jayda j with alexa dash is back on freakout cult. this time with some proper diva bitch house. three tracker with jayda g’s vibey house style and alexa dash demanding devoition vox. includes jayda g remix and alexa dash accapella. jayda g’s excellent new record will also be follow up by a soon to come diva bitch remix pack. so get the original while its hot and avalable.

urpa i musell, the new barcelona-based record label, feels very fortunate to announce its second release, the first ever vinyl reissue of mr. wollogallu, the collaboration album between carlos maria trindade andnuno canavarro originally released in portugal on união lisboa, produções audiovisuais lda. in 1991 the collaboration began when the manager antónio cunha, a mutual friend of both musicians, brought the two together for a performance. afterwards they decided to embark on mr. wollogallu. they had never worked together before, although their careers had parallels between them. both were part of the 80s portuguese pop-rock scene: carlos maria trindade had played with corpo diplomático and heróis do mar, while nuno canavarro played in street kids and delfins. moreover, individually, carlos maria had released the single princesa / em campo aberto (vimúsica, 1982), and nuno had done the lp plux quba (ama romanta, 1988), now recognized worldwide for its uniqueness.

len faki is ready to share another batch of his personal secret weapons, this time giving away three floor-focused edits, starring a pair of russian producers philipp gorbachev and nocow. first up are two takes from gorbachevs recent lp, a throwback into the rave scenes heyday. featuring anthemic synths and even front-row vocals by polina. the catchy album opener gets rigged with a solid fundament and peak time-friendly bpm, while similarly sumptuous cut lazer waltzes through fakis tested and well-proven percussive layers. boasting massive low-end impact on the flip, the hardspace mix of nocows k$$$$ hits a special spot, mixing heavy bass, idm-grade level of detail and ghetto-ish vox into a unique and heady power-blend. as with all releases of lf rmx, the proceeds of this record will be forwarded to the berlin organization straßenkinder e.v. to be used in actions against child poverty.

the night is what makes a big city come to life. right after sundown, the hectic buzzing of downtown makes way for adventure playgrounds, bathed in neon light, revealing their countless chances and opportunities. its when youll find the subway spitting out its purpose seeking passengers by the minute. a coming and going of restless people passing through. all it takes is a few hours, before the sunrise makes it all disappear. mental bend captures the magic of that very moment in their dreamy soundtracks. if you close your eyes, you can see blurry pictures passing in slow motion, accompanied by their atmospheric songs. grainy black and white snapshots, fragments of memories lighting up somewhere in the farthest corner of the cortex. one step is the berlin-based indietronica duos visually vivid debut album, released on enfant fenou. mental bend are all about letting go. sissip (voc/synth/bass) and hendrik havekost (beats/production) know how to trust their instincts, crafting their hypnotic signature sound, somewhere in between electronica, ambient and dream pop. before founding the band in 2013, the two were already shaping their skills in all kinds of different formations and styles of music. as soon as they got together, they had a viral mini hit with their song take my hand, praised on various tastemaker blogs and generating over 100.000 likes on soundcloud in no time. the bands first long play record one step is all about important experiences and decisions, small as well as big steps, all a part of making progress, which in the end can even be life changing. it was a step, that recently got mental bend their record deal on mos ferrys sub label enfant fenou.

a collection of crossover artists that really stand out for us with tunes that do so much more than just be hot. demuir, the organ grinder, snazzy trax & melodymann, they all bring their edge to this sick ep for melodymathics. we hope you like this record as much as we do!

blurt are perhaps the act who have played live at optimo more than any other. active for close to 40 years they are one of the uk’s all time great acts, phenomenal live and on record and supremely underrated. blurt mainman ted milton is a living legend. now in his 70s but more vibrant on stage than most artists 50 years his junior, he is a man of many talents, artist, poet, musician, performer…. in 1984 he released a solo 12”, “love is like a viol&#275,nce”, a no doubt accidental dancefloor gem completely out of kilter with any other music of the era that now makes total sense in 2017. dubbed-out stabs, programmed rhythm, trademark sax squeals and a more subdued than normal vocal that is strangely reminiscent of vincent price. thee definition of a cult classic and much in demand, side a of this 12” presents the a and b side (the equally outre “it’s only recently that stalins have begun to roost”) of this mighty 12” on one side of vinyl.

