion as well as by the first wave of the italo-disco sound. over approximately 3 years the band has recorded and played live, until the dismantling of the project towards the mid 80 s. fast forward 35 years and the genuinely mediterranean flavor of qvark s demo recordings are still enjoyable, both for the actual resurgence of the italian disco tradition and for the groovy quirkiness of a project which has been too long forgotten. after an intense work of audio restoration of such tapes, heavily affected by time, early sounds is pleased to present a compilation which is an important find to define the sound of late 70 s and early 80 s italian club sound.-

two unreleased recordings dug up by the team at numero group for their purple snow comp (get it), these were begging to be put on 45. recorded at audiotek studios inc in 1975. david z, who engineered lipps inc s -funkytown- and several prince productions, piloted both these recordings. get it on is the perfect end up night stone groove track, i can t recommend this record enough, buy it. another completely selfish venture, i just wanted this on 45.