“wit blad” is the result of a beautiful collaborative project that started with illustrator joost stokhof. he was asked as an artist in residence for amsterdam’s hortus botanicus, a place where joost locked himself up for a week alongside the finest biodiversity in the city. joost asked eefje de visser to join him for a day and eefje asked nuno dos santos to form a powerful trinity of which “wit blad” is the unmistakable evidence.

our brand new series systematic soundscapes is for fans of club music made with highgrade and original synth sounds and without many times used vocal or sound sound samples. all tracks come along with fresh and unheard vibes. for the first volume which was compiled by marc romboy, sascha braemer celebrates his label debut with the moving butterflies, followed by high energy rhythms by spirit catcher from belgium who have already produced many tracks on the label. roy rosenfeld contributes distorted reality, which is in the best tradition of his music released on kx and systematic, straight, powerful and touching. and also thyladomid has his debut with devils dance, musical stuff as we know it from the label.

mythologen, aka alexander palmestal follows last year’s debut album mythologen with the 12” ep “church music”. this ep is a love declaration to londons club scenes and some of the titles are named after parts of districts in south east london. the tracks on this record are free and loose in its melodies and you hear that palmestal has worked on pure intuition in the song making process, inspired by the surrounding smells, sounds and people. as explosively impressing as the album was, is also “church music” and the airy, uplifting sound that has become part of mythologens trademark, is developed with a sacral touch. alexander palmestal have since the days of pistol disco in the early 2000’s been one step ahead of most acts in leftfield and house music and have created an own musical space to exist in - something most artist never achieve! “church music” consolidates mythologen’s position as both a guardian and an innovator of modern dance music

antoine harispurus was raised by a robot called v.i.c.t.o.r. the robot took care of little antoine and early on he gave him music lessons and also the right equipment, for example a roland 808. robotic, mechanical precision became significant for antoines music and soon he left the safety of his mothers toy store for the huge european club scene under his new pseudonym golden bug.
this year he releases two songs as a 7 inch vinyl and in digital format on hoga nord rekords. the a-side, “viaje a tenderloin” sounds like the inside of an east german military liaison in 1975 where the tabulating machines haven’t had service since the raise of the berlin wall. on the b-side “hitodoma”, guest vocalist jessica ho plays with her voice in a bubbly way above golden bugs characteristic metallic, world music influenced sounds and beats. the music would fit perfectly in a vast alien mountain landscape.
in conclusion, the music on this 7 inch is the sound of human and robot in close symbiosis - golden bug is music by robot and human for robot and human.

12 inch vinyl + poster & download ... previously undisclosed rituals is the first various artists release on veyl — an experiment in noise & body music. years of denial, cassegrain’s rhyw (under his poison green alias), downards affiliate autumns, rnxrx, exhausted modern and label mainstay maenad veyl contribute one ritual each for this grimoire that is guaranteed to keep everyone angry and confused throughout the rest of 2018. the record comes with photography by tomaso lisca, download codes and a poster of a death metal festival that never was and may never be.

kool customer ist ein neues collabo-projekt von l.a. s beatsmith b.bravo und the bay s croon daddy rojai, das auf bastard jazz erscheint. die stimmung des albums orientiert sich an west coast boogie funk a la dam-funk, abgefüllt in styroporbecher mit 80er jahren synth steez, dann begleitet zum stripclub (um 3 uhr morgens), der von kopf bis fuß in einem weißen smoking mit goldketten bekleidet ist. das debüt von kool customer vereint zwei talentierte musiker, die das tun, was sie am besten können: sich entspannen und gleichzeitig bewegen, in perfektem einklang. achten sie auch auf das super-spezifische deluxe-paket, das sich gerade dann als nützlich erweisen könnte, wenn sie es am meisten brauchen. ooh la la la.

