blue 01 comes in the form of a split 12inch release from tessela and lanark artefax. it features tesselas glisten, a track weve loved and coveted since joy o slipped into his essential mix in 2016. alongside that is the intimidating stillness mix of lanarks touch absence, which we first released as a limited edition whities dubplate back in 2016. it has been remastered by beau thomas at ten eight seven and the artwork as always was designed by alex mccullough

180 gramm doppel-vinyl im klappcover.

three years since profane’s seminal album v.illan mills was recorded for inperspective and it’s long overdue that he returns to the label. this canadian native’s unique style that somehow fuses the hip hop sensibilities of j.dilla, the jazz/funk ideologies of danny breaks and the experimental truth of squarepusher has been a breath of fresh air in recent years on the underground d&b scene and these two new cuts from him are no exception. the experimentally epic breakbeat off tempo monstrosity of drughmada is a heady, giddy tapestry of beats and breaks with a sleazy sample and panic led overtones. west newton views is a darker more minimal affair. a clunky, dubstep vibe which maintains moody intensity throughout. tense and suspenseful. the other side sees the triumphant return of rome’s lynch kingsley. this young, precocious talent has been a good friend to the label for a number of years and after making waves with his debut eden ep it was only a matter of time before his return. we are pleased to present void , a dark journey through the breakbeat, sci-fi escapism of early 90 s d&b which in time develops into a deep, break laden workout with gorgeous synths and fantasy atmospheres. a joy to behold.

“courtrai moderne: definite definitivos” is the very first full vinyl release of kortrijk’s own punk heroes: an anthology of their best songs. it was sheer enthousiasm when punk-craze hit kortrijk in the late seventies. frank holvoet didn’t really know how to handle a guitar but that didn’t really matter: he gathered drummer rik masselis (see also the p.i.g.z.), peter coppens and local wild boy lucien callewaert: definitivos were portuguese cigarettes and also the name of the band.

the highly anticipated debut album from london based duo amoss is finally here, we are pleased to introduce “everything is temporary”. backing an impressive run of dispatch eps and singles, “everything is temporary” is the culmination of amoss so far, written alongside heavy touring, through years of scrutinous, hard graft in the studio, the album is a snapshot into their progression. pressurising themselves with the concept of what an album should entail, it was codebreaker’s monologue “everything is temporary” that changed their view on the project, inspiring them to stick true to themselves and deliver raw, unfiltered material that would be an honest reflection of amoss over the years and today.

knowledge is a tool, and like all tools, its impact is in the hands of the user. arts white was born to give a platform for every single player in the game that has high-level tool skills in techno, the focus is primarily dedicated to useful and chirurgical direct functional material.
all on white label style, black and white 12”.

classic lp - ltd reissue

mannequin records is proud to present a trilogy of reissues from the avantgarde italian-born producer doris norton, -norton computer for peace- (1983), -personal computer- (1984), -artificial intellingence- (1985). . apple s first music -endorsement- and roland affiliate, doris norton is one of the most important women pioneer in the use of synths and in the early electro / computer music. norton is the wife of antonio bartoccetti, progressive rock guitarist, and mother of the musician and techno producer rexanthony. as a teenager, she was drawn to medieval, renaissance and baroque music, not to mention quantum physics, differential equations, organic chemistry, the experimentalism of john cage and animated movie soundtracks

45 year anniversary of william devaughn s smooth soul classic remastered and reissued on exclusive white vinyl. diamond in the back / sunroof top / digging the scene with the gangster lean does it get any smoother than that? stick this record on and get lost in that effortless bassline, sensual guitar licks, coupled with devaughn s silky vocals and you ll be right there kicking back in the cadillac. oft sampled by the likes of nwa and de la soul and covered multiple times, most notably on massive attacks debut album. on the b side you re treated to blood is thicker than water, devaughn s first single giving a taste of the masterfully stylish soul he was to carry throughout his career.

ltd edition!!
this is a reissue of a rare unreleased promotional sampler four tracks e.p. that was originally released in 1976 by capitol records inc. for the deejays to celebrate the first year of operation of the nyc record pool, founded in june 14, 1975 by david mancuso and vince aletti.