knlb first appeared with the initialize 12inch on vibraphone in july of this year, and it s not taken them long to return with another slab of on-point, upfront house music loaded with flair and imagination. up again is a heavy, chugging and bumping jam that should inspire all manner of screwed up faces of appreciation on the floor, and then fog machine smell simmers things down to a more measured house groove. half life brings a few more dubby elements into the mix, and then the club mix of sin sends the record spinning off in a wonderfully dusty reverie of detuned pianos and late-hitting drums.

echoplex signs his “entering the sky” to sungate as the third release of the labels catalogue. echoplex, previously known for his vast label appearances across the world, now delivers a beautifully crafted four track original ep. this record balances smoothly between a forward thinking and highly effective techno tracks. specially envision for the body and soul, for the dance floor and for the home listening pleasure.

the fourth release is a solo ep from elad magdasi, bringing his inner raver to his music at all times. a full-on energy-charged techno extravaganza - with soul, passion and front left love. including download codes of the ep + a digital bonus track.
the music:
killer hertz: hypnotic bells with a powerful rhythm, a recipe for drama.
immortal: the evil side of the record, a mysterious arp that keeps on rolling.
reflection: a high energy synth celebration, with attention to detail and lots of groove.
red skies: moody melody and dark bassline, a combination of heaven and hell.

killekill house trax is going strong – this time with a 4-tracker by the incredible andreas gehm. he sent us the music shortly before his death and said we could pick any of his artist names and his only condition was that the music was released on vinyl. only after his death we realized that he had obviously already taken a decision then… so we are releasing this record now as an homage to one of the most creative and funniest persons in the electronic universe of the last decade. the ep includes all his typical styles and ranges from hard jacking acid house over weirdo electro house to old school chicago- leaning piano house. a timeless record for all situations. may you rest in peace, andreas, and thanks for still rocking our floors, even when you are long gone!

rumble records present a reissue of serge gainsbourg s du jazz dans le ravin, originally released in 1966. gainsbourg, the original bad boy of french pop, the man who updated the french chanson and made it hip again infusing it with the youth culture of the late 50s and 60s, ruled by jazz, drugs, and free love. very different from his celebrated later works, the music captured on this vinyl edition finds gainsbourg mixing traditional chanson and big-band jazz rather than the avant garde pop that went on to define his career outside of france. this record presents a revealing insight into the early years of this iconic figure.

we have encountered ice dog during one sunny belgrade afternoon while he was chasing what he was calling fish (actually slavic seniors transformed into dolphins and dolphin is not a fish). he might or might not told us the fore-coming story: a man complains of being hungry. all the time. dogs it seems are never hungry. so the man decides to become a dog. to be a dog one must walk on all fours. the hero decides to wear shoes on his hands only to discover that there is no hand left to tie the laces on the fourth shoe. what does a shoe-shod dog tie laces with? its mouth. organ by organ the man becomes a dog. one lace at a time his record transformed us into a new type of misunderstood creatures. most of the tracks are surprisingly fast and playable yet broken while others are groovy however noisy. i am pretty sure you havent heard anything like it before. but what do i know i’m a fish.
ice dog is an alias of 33.10.3402.
cover by martyna bolanowska / kaja kukul, a mastered by tim xavier at manmade mastering.

deeplabs happily welcomes jeff hess for his debut release cherubim ep. eagerly anticipated, this record encompasses jeff’s sound inspired by mid-90’s minimal techno. cherubim ep focuses on classic leaning and stripped down analog techno to create functional dance tracks with unique character and plenty of soul.

drec recordings is a record-label from magdeburg run by patrick dre, releasing music between techno, and electronica.

house music from leipzig (and beyond) for r.a.n.d. muziks yearly 24.12. record.