killer unreleased mid 70s blue eyed soul/aor between the sessions at wishborne sound studios, the session musicians terry woodford, clayton ivey, muscle shoals horns among others, got down to record some of the finest funky soul and aor. they took the name mirage, aiming for stardom. unfortunately no album was ever released and many tracks went on the shelves in the studio. over 40 years later, preservation records are releasing two of their finest tracks on an exculsive 7inch. only 500 pressed

tommy rawson releases are sporadic but always high quality. as a former member of the souled duo who ran the excellent fresh minute label hes been around the more tropical end of uk house and broken beat for many years and this, his first full release for bergerac ushers forth a new level in his sound. this whole record is a masterclass in post bruk, forward thinking, shining, bright uk dance music. unmatched in emotion and vibes. deep blue is quite simply the sound of the summer. sun drenched, euphoric and soaring. broken but not broken, 4/4 but not quite housey. jazzy, soulful yeah. it was the highlight of red rack ems olive grove closing set at love international last year when it provided the most halcyon of moments. live trumpet from vicky flint and a whole bag of vibes from tommy rawson. this is a classic. trust. past tense is a super tropical african tinged house stomper which shows tommys love of sunshine vibes once more with acres of space, insistent chants, dubby pianos and a tinge of jungle roller bass. the final track into the future takes us into almost blade runner-esque orchestral emotion but with a kind of balearic feel tucked in there too. beautiful, lilting, emotional memories. you can feel so much love in this track. such a special record. buy it. love it. treasure it.

started at the age of thirteen with a crate of his big brother s records, dj matpat was introduced to an eclectic mix of music that has influenced his take on house music. racking up releases from labels such as madhouse, exploited, plant music, w&o street tracks, as well as derrick carter s persnickety all stars label, dj matpat has now combined his passion for production and house music to form his own label entitled clubby boy. with the artistic stylings of his philly party club congress and a remix by the bunker artist justin cudmore, the first release its time! (produced by the clubby boy himself) can be seen as a call to action either for these current times or to lose yourself with-in the dance floor.

this album is a collaboration between labels kontra-musik and kess kill. what would have become of d.a.f. if they had been signed to trojan instead of mute back in the day add a good pinch of absurdism and social realism in the vein of prized film director roy andersson and vanligt folk might just be the answer. the gothenburg groups name can be translated to common people and they make use of primitive electronics, drums and skewed vocals - ranging from harsh social commentary to the purely nonsensical - to create their own take on body music. hambo is the name of a traditional swedish folk dance that was highly popular among the common people at the turn of the last century. with this album, vanligt folk juxtaposes the working class dance phenomena of hambo with modern day rave culture. this is done in the most blasphemous manner thinkable, as is the way of vanligt folk. concepts like nationalism, race and tradition are all treated with the same merry lack of reverence. the only thing that needs to be respected is the dance and those who take part in it, whether accompanied by accordions or drum machines. or both.

lp + download code with bonus tracks + booklet. steiger are a piano trio trying to find a balance between composition and improvisation through the use of experimentation and electronics. the trios highly anticipated sophomore album give space was recorded at 7 different locations, with the music composed to fit and fight these locations within a dialogue of acoustics, atmospheres and appetition.

east leipzig theory™ is a electronic music label and a registered product of the east leipzig entertainment group e.l.e.g. which was established in 1991. all rights reserved - offences against the rights will be systematically pursued and penalised by e.l.e.g.
the second dimension ep is the first release of the label and contains four hybrid jams which are between the legacy of dutch west coast, & 90s house. main influences are the hacker, old vitalic, legowelt and bicep. all tracks are made for the floor and dj-friendly - but the last track “sehnsucht” which means “desire” is a refreshing ambient drifter with broken hard-hitting drums and also for easy listeing.
8factor is a german music project from leipzig - he is producing electronic music for 8 years without making official releases. tommy tricker was a former alias which was used for lo-fi boombap instrumentals. one of his most famous instrumantals is called “kommunistische tummulte” which was released on red tape. he is also a big fan of propellerheads software “reason”. most of his tracks contains self-programmed malstrom-synth-textures or processed samples.

after the great success of his new-classsical album voyage de la planete last year marc romboy releases a special 7inch single according to the album. and once again as he experiments with his sound pushing the boundaries between classical and electronic music to create both an emotional and atmospheric experience. the title track voyage de la planete was especially taped at the robert-schumann-saal in düsseldorf to create a highgrade recording of each classical instrument. the difference between a studio roon and a concert hall is remarkable. another highly acclaimed track, la lune et letoile comes along with an outstanding piano only version which improves once again that less can be so much more.