the long awaited ep by will buck & prtmnto finally sees the light. soul sides ep showcases their search for a perfect loop with three originals and a super smooth remix courtesy of parallax, a new collaboration of c.scott. each original was mixed by lovedancing s own, pontchartrain.

after more than 30 years, halfway ritmo in collaboration with early sounds, will release unpublished recordings (1982-1989) from former tangerine dream and iggy pop s drummer klaus krüger. advanced dance combines a sweeping mix of krüger s handcrafted acoustic drums and distinctive electronic sounds of the late berlin- school years, creating a unique blend of advanced polyrhythms. krüger achieved a balance between creativity and classic drum patterns giving birth to an unconventional and avant-garde type of music that could be easily defined as a precursor of techno. his progressive mentality led him to delve further into the tape collage technique and unique ways of triggering his drums. it was a whole new world of music - sustained by his artistic surroundings, which included collaborations as well as friendships with other influential artists such as david bowie, martin kippenberger and helmut newton. in the time of german division, the pulsating west berlin became a melting pot of creativity and international encounters. advanced dance is the result of the blazing heat feeding the unstoppable thirst of discovery which characterized that generation, creating tunes that transform the listener s experience into one blissful moment amidst beautiful confusion.

fireplays (also spelled -fireplais- on second single) was the moniker chosen in 1981 by italian producer franco pagliaccia foran instant-band project composed by him and a few other musicians. -allein- b/w -hormone- was released in mid-1982, and as can be clearly heard, both tracks clearly show the mutation disco as a genre, started having at the very beginning of the 80s in europe: ablend of electro disco, along with new-wavish elements and some classic era-blueprint sonic elements: synth driven melodies, filtered vocodered choruses, pads, swirling cosmic sounds, cowbells, all topped by a powerful male voice that will give genuineconnoisseurs an exact zeitgeist, along with assured goosebumps.

original copies of this beautiful chain reaction 7 inch have been changing hands for £500, so this is a true digger s delight. exceptional soul from the late 70s which hundreds before have attempted to license to no avail. lack of trust was a key issue in these pursuits, after say yeah was used in a b grade hollywood movie without permission, alongside record collectors cleaning producer harold sargent out of his original 45s before upping them on ebay for $1000 apiece. cue the good people at rain & shine, a non-profit organisation based out of new zealand, who have worked with chain reaction directly to license this incredible record properly - returning all net profits to the artists involved. it really doesnt get much better than this - spiritual stuff! comes complete with picture sleeve, pressed on black vinyl with a large dinked centre hole.

the backroom club was packed with the hottest kids from the street. the movers and shakers wore their finest clothes to get down to the boassanova rock whilst the gangsters and players watched on from behind luxurious red curtains. in the murky shadows some exchanged more than just pleasantaries in the form of parcels and goods. they were devilish figures who existed only by night, when the streets were no longer safe for the do gooders to walk. this was a rough and ready town. cyrk is set to release a new ep on the infamous rawax record label. a charming assortment of well crafted house and some sophisticated electro cuts for the club. rounded up by a fantastci remix from claude young!

pulsewidthmod,creates tracks that are very epic and driving in nature all of which are recorded as live techno jams using elektrons dark trinity and an ms20 mini. her influences from techno to industrial, ebm, and belgium new beat leaves the listener with some menacing drums and a juxtaposition of both pleasing and disorienting melodies. serpentine servitude explores the idea that perhaps the serpent in the garden of eden was really being humanities servant. who was this creator character to dictate which fruit was ok for us to eat? who was he or they to say that if we ate the fruit we would be tainted and forever separate from divine love? all this did was create the idea in our consciousness that we were tainted. it is of my personal belief that the idea that we are sinful is the original sin. this god character who created beings in his own image and then dictated how they were to live their life kind of sounds like an over controlling father. where is mother in all this? the album started with the track original sin which was originally titled acid. seems somewhat appropriate since the concept of original sin seems to be a violation on humanities consciousness

this is essential tremor’s second and final album of all time. the band broke up after the recording of this record but still managed to play one final show before fully breaking up. the show was one of the most brutal things nashville, tn has ever witnessed and lead singer cole k was banished from nashville forever following the performance. essential tremor’s work never quite fit in with the rest of what was occurring in nashville around the time these tracks were recorded, but we re sure that this tape will fit right in with the rest of your collection.