grammy winning nyc disco and house legend louie vega has decades upon decades in the recording studio and dj game under his belt and having played endless gigs all over the world during that time its safe to say the original he knows exactly what hes doing when it comes to this music thing! pair louie with the legendary king street sounds label and youre having a party! this is exactly what happened in 2007 when the label asked him to contribute to their legendary mix the vibe series where top flight selectors like louie get to dig deep and produce a fresh dj mix for the label. now, you know the quality control is going to be sky-high on a project like this and this limited dj sampler featuring tracks from the compilation proves just that! featuring tracks and exclusive mixes from the likes of 95 north, basil, mood ii swing and more this ep more than deserves a place on your record shelf or in your dj bag! all featured tracks have been fully licensed from king street, remastered and reissued with %100 involvement from the label. essential house music for the seasoned heads and neophytes alike!

reissue of the much sought after hotbath edit series from crazy p. hotbath edits vol.1 kicks off with a rather tasty re-work of a familiar nyc disco record which uses only the beat and vocal of the original with some very tasty musical elements added. backing that up is the equally juicy edit which works that groove and takes it straight to the dancefloor. changing tack for the flip we have a re-work with original elements of the acoustic guitar and the vocals are bolstered with live beats, bass, strings and brass to give a truly uplifting mix. finally look out for the curveball edit of a certain neptunes penned pop hit to round off this killer package!

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

rbchmbrs returns to 1432r with another mind bending dance ep. passports barges in with a mean kick drum and a manic attitude, slammin and trippin its way through sweaty samples. sliced mangos follows behind with more madness, a swaggering polyrhythm beneath a sicko loop. the b-side sees rbchmbrs slide back into freaky break mode. a cleaned up, bugged out update to the drum n bass featured on his first record. club tested and approved!

into the mystic. crank up the amp and drop the needle on the record. exclusively on vinyl only, it s the cross-genre collaboration everybody s talking about - between the don of drum n bass and one of the godfather s of grime.

im going to try not to gush too much about the fact that me me me has raj pannus first ever record, but you have to understand that he’s dj royalty to someone from where i come from. from his residencies in newcastle in the early 90s, touring all over europe, playing with the likes of gilles peterson, jazzanova and james lavelle to his move into turntablism in the late 90s playing one on one with dj craze, a-trak and q-bert.

following the release of synkro aka joe mcbride collection of his formative early works earlier this year, apollo recordings is proud to present a brand new ep that draws on the rich heritage of library music. despite having come up during the dubstep era mcbrides music has always resisted easy classification - hand in hand sees him shift his musical focus in a yet more cinematic direction. mcbride explains: the record was inspired and influenced by my love of electronic 80s uk library records like the chappell av series, bruton, soundstage & de wolfe music library. theres a lot of synth work that carries on from my album using my trusted juno-6 / sh101 / jx8p combo with the addition of drum samples via an old akai s2800 i purchased recently. most sounds ive made from scratch on hardware based on sounds used in the library records i mentioned above along with a few cheeky samples.- synkro s signature expansive atmospherics are still very much present, but now they have been burnished by soaring synth pads and pulsing drum tracks that call to mind the haunted melancholy of john carpenter or contemporary such as legowelt or andy stott. rhythmically hand in hand sees mcbride moving somewhat away from his usual off kilter programming inspired by 2-step and garage, embracing the steady pulse of 4:4 which turns out to be an effortless fit.

after exploring georgian soundscapes, the intergalactic research institute for sound is honored to reissue stanislav tolkachevs blue mood. first released on aftertaste recordings in 2008, this masterpiece is in the institutes opinion one of the most impressive work of the ukrainian artist. for the occasion, stanislav created the artwork for the record in order to complement or maybe represent an idea behind the release. the institute plans to ask artists to deliver also a visual on top of their sound communication on the label. limited copies of blue mood will include a photography of tolkachev’s artwork. absolute limit, which finds itself on the b side, is a brand new track by tolkachev. as usual he delves deeper into abstract and distorted techno, delivering a truly mental cut.