yasha is 28 year old joe gillick, who grew up immersed in the sounds of ukg & grime on the streets of south london. he founded orphan. in 2015 with his friends sage redman and billy meddleton. the three began throwing bi-monthly parties in deptford, their aim was to feature the unsung heroes, the seminal artists that weren’t often regulars in the crowded london club circuit. cutting his chops djing alongside the likes of tim goldsworthy (dfa, mo’ wax, unkle), dave okumu (the invisible, jessie ware), the golden filter (optimo), mica levi (micachu) and more, joe fed his keen sensibility for club grooves. cut to 2018 and joe finds himself a seattleite.

duas cidades is a defining moment in the group’s career, one that catches them perfecting their genre-defying sonic mix. the single “playsom” was included on the fifa 2016 soundtrack and the video now has over 2 million plays. the album also features the hit and fan favorite “lucro: descomprimindo”. pressing on 180 gram vinyl, housed in a gatefold sleeve.

the secret mystery school alias was created for the inaugural release on crash reserve records. four untitled dance tracks to get feet slippin and mindz trippin. acid flavoured house and techno to set the tone for a foreboding, futuristic reality. dystopian sounds for a dystopian age.

in 2011, when singer/rapper/songwriter phonte of the foreign exchange (+fe) fame released the critically-acclaimed, top 10 rap/hip hop album, charity starts at home,it was an impactful reminder that phonte was more than just the occasionally comical, often reflective crooner of +fe, much more. as a rapper, phonte had been the lynchpin of north carolina’s globally respected four album, six mixtapes run of the now defunct little brother trio, whose “lovin’ it” single from the 9th wonder produced the minstrel show is a bonafide cult classic.

this project was inspired by my trip to home to my root land. cape verde island, after 54 years of being on this earth, music and fans of my music actually brought me home.

after relocating from california at 7 years old, nasser grew up in a musical environment in new jersey. surrounded by gifted artists from an early age, nasser was fed a diet of authentic 70 s soul, 80 s pop and 90 s hip hop and r&b, which all influenced the spirit of his music and his trademark big production. at only 24 years old nasser displays real musical maturity and a subterranean fearlessness in his productions. mentored by house music master dennis ferrer, nasser has released three ep s and on the indispensible objektivity label, as well as remixing dennis iconic son of raw in 2017. his gramercy ep on suara revealed nasser s more techier side, exposing his wider abilities. his most recent release on objektivity, the just like that ep , dropped in summer 2017, in tune with his first ibiza season. (as a part of dennis ferrer s misfits society crew, a residency he continues in 2018…) here nasser debuts on circus recordings with his first full, self penned, and part sung, vocal single, combined with a intergalactic techno b side that is absolutely not to be skipped over. say something was instantly snapped up by yousef after an early demo was sent to the label owner earlier this year. big, nasty & pin sharp drums carry the original vocal throughout the track, as a playful narrative parties & dances throughout. vocal hook after vocal hook interchange as the slamming 909 drums persist. as yousef said, there is simply nothing else quite like it right now, and as pete tong said it s the best vocal record he has heard in many years, confirmed an essential new tune on the spot… this years bigger than prince..?

you may not have heard the name jackson almond before, but you will have likely heard some of his music. having released on wotnot back in 2013 under the name real, with a flurry of eps, remixes and bootlegs under this name and as part of duo boean (on bbe, warner, xvi & slowfoot among others), jackson has been delighting ears for a while now, with a particular knack for balancing hooks and earworms with original ideas and creative production. this ep began life as a series of headphone jams written when jackson was living outside of the city in self-imposed exile, tuning into the goings on in dance music from an external position. it was then polished into dancefloor gems at the wotnot studio at the total refreshment centre. the music reflects this, with the sonic palette reflecting lo-fi and outsider house, but with a warmth, depth and musicality specific to his own personal situation.