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

second instalment by music mania reprise gives belgian 80s synth classic crocodile tears a new life. music mania is proud to present the next instalment in their reprise series. following the highly sought after classic elle et moi (mmr001), comes the blissful belgian synth pop anthem ‘crocodile tears’ (mmr002). the track was one of the first singles of kuruki, the minimal wave project spearheaded by ghent-based musician gerry d haeyer and alain bureau (sally joy). in an age of electronic sequenced experimentation, the band managed to find a distinctive sound that easily puts them between the likes of telex. the original ep such a liar was released in 1981 and clearly echoes the new wave of its time. the scenes described by vocalist sally joy as well as the melancholic keys of the main track crocodile tears breathe tristesse. nevertheless, it has a playful sound full of catchy synths. a dualism between such beauty and melancholy: this track was undeniably made in belgium in the eighties, but should also appeal to lovers of italo disco. be aware: for their second reprise music mania managed to include an exclusive instrumental version of this belgitude. even more synths for your listening pleasure.

rsd 2018 exclusive release - limited to 1 copy per customer! zero 7’s debut album ‘simple things’ sold over a million copies and was nominated for the mercury music prize and the band as best newcomer at the brit awards. the album featured singers sia, sophie barker and mozez. ‘when it falls’ followed with the same guest vocalists along with danish singer tina dico. their third album ‘the garden’ was nominated for a grammy award with singers jose gonzalez and sia. two further albums ‘yeah ghost’ and a best of ‘record’ completed their time with atlantic records.

ghent bassed saxophonist mattias de craene (mdc) has caused a stir in the past few years as frontman of jazz rock sensation nordmann. after their second place at humo s rock rally in 2014, nordmann became one of the most exciting bands in the new golden class of belgian jazz groups. 2018 sees mattias fronting his own project mdciii. flanked by two special drummers - simon segers (de beren gieren / black flower / absynthe minded) and lennert jacobs (the germans / hong kong dong), he takes you on a slightly intoxicating musical trip balancing between psychedelic rock, tribal rhythms and energetic free jazz. the band will release their debut album in october 2018. in the meantime they drop a self-titled ep as a teaser. with two tracks of both over 8 minutes, the listener can acquaint the unique musical melting pot of mdciii. for one of the tracks singer sylvie kreusch (warhaus) was recruited and she makes an almost hypnotic contribution.

with el tunel / proceso , marc pinol and hugo capablanca aced their blend of industrial, acid, techno and new beat in an ep that remains one of the most celebrated moments in the hivern catalogue. now, the evasive duo return to set the bar even higher. four years might seem quite a lot of time, but for c.p.i. it was the necessary period to get rid of expectations and let space for something new to emerge. studio sessions in places like berlin, barcelona, and belgrade brought together an amalgam of voices, spontaneous liasons, mutations and surprising movements that finally crystallised in the four cuts that conform meine hand . masa y poder and sendero luminoso are two sides of the same coin. under all the layers, both ride exactly the same rhythm. two completely different paths that share a common starting point. one builds tension on the dancefloor. the other one tries to fool the threat in the mist. with it s unrelenting acid bassline and lethargic vocals, meine hand feels like some kind of love from above, yet another unexplainable conclusion. ninos de belgrado are, in fact, the children of belgrade. high on drugs. an impending sense of doom. longing for wasted years or perhaps an external threat lurking, who knows. vinyl comes in a standard black cover with insert by designer arnau pi.