ever throughout a long-standing chameleonic career in nightlife colleen martin has been one to challenge expectations and confidently confront boundaries. having established herself now firmly within the techno scene as lady starlight, she continues to do so on her ep for figure, presenting a statement of bold and pounding beats. ‘which one of us is me? showcases a completely intuitive approach to making music, with every track coming together as a direct stream of creativity, channeled straight into the solely analogue hardware. it imbues each composition with a strong sense of immediacy, a quality that only further intensifies the raw energy transmitted. this pure form of expression translates into a record brimming with artistic authenticity - enveloping, moving and deeply impacting.

arts gallery was born from the collaboration of two very talented minds. asmar & gëinst 2x12” package is unique, each of the two artist present themself in their own space, this space is also shared in another bigger territory, arts gallery. alchemy is a kind of philosophy: a kind of thinking that leads to a way of understanding. this duchamp quote describe really well this record.

the legendary moscow club propaganda celebrates its 20th anniversary in april 2017 and launches a brand new record label. the label will cover different styles of intelligent electronic music, focusing on techno in the first year. at the beginning there will be released music by great artists who had performances at propaganda club in past. more artists will be involved and more excellent music will be released over time.

the third solo record by skymn further articulates the width of his artistry by taking us on a melancholic night ride across retro-futuristic skylines and dimly lit neon roads.
the record has received early support from artists such as claudio prc, deepbass, ness, svreca, artefakt, etapp kyle, i/y, iori, jonas kopp, kwartz, rasmus hedlund, samuli kemppi, takaaki itoh, eric cloutier, conrad van orton and s100 to name a few.

originally a heavy metal drummer, bård aasen lødemel aka skatebård, got into techno and rave during the 90s. hailing from a small town called Ørsta on the norwegian west coast, lødemel moved to bergen where he quickly became part of the student town s growing club scene. after handing over a homemade demo to tellé records label boss mikal telle, lødemel got signed to tellé offshoot label tellektro in 2001. his first release under the name of skatebård, a 12- mini album called -skateboarding was a crime (in 1989)- was released in 2002, and skatebård s reputation as an excellent techno/electro producer started to spread beyond norway s borders. since then skatebård has gone on to release on labels such as sex tags mania, radius records, supersoul recordings, keys of life finland, luna flicks, totally as well as his own digitalo enterprises. -skateboarding was a crime (in 1989)- was pressed in a very limited edition and sold out quickly. since then it has been a desired object for record collectors and techno and electro aficionados around the globe. now the time has come to make the mini album available again, something this true masterpiece really deserves.

growing up in the bustling port city of busan and running his own record shop there from the late 70s, kim byoung duk had a front-row seat to the finest in foreign record imports and a taste for the psychedelic that naturally evolved into spiritual, ambient and avant-garde sounds. his growing interest in tao philosophy and the meditative music that accompanied it provided a fertile environment for his audio imagination. unhampered by limited access to musical gear, he made use of a wide assortment of self- sourced pots of various sizes and curvature, cymbals, wooden sculpted flutes and percussion tools—each chosen for its unique harmonic vibration—to create an entirely new and unique body of work. experiment no. x retraces the oeuvre of kim byoung duk, assembling tracks from experiment no. 2, pot concerto and new trilogy, illustrating a meditative journey from the freeness of the tao sound, in the borders of ambient music and the avant-garde, to later groove-oriented jams which introduce rhythmic elements to the palate. this fully licensed release is the first collection of kim byoung duk ,s music, remastered from the original tapes and including for the first time on vinyl songs from the very scarce cd new morning. includes four-page booklet with photographs and an interview from kim ,s personal archives

conceived along the space of a few years and part of a big collection of unfinished experiments stored on cassette tapes, this eight tracks selection well represents fred ventura s late 80s and early 90s infatuation with chicago house, detroit techno, early warp records and even a secret passion for ebm. using a basic set up made of roland juno 106, roland jx-8p, oberheim dx, roland tr909 and an akai sampler, these tracks were never officially mixed and meant to be released until today. minimal and hypnotic, dry and direct, both sides of the record show an instinctive approach to rhythms and basslines, typical of those days where computer didn t have a predominant role in the creative process.