with the disco revival firmly set at full steam quantize recordings felt it was the right time to dig in & rework what is widely regarded as one of the biggest anthems from the disco era - loleatta holloway’s “love sensation”. often imitated, & much sampled they had to be firmly on their game with this and boy did they hit it hard now blessed with the talent of susu bobien on lead vocals (and the equally talented tasha larae on bvs!) alongside a full horn section, “love sensation” is back once more and ready to do damage to a whole new generation of dance floors! the much sought after accapella is also included on this release, the only format you’ll ever be able to get this on!

daniel terndrup ist ein in los angeles ansässiger dj, produzent und langjähriger plattensammler, der zu einer lokalen autorität vergangener musik geworden ist. er ist regelmäßiger gastgeber in radiosendungen auf dublab (crosseyed & painless) und nts (heat-wave) und veranstaltet gleichzeitig eine wöchentliche party für heat-wave in zusammenarbeit mit wyatt potts im ehemaligen hollywood stripclub gold digger. daniel begann vor einem jahrzehnt als eine hälfte von cosmic kids musik zu machen. neben ron poznansky machte er sich einen namen mit berauschenden house und astral dance tunes auf kultlabels wie throne of blood, let s play house und dfa. das duo remixte auch namhafte künstler wie the rapture, holy ghost!, poolside und superhumanoids. nach einer handvoll veröffentlichungen mit cosmic kids wendete er sich eigenen projekten als daniel t. zu. sein solo-output ist inspiriert von allem, was sich beim durchblättern seiner plattensammlung findet: funk, post punk, new age und pop (z.b. compass point all stars oder yellow magic orchestra). die musik, die er als daniel t. veröffentlicht, spiegelt seinen globalen geschmack wieder, ist aber unauslöschlich gefiltert durch seine südkalifornische umgebung. die vinyl-lp erscheint inklusive downloadcode.

n8noface was the vocalist for underground synth-punk legends crimekillz. he is the younger brother of tucson-bred modern boogie rocket man zackey force funk, both now residing in long beach, ca.in 2017, hit+run released n8’s visceral debut album stories of those, as well as demos and demons vol. 1, a ten-track collection of home demos recorded between 2015-2016. on dia de los muertos 2017, noface also unleashed the first single from his forthcoming new album true story, the haunting double a-side lathe cut “idgaf / say goodbye.”
true story, the 14-track lp due this august, reads like a collection of compelling mini-narratives, brief yet honest tales of personal struggles, anti-establishment rants, dead end loves, and real-life tragedies. n8’s minimal wave sound is not about nostalgic lo-fi nor home-recorder formulas, but his own instinctive style that defies categorization and comparisons. the result is a distinct sound of rapid-fire hardcore punk moshing with awkward pop music. standout tracks on the dense 18-minute album include “not like you”, “bad day”, “men who dress well” and “glasgow smile”.

*** check b2: !!! *** bath-come-london party purveyors, origins, take to channelling some of their creativity into the creation of their own origins label. at the helm for the debut release is bristolian up-and-comer tommosini. having heard move d unleash the beauty of another dimension at freerotation last year, origins knew they had to find out who the mastermind behind this deep house gem was and the rest, they say, is history. another dimension transports you through the galaxies via a combination of dreamy pads, crisp percussion, full-bodied bass and those sensual deep tinged vocals. future classic in the making. the a2 i dont stop carries on the u.s flavoured deep house with a vocal house track that wouldn t be out of place coming from the shores of chicago masterfully intertwining a bumping bassline, soft organs and those introspective, luscious vocals. flip it over and you re treated to two interpretations of another dimension. first up fellow bristol bass badboy, hodge, serves up a signature remix, chopping the vocals and layering them behind a pounding kick and machine gun percussion to give that bass heavy flavour hes become so well known for. deadbeat steps up to close out the ep with a heavyweight techno rework of the original, complete with hypnotic bleeps, phased hats, and intermittent sub bass goodness, all tied together with a driving kick to give a real industrial feel to the remix.