with el tunel / proceso, marc pinol and hugo capablanca aced their blend of industrial, acid, techno and new beat in an ep that remains one of the most celebrated moments in the hivern catalogue. now, the evasive duo return to set the bar even higher. four years might seem quite a lot of time, but for c.p.i. it was the necessary period to get rid of expectations and let space for something new to emerge. studio sessions in places like berlin, barcelona, and belgrade brought together an amalgam of voices, spontaneous liasons, mutations and surprising movements that finally crystallised in the four cuts that conform meine hand. masa y poder and sendero luminoso are two sides of the same coin. under all the layers, both ride exactly the same rhythm. two completely different paths that share a common starting point. one builds tension on the dancefloor. the other one tries to fool the threat in the mist. with its unrelenting acid bassline and lethargic vocals, meine hand feels like some kind of love from above, yet another unexplainable conclusion. ninos de belgrado are, in fact, the children of belgrade. high on drugs. an impending sense of doom. longing for wasted years or perhaps an external threat lurking, who knows. silkscrened cover letterpressed at lanacronica. design by arnau pi.

on the back of their acclaimed debut album which was shortlisted for bbc 6 music ‘album of the year’, the hempolics release their latest offering for a record store day 2018 exclusive on limited edition 12” vinyl. on the a-side john holt’s version of ‘riding for a fall’, a song originally released by the tams, is given the full hempolics treatment featuring a powerful vocal from nubiya brandon. on the flip-side is a reinterpretation of nirvana classic ‘come as you are’ but with an original hempolics riddim drenched in atmospheric dub. both songs come with an instrumental so the soundsystems can get their own players involved.

was haben dr. doom, rhythm x, dr. octagon, big willie, mr. gerbik oder black elvis gemeinsam? alles pseudonyme des hiphop-urgesteins kool keith. da kann man schon mal den Überblick verlieren, zumal der ultramagnetic mc s-mc sich auch noch in zahllosen kollaborationen verstrickt. einen künstlerischen höhepunkt erreichte er aber zweifellos als dr. octagon. und nun erscheint endlich moosebumps an exploration into modern day horripilation – das follow up album zum 1996 erschienen dr. octagonecologyst. zum ersten mal seit mehr als 20 jahren ist das dreamteam dan »the automator« nakamura, mc kool keith (keith thornton) und dj qbert (richard quitevis) wieder vereint.

in late 2017, thomas gandey and danny mclewin - known from the popular disco-influenced electronic music collective psychemagik - emerged from their studio in bordeaux, france, claiming to have produced an extended musical arrangement, both entitled, and containing the sounds of, the shakuhachi. furthermore, they insisted, for the purposes of this production, and a further album of related arrangements to be released subsequently in conjunction with the successful german record label kompakt, they should be referred to henceforth as ghost vision. shortly thereafter, the audio recordings described by gandey and mclewin came into the possession of noted los angeles degenerate, dj and nymphomaniac citation needed dirty dave, who was quick to relay the hallucinatory qualities of the duo’s productions to fellow dj and trusted hallucinogenic expert paramida, of esteemed german musical imprint love on the rocks. paramida, recognising the innate quality of the sounds presented to her, decided that such recordings warranted immediate release through her audio distribution channel, and not without remixes. quite without thinking of the origins of the instrument which had given the recording its particular sonic distinguishment, and of course, its title, she enlisted the help of two musicians named alex - one from tokyo, and one from kyoto. both alex from tokyo - teaming up with his colleagues isao kumano & kenichi takagi as tokyo black star, known for their prior releases on popular german label innervisions - and his counterpart, alex from kyoto, better known as al kassian, rising tamagotchi on paramidas love on the rocks imprint, and his own label, planet sundae - turned in striking reinterpretations of gandey and mclewin’s composition.

d marc cantus 2017 lp the lodge was a high point for the ever prolific us producer, not to mention a jewel in altered moods many pronged crown. now the label are revisiting one of the album highlights, s.e.g, giving the punchy chicago house jam another pressing before handing the reins over to a strong cast of remixers. the one and only larry heard plunges -s.e.g- into gorgeous, mystical realms of deep house spirituality like only he can, while altered moods boss malcom moore injects a different kind of spaced out energy to the track. then chicago skyway finishes the package off with a distinctive version that reaches for a light and airy headspace while keeping the drums punchy and effective.