superstar & star are back on porridge bullet with there first vinyl ep proper! mastermind ep! a collection of seven classic songs from superstars vaults available for the first time on an estonian vinyl record! neville lawrence immigrated from his home country of trinidad to new york in the mid 80’s where, a few years later, following his fleeting east coast success, he re-settled with wife anne (star) in omaha, nebraska where they continued to perform, produce and record music until the present day. after releasing a cassette, 7inch and 12inch single with us in the last year we are happy to present yet another wonderful release from superstar and star! big big hugs!

plugged into the mainframe of the power station, antonio returns to the label with a barrage of loner panzer funk and mechanised thrash metal from the shadows of frankfurt s industrial district. its a record fed and nurtured among copper coils, rusted voltage boxes, plasma and ionised sweat coming out to breathe among power surges and industrial smog. four tracks from the heat of the machine. a total submission to your new electrical system.

three track lolita ep by lolina, written produced mixed, spending ££ in the city, not-record-label release. mastering, additional mixing amir shoat. limited edition 10inch. tip on this. dont sleep!

twenty years after the sonar base 4 - 10 release on the legendary dutch record label u-trax, it is now time for an official high quality remastered vinyl re-issue on deeptrax records. the rare original was very hard to find and is considered as one of the highlights of dutch electro and techno. the dutchman frank de groodt a.k.a sonar base is hitting hard with a perfect blend of 70 minutes of aquasonic electro, intergalactic boogie and deep techno. frank started out on u-trax records in 1994, and released as the operator and optic crux on djax-up-beats before his more recent releases as fastgraph on klakson. besides he s also part of random xs and ultradyne. this bass oriented, mind bending album is considered one of the netherlands best kept secrets and has been a fave amongst connaisseurs, selectors and djs around the globe for many years. a real post apocalyptic gem from utrecht that is as fresh and sharp as it was originally released 20 years ago. the tracks are full bodied, muscular pieces of electro and techno with hidden melodies and savage beats upon clever bass lines. all tracks analog remastered by ballyhoo studios and pressed by the brand new vinyl pressing plant deepgrooves for optimal listening pleasure. this is just the first one of a series by sonar base released on deeptrax records. buy your own personal outer-space sonar base package, filling that black hole in your macrocosm collection. you don t want to miss this a second time!

this project is a cutout t of the prescription underground sound. the 3 cuts written and produced by chez damier and ron trent. morning factory , reworked edit k by: bs as deep, with ( love is the message) and (i come here to be happy) by: kai alice (dj friendly idiots). the new cut on this recording is a demo version from the h2h (chez damier and ben vedren) , berlin nights in paris a track inspired from the prescription record days .this project has a rare quality and would be a great accent to any record collection.

the auckland-based, new zealand club night ‘haven’ has been a leading light in the pacific nation’s small underground dance music scene in the past year. from their home of the intimate backroom of basement venue whammy, founders keepsakes and jaded nineties raver have introduced the local night fiends to a diverse range of left-of-centre, techno-centric dance music in putting on shows with international artists from lo-fi australian electro wizard daze, to the harder-edged sounds of ansome and uvb.
now launching as a vinyl-focused record label, haven is attempting to push the best of new zealand’s new guard of outsider dance music to the international stage.

design default makes a contemplative debut lp blending ambient soundscapes with electronica & jazz hints. entitled dawn chorus, the record sounds like a reflexion on awakening to new feelings and ideas as well as reminiscing and looking at those that came in the past. the lp opens in a playful and harmonious way with bells play, bringing forward the idea of awakening. the rest of the record designs a world in which slow unfurling soundscapes with heavy bass like the forest or two mirrors consistently stand alongside glitchy atmospheres like the distorted ecce or the celestial escale. tracks like peaks and notes or wood caving put the accent on harmonic and textural content. overall, the record is rooted in a cosmic almost new age ambient tradition, but focuses more on the idea of renewal than vagrancy and languishing. if ecstasy and euphory do not describe the feeling here, darkness doesnt either. the result is a balanced, mature and diverse lp, bringing many beautiful sonic atmospheres to life, and telling a journey of wonder of openness.