mika visited the moog sound-lab in april 2015. he made one his last known solo studio recordings in the form of two vinyl sized side long pieces. entitled “lydspor” - danish for ‘soundtrack’. mika worked almost exclusively with the lab’s moog modular system 55.
this uk sound -lab instrument is the sole protoype model (containing several golden filters) of moog’s recent sold out reverse-engineered edition (55 units only) recreating the 1970’s classic.
on completion of his sessions mika announced ‘i could work with this machine for the rest of my life….i would need nothing else”.
a second moog session was planned but tragically mika died in an accident in april 2017, shortly after he had approved the vinyl mastering.
pressing on translucent vinyl.

heavy afro boogie 12- by cameroonian-born singer dick dickson. 2nd release of beaumonde.. keep an eye on this label! . he was clearly aiming for the us funk sound in fashion at the time when he recorded in the pocket in 1986.the session took place in togo and had band members come from congo, cameroon and the french west indies making the music of in the pocket an outstanding rendezvous between electrified-boogie and african influenced groove. with the help of régine féline’s sensual voice, melodic synth pads and distinctive slap bass, in the pocket grabs you instantly. totally overlooked upon its release, beaumonde felt that dick dickson’s unique offering deserved a second chance.

kodaema presents its second ep black cloud, featuring five tracks to be released in spring, after the success of the debut ep end of 2016, highly acclaimed by gilles peterson and bradley zero. a mature and elaborate work, in which the bands influences take shape. from wonder featuring kiala nzatovunga, to the impressing water no get enemy, covering fela kuti, along with black clouds enveloping harmonics, kodaema delivers a unique & personal sound. the record was mixed in los angeles by benjamin tierney (kamasi washington, shaq husayn) and mastering has been done by engineer kelly hibbert (j dilla, madlib, flying lotus)

2nd ep from david kitts new jackson yous lp released in march this year a mini lp of sorts featuring 5 new tracks! according to david: like lightning was written after a late night/early morning adventure with friends in galway city a good few years ago now. i always find it hard to choose singles but this seemed to be lot of people s favourite album track. i ve availed of every last second of space on the 10 inch to turn this release into a mini-album of sorts with three quite different instrumentals one part folk, one part modular electronic and one recorded using two buddah boxes in the glasgow underground. there are also two unreleased songs that have knocking around the hard drive for a while but fit nicely on this release.

diving into nu’s musical world is like a butterfly’s flight through the tropical nature of the peruian andes. orchídeas. cantutas. mariposa. at berlin’s bar25 club, nu was a pioneer. with his organic sounds, he paved new paths and set the foundation for a new genre: relaxed, open-minded, playful, floating, full of soul and depth.under the alias canu, he and mexican world-traveler alejandro castelli draw us under a spell once again with “mariposa“. the unwavering beat grooves to the sound of the melody. equally inspired by his music, bedouin, kmln, viken arman and davi each contribute a remix to this single. these four artists are also among the brightest stars on the night‘s horizon. let’s fly little mariposa…

formed in 2007 by jakob seidensticker, florian schirmacher and henrik raabe, wareika was accidentally gathered on stage for the first time at hamburgs mythical mojo club. since then, the german trio has built a very singular sound signature after a decade of playing together. revealing the diverse influences and musical educations from all three individuals, the bands discography has been built over a solid live experience. being academically trained in jazz and classical but also self taught through electronic music, jakob, florian and henrik are able to sing, play guitars, drum machines, pianos, synthesizers, bass, percussions and way more

children of tomorrow will celebrate soon its 10 years anniversary. the label was created by emmanuel ternois back in the day and being joined by arnaud le texier in 2011. since then they focused on techno producing amazing artists, to name few: terrence dixon, zadig, tensal, antigone, oscar mulero, jonas kopp, samuli kemppi etc... children of tomorrow is now presenting the first album from arnaud le texier. after almost 30 years dj-ing around the world and almost 20 years producing. signing many releases over the years and always busy delivering dance floor releases, it s been a long wait to finally get an album from arnaudon his first album we can feel that he wanted to tell a story and to express something deeper with his production experience. there is a different variety of techno that stretches from ambient / broken beat / hypnotic / raw techno along with subtles grooves, wondrous atmospheres & sonic textures. on a side the album opens with dusk, an ambient atmospheric mid-tempo track with sonic sounds that is a perfect intro.pattern 2 starts with drones and blip sounds and a broken beat groove follows with a pad that sounds like a voice coming from the space. the track ends with some modular click sounds that make the whole track clever. followed by the album title granular therapy, a deep techno track with modular bass line and melancholic pad. a perfect track to play in after or to warm up a party.the b side is more dedicated to the dance floor with black nympheas that is a proper dark modern techno with a grinding bass line and magic drones. a simple beat makes the track evolve in a nice way. blade pass frequency is 4/4 effective techno with a 909 kick, a syncope acid bass line and a pad that sends you to another dimension. it is a powerful track but with a sense of deepness and sensibility that arnaud can achieve sometimes. this side closes with binary sun dawn which is an ambient track with melody that has a jazz feeling mixed with dark atmospheres, sonic drones and water drops. the c side opens with mono driver, a minimal track with a little synth that stays until the end repetitively until it makes you travel and lose your mind. deep and dance floor at the same time.

having previously released some rare solo material from ende shneafliet member hanjo erkamp aka dr. c. stein, artificial dance is now serving up something special from the cult dutch minimal wave band’s lesser-known side project, king ende shneafliet. adding king to their name in honour of original dub maestro king tubby, king ende shneafliet produced far more experimental and out-there material than their better-known big brother. they released their first cassette, dimension mix chapter i in 1981 via cult label trumpett, with batches of follow-up material trickling out on various obscure tapes and later cd-rs up to the year 2000. artificial dances first dip into the dimension mix archives a second vinyl volume will follow later in the year features selections from chapter ii (1999), which was originally recorded between 1981 and ’88. the magical, mind-altering music is raw, lo-fi, spaced-out and forward-thinking, combining effects-laden, sample-heavy sound collages and reverberating ambient soundscapes with pulsating proto-electro jams, moody minimal wave instrumentals and kosmiche-influenced throw-downs. it effectively joins the dots between early-80s, diy electronic exploration and dub soundsystem culture.

the latest release on francis harris scissor & thread is another exercise in subtlety and restraint, brought to us by the emerging talents of nadia khan. with little known about the artist, this release lets the sublime music do the talking. title track ‘in gleam is a beautifully evocative drift into ambient textures - rising pads and occasion bass tones combine to set an exquisite scene. ‘local visit is a collaboration with label boss francis harris, and features some of the trademark submerged rhythm and textures the label has become known for, unfolding its deep structures over the course of the track. ‘restless sees label regular alex albrecht aka melquíades (whose previous ep on s&t was received warmly) provide the last bells remix - again muted tones and rhythmic complexity glide under ethereal piano fragments and slowly evolving pad washes. ‘sorting through finds its groove early, a deadened kick unfolds into an urgent percussion creating a thick atmosphere of melancholia. ‘sunburnt rounds out the physical release - ending how it started - with dreamy, smudged tones, and warm pads.

label stalwart jubei returns to the label alongside long term friend tyrone for ‘the arcane ep. taking its name from the club night where they first met, ‘the arcane ep is partly a follow up to 2015s ‘out of sight with the duo now delivering a full 4 track collaborative release which has garnered support from goldie to chase & status and shy fx to break, with loads more in between. jubei & tyrones concept for an ep was triggered by the creation of ‘stabs, which since its inception has undoubtedly become one of the most asked about metalheadz tracks of recent times and was an obvious choice to headline an ep full of energy and accomplishment.

this limited edition 180 gram vinyl contains the complete 1956 nashville rca studio b masters. bonus outtakes and alternate recordings included. all tracks recorded january 10th / 11th and april 14th.

farrago created a name for himself in this short time taking back the real roots of techno and rave and putting them in a new context... we said new, not different. this is his 3rd record on the label, and this time he goes beyond the idea of reminiscing the past, “hard light” shows how the rave can be alive in everyone of us, and absolutely not changing the formula he gives us this beautiful feeling of being back in the past, while you dig in a record shop and you find something that hits you, in our past was that record that gave us memories. in this case the work of this record is almost double, the record itself reminisces the past, but gives good hope for the future of genuine rave music without compromises.