the Ÿ is the underground vinyl only record label based by stan preston. the label starts its first release darija featuring an amazing artist mr. sakamaka. the sound of this label relates to avant-garde attitude, enormous deepness and after-hours relevancy.

a super talented romanian artist moratu joins the label complatt with this enormous ep -efect de sunet- that brings us all his amazing notes, way of thinking, his vision, his underground attitude. this record contains of 3 amazing tracks that must be played on the very best underground parties only. vinyl only format, no digital promo or digital release afterwards, no further re-press.

after 3 eps on don williams a.r.t.less imprint munichs trap10 start their own label and the debut is a versatile dancefloor ep through and through. while unmistakably influenced by classic 1990ies era techno, the detroit schooled tunes resemble the duos flexibility - be ready for interesting yet effective dj cuts to add to your record collection. a1 flight 781? - straight rhythm action with dark chords and a mesmerising bassy melody. b1 shakem - rumbling electro drums and broken beats complemented by a grimy vocal.

the son of a radio dj who introduced him to the world of record collecting, harris grew up with music, progressing from violin, to high school drum line, to the jazz studies program at virginia commonwealth university. he also continued working with other instruments and developed an interest in sampling. his development as a producer at first, without a computer or sampler came first learning to replay samples on the drums, piano, bass or guitar. dj harrison finds himself inspired by local musicians in the richmond scene thats as diverse and nonexclusive as they come. among rappers, producers, punks and bluegrass bands, he falls within reach of an expansive pool of musicians to collaborate with. he lives and works in jellowstone, a house turned recording compound occupied by his band mates in butcher brown, a garage punk jazz funk group.

ltd 50 % deal - nyc disco and house legend danny krivit has 45 years in the dj game under his belt and having played endless gigs all over the world during that time it s safe to say the original mr.k knows exactly what he s doing when it comes to this dj thing! pair danny with his long time collaborators and family king street sounds and you re having a party! this is exactly what happened in 2001 when the label asked him to contribute to their legendary mix the vibe series where top flight selectors like danny get to dig deep and produce a fresh dj mix for the label. now, you know the quality control is going to be sky-high on a project like this and this limited dj sampler featuring tracks from the compilation proves just that! featuring tracks and exclusive mixes from the likes of kerri chandler, blaze, chez damier and ron trent this ep more than deserves a place on your record shelf or in your dj bag! all featured tracks have been fully licensed from king street, remastered and reissued with %100 involvement from the label. essential house music for the seasoned heads and neophytes alike!

the superb forbidden planet is a shiny early electro cut with a great funk bass line, a real instrumental groove and fantastic melodies that shimmer like a hot sun. it s filled with joy and sounds as fresh today as ever, the way it ducks and dives and offers real warmth. the francisco remix keeps the funk vibe but changes the groove to be a more chicago house style cut. as such it has a rasping bassline, big drums and coarse percussion that make you want to jack. the masterful ali renault—a go-to disco and synth specialist who runs cyber dance records, human shield record company and most recently his own vivod imprint—then turns out a hypnotic version that is more driven and direct for the dance floor, with robotic bass and epic reflective synth lines. it s a cinematic track with great analogue textures that goes back to the future. the last original is the excellent stay with me , a cosmic love song with breezy trumpets and dreamy disco vibes as well as soulful vocals. italo melodies and infectious percussion finish it off and make it an instant crowd pleaser.

new project and new label from the creators of the fantastic 808 box, fundamental records. there are many details that make this project something really unique. these records will become classics if they are not already!. the music of every record is very special, also the artwork and the technic use to print each sleeve, but the concept behind this project something you need to understand, as you can read in the website everything is based in two factors: first, to provide the artist with complete anonymity in order to create in absolute freedom. second, to offer the listener the work of the artist without any external distortions. the use of words to describe or define music is a senseless task. most of the time the intention of descriptive text is not to shed light on the work of the artist, but rather to serve as a promotional tool to drive sales and increase recognition. this often has the unfortunate result of limiting the creator and his work. music is all we need, any other additives are completely dispensable.