the next one is signed by one of my contemporary idols. his zero-f*cks-giving attitude and his aim to move forward make ascion the perfect artist to keep telling this story which two years ago was started to write. it could have been nineteen ninety two or today. it could be acid, techno-trance or even ardcore (you know the score). echoes from belgian new beat and uk’s intelligent dance music resound all along it. call it how you want and no matter when or where. this rave instrument is going to fill many epic warehouse moments. there is no way to escape: welcome to your finest nightmare. - hector oaks, september mmxviii

wow, how time flies. i can’t believe i am putting out record number five already. this release comes from star of the future adam pits. i have known adam for a long time as he was a few years below me at school and then proceeded to go to uni in leeds like i did. he is from the same crew as breaka, and there must be something in the water up there because these guys and the rest of their mates are producing the best shit in town right now. it is a privilege to put out adam’s first piece of wax because these two tunes are dynamite from start to finish. all three tracks are produced and sculpted for the club. they want big sound systems and dark rooms. close your eyes, hold hands and experience transcendental space flight...

considered by many as -the motown of salsa,- fania records is probably the most transcendental label in the history of latin music. by bringing together the eclectic vision of dominican bandleader johnny pacheco with the business savvy of impresario jerry masucci, fania created a sound: the apex of tropical music, combined with the swing of big band jazz and the gritty vibe of american r&b. the label provided an artistic heaven for a young generation of musicians who were inspired to experiment with new musical formats. the albums recorded by willie colón, héctor lavoe, rubén blades and eddie palmieri from the early 70s to the mid- 80s went beyond the parameters of so-called -salsa- - taking latin music to unsuspected levels of sophistication. when you think latin soul you relate to a mélange of r&b and mambo rhythms intermixed culturally by and for the youth of america. it was 1974, and a brash youngster by the name of ralfi pagan walked into the offices of fania records and demanded to be heard. fania president jerry masucci allowed ralfi that opportunity, and ralfi auditioned for jerry right there in his office. it took only a few moments for masucci to realize that he was in the company of his newest recording artist, he put ralfi in touch with recording director, johnny pacheco, who hurried him into the recording studio for ralfi’s first fania recording session.

this record was created for the space age lounge, a technomystical chill room in goa, india.

this is a rare gem of a record from fantastic soul band the soul kids stemming from the democratic republic of congo, including covers of james brown & the mighty flames hit singles -lickin stick- (1968), -papa s got a brand new bag- (1965), wilson pickett’s -hey jude- and a french vocal version of otis redding’s soul hit -respect -. this amazing young band, which released only four 7inch singles and one album, is a great example of the influence of soul music and french pop bridging to the new afro soul scene that the musicians of kinshasa were involved in during the time of post-independence. ngoma was one of the first record labels intent on providing local artists recordings from both sides of the congo river to the people of the drc and west africa. created in 1948 by a greek man by the name of nicolas jeronimidis, the ngoma label was active through 1968, pressed in france until 1971, with a tremendous catalogue, including this historical and essential soul masterpiece!

unusual sound sources and a masterful sense of suspense characterize the album and make it as fascinating as it is enjoyable.

the maghreban returns to r&s for a new single following his dark debut album 01deas, perhaps with an icier sound. monster vip is a reworking of a double time rap track from the maghrebans strange u side project he added breaks and rolled it out. end level bosses lurk. beware of the monster. rave navel-gazing back to his roots: his first ever release was a jungle 12inch in 1994. early support from ben ufo. on the flip, batu (timedance/xl) offers up crisp percussion and ominous sound design in his energetic 140 remix of album opener eddies. then the ep is closes out with carpet bombing, the title of which references the producer adding more and more notes to the main percussive motif as it builds and builds.

italian producer piero pirupa’s musical cv is nothing short of impressive. so it’s no surprise that his next production has found a home on damian lazarus’ crosstown rebels, enlisting the vocal talents of new york’s mr.v. influenced by the sounds of 80s and 90s chicago, pirupa worked tirelessly on this ep to reach a version he was happy with. after seeing the reaction from dancefloors around the world, he decided to send it to carl cox and damian lazarus. we must be (the piano track) breathes new life into today’s dance music with a message from a bygone era. it harks back to the golden age of house music with its lush piano topline and positive message sung by mr.v. happiness simply emanates from this production. with lyrics such as “we must be all in this together, we must live to respect one another” and “this is the plan to make us unified” it takes clubbing back to a time when everyone came together on the dancefloor regardless of race, gender, sexual orientation or religion.

walter gibbons, a true master of the mix, a disco legend, a pioneer of dance music. theres literally very few who can lay claim to progressing the artform of studio mixing and technique than the late gibbons. his contribution to contemporary music cannot be understated, first as a dj where his drum laced experimentation captured the ears and minds of his peers and the dancers, then later as a mixer and studio genius where he continued on his quest. often fixated on the percussion and breaks within records his versions would often dive into spaced out, dubby and stripped back territory that very few of his peers were even contemplating at that time, fervently reconstructing the tracks themselves and often the time, space and dancefloor within which the record was being played. a true original, gibbons was behind many of the definitive versions of the classics, his unique style often catapulting records that were just fine in their original form into brand new colourful, cosmic interpretations that flourished sonically and rhythmically with brand new sounds that bristled with vision.

ahus debut album from 2017, nord dream, was something of an overlooked gem from that year, but its musical palette of dubwise techno and ambient sounds caught the ears and enthusiasm of many. danny clancy was one such admirer, and in turn brings ahus sophisticated sounds to his dichotomy records label for the ‘atlas ep.

ryo murakami is based on osaka entered the world of music playing piano at an early age, then was devoted to synthesizers and drum machines. his productions contain alternative dance music and classical contemporary music, a combination of atmospheric ambient, noise and drone. his production history had been varied up until his album released on his own imprint depth of decay in 2013 since between releases on bug’s poker flat, the dessous label and the more recent releases on german outlets baud and styrax.

music is feeling, music is meetings. in 2015, the s3a records 04 was released with collaborations of good friends of s3amet in the world by the music (tito wun, mannmademusic). this sampler continue the story with tracks from people s3a met during gigs and travels in the past year: sweely delivers here great speedy long jazz banger with a great voice sample as a theme. the columbian felipe gordon gives a great stompy funk bass track! on the b side, the french g2s drops a beautiful house sample based -graef like- song. for the last track need a little bit of story. in 2016 s3a released an ep called 3711 on soundofspeed records in japan. the track -bush- taken from this ep has been remixed during a contest in early 2018. 42 remixes were done and the winner has is remix edited here. pnom pen gives us here his 80 s electro version of the track adding great pads and a complete different rhythm and grooves!

shaw cuts is happy to welcome a new face to the label squad: lazarus, a young producer from nuremberg, yields the perfect soundtrack for ‚the magic blade‘ with his debut record. the story begins with another clash between arch-rivals fu hung hsueh and yen-nan fei, two of the country’s most skilled swordsmen, both on a quest to number one. ‚rhea’ sets the perfect tempo for the duel with its heavyweight drums, revolving percussion and energetic pads. clanking swords are interrupted by the arrival of shady company – followers of the mysterious underworld swayer sent by master yu who wants yen-nan fei’s head. fu hung hsueh and yen-nan fei join forces, slaying the villains in seconds. ‚reverof nema‘ rolls in, its commanding rhythm and moody chords giving the swordsmen new force and vitality. yu wants to eliminate the swordsmen so that they never gain possession of the peacock-dart, an indestructible weapon with thanatophoric effects and the object of yu’s desires. but fu hung hsueh and yen-nan fei have already picked up the scent. bloody battles follow against more of yu’s entourage. the race against time is led by the energetic synth delirium and savage drums of ‚casio flex‘, leading hsueh and fei safely to the sublime weapon. the duo journey on, defending the peacock-dart until they reach yu’s temple. the final showdown. ‚overcome’ and its warped groove, warm synths and thundering drums bring master yu to his knees and the netherworld. but who was master yu? was it you? the myth lives on…