one of the funkiest albums ever from gilberto gil – a set that beautifully mixes rootsy elements with tighter funk arrangements – in a style that’s not unlike some of the 70s samba soul experiments from jorge ben! the record borrows heavily from american funk and soul of the time, and takes gil’s tight songwriting and infuses it with an even catchier edge than ever before – really creating a fantastic groove that seems to illuminate gilberto’s lyrics even more than before – with a sense of personality and joy that really comes through, even beyond the barriers of language! the whole thing s wonderful – tight, but never overproduced – and very individual, despite an influence from american soul music. titles include -rafavela-, -aqui e agora-, -ile aye-, -baba alapala-, -era nova-, -samba do aviao-, and -balafon-.

a tripped-out batch of hard jamming tracks from ex-mutante rita lee – recorded with assistance from all the members of the group at the time, but in a mode that’s quite different overall! lee is clearly the star of the show here – singing all lyrics with a much fiercer vocal approach than on her earlier solo album – pushing things hard to keep up with the jamming keyboards of arnaldo baptista and guitar of sergio dias – both of whom are working with the energy that would show up in the mutantes styles in the years after lee departed. one of the most compelling aspects of the record is the structure of the tunes – less conventionally rockish overall than the direction os mutantes were moving towards – and still with that strong dramatic flair that lee always provided when in the group. titles include -vamos tratar da saude-, -amor branco e preto-, -superficie do planeta-, -teimoisia-, -tapupukitipa-, -beija me amor-, and -frique como-.

180g brazilian polysom re-issue of the polydor original.
the second set of madness from the legendary os mutantes – and like the first, an album done in close collaboration with arranger/producer rogerio duprat, whose talents add a new level of genius to the record! the album’s got a compelling mix of styles that strikes out on the very first tune – a playful pastiche that’s partly postmodern, partly psychedelic, and still tremendously powerful decades later – even if you can’t understand most of the lyrics! styles are just about impossible to pin down, but that’s what makes the record so unique and essential – and if you ever needed one album to convince you of the mindblowing energy taking place during the tropicalia years, this one may well be it! a few tracks are written by tom ze, and titles include -dom quixote-, -dia 36-, -magica-, -rita lee-, -algo mais-, -qualquer bobagem-, and -fuga no ii-.

180 gram brazilian polysom re-issue of the polydor original.
the third album from the legendary os mutantes – part of the essential trio of sides released during the tropicalia years! the record’s got a sound that’s tighter and a bit more straightforward than their previous efforts – stricter song formats, and styles that lean heavily on rockish guitars and organ. but as the odd cover images on the front and back will attest, the band is still in a very creatively arty mode here – still working strongly with arranger rogerio duprat, in a wash of sounds and moods that fold contemporary music back upon itself with plenty of odd twists, turns, and surprises! titles include -desculpe babe-, -oh mulher infiel-, -quem tem medo de brincar de amor-, -hey boy-, -haleluia-, -ave, lucifer-, and -meu refrigerador nao funciona-.

a legendary album! this previously unreleased album by os mutantes was supposed to be their breakthrough album to an english speaking market – but for years it’s only been talked about in hushed whispers, and has only been heard by a lucky few! the record was recorded in paris in 1970 – and it’s all in english! (not that we’re biased against portuguese, mind you – but since we’re english speakers, it’s kind of a nice thing to have a record that we can understand!) the record features a number of tunes from the mutantes first two albums – redone here with translated lyrics, and in a compressed pop style that’s a bit smoother than the original albums, but still very nice! in fact, the record’s a sophisticated pop statement that would have stood well in the company of many of the best of 1970s rock elite – had the boneheads at philips actually decided to release the record! no use crying over spilled milk, though – because the album’s out now, and it’s filled with loads of nice tracks like -panis et circensis-, -batmacumba-, -tecnicolor-, -el justiciero-, -i’m sorry baby-, -saravah-, and a sublime reading of -baby-, a track that was virtually the manifesto for tropicalia!