the mushrooms project are well known for their sleazy mid-tempo laid-back percussive style, a sound that immediately resonated with rising stars and newly signed label mates earthboogie. specifically it was ‘dubby bolas’ from the italian duo’s 2016 album ‘rivea corymbosa’ album that really excited earthboogie and equally, the mushrooms were fans of the afro disco sound the londoners displayed on their debut track ‘route ten to interzone’. the mutual appreciation led to this remix project and now, released exclusively for record store day 2018, their complementary productions styles collide with great effect.

sound warrior records founded by jenifa mayanja & dakini 9 aims to balance the playing field for female producers and exclusively release their music. sw006 warrior formulation is rooted in soul-stirring house with its heart arching towards the future. lady fingers returns with an engrossing slice of dub house. the north carolina artist/dj was recently a featured dj at moog fest. jenifa mayanja bumako records, shows up with a broken ambient house break. on the flip side sound warrior teams with well known berlin underground heroines mint berlin the female only booking agency. representing mint berlin is co-founder ena lind who has been pushing boundaries in the electronic music scene in berlin for over a decade. lady blacktronika comes with a soul house soaker. she has made quite a splash with her labels sound black and sound keymstry in the process earning the title first lady of beatdown.

a compilation of classic elvis presley songs on 180 gram vinyl.

2023 repress - pablos eye is the science of studio pressure, when engineer becomes artist. appropriating left and right as well as front and back, pablos eye uses the mixing desk to examine and exhaust the possibilities of moments. pablos eye is a record of that examination and exhaustion, but it is also a record of its own inner space. by means of depth placement, psychoacoustics and spatial fug, pablo’s eye is experienced in the deeper reaches of the body, bypassing the conscious part of the mind entirely. . pablos eye is the turning of recorded music inside out to show its seams. it interrogates a song, stripping down the body of the song to reveal its bones. pablo’s eye is in the interstices of music, it plugs the gaps, fills the holes. pablo’s eye seeks out the concealed mechanisms, it is a songs hidden agenda. for this compilation, it was decided to present the softer air-beatings of pablos eye. more than anything, pablos eye is a temporary atmosphere, like a taste or a dream.

mihigh steps up for tlr006 and in mihighs true fashion brings his usual dark flavour to trapped ldn. mihigh is known for his head bending, dark, trippy erie minimal style and he has once again delivered with this evil 2 track ep. mirrors is a mix of driving minimal and dark atmospheric sounds which gives you a great after party style of track but could also be blended into a maintime set. mutual contemplation is our personal favourite which can be used as both a tool, a warm up track or an after party track. its crazy trippy leading synth keeps you entertained throughout the whole track and sounds like it was created to mess up anyones mind while at a party. we are super happy to have mihigh in the trapped family as he has been one of our favourites at various festivals we have seen him

this limited edition record store day release offers a much desired vinyl issue of a special collaboration between betty wright & the roots. only on cd since it’s initial release in 2011, “betty wright: the movie” is considered among betty’s best albums after having not had a new release in nearly ten years. there is so much good music here expansion have spread over a double lp at a time demand for such quality releases on vinyl is at a highpoint. the lead single was “grapes on the vine” featuring lil wayne, other guests on the album including snoop dogg and joss stone. betty has co-written most of the songs, her voice still at its finest after a 50 year career while triple grammy award winners the roots add a magic touch to this incredible project. there will only be 1000 pressings of the album.

‘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.

almost ten years ago, back in november of 2009, before lets play house was even a humble basement-bar and hotel-lobby party, jacques renault quietly released a four-track ep on hole in the sky, an imprint run by canyons leo thomson and ryan grieve, called favicon, that was both a snapshot of new york citys glitter-dusted disco-revival haze and the culmination of the first few years of renaults career through the club circuit. it quickly became a cult classic and set in motion much of what followed for renault it added some fuel to the fire that was runaway, his project with marcos ca

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.

180gr pressing , the now legendary abbey road version of “the isness” was the originally conceived version before last minute wholesale changes resulted in new tracks, different mixes and/or edits appearing in a wholly different order for the commercial release of “the isness” in 2002. the abbey road version had been initially promo’d to ecstatic reviews, receiving an unprecedented 6/5 stars from mixmag “it’s like a beam of white light from heaven”.

the word ‘rave’ became sort of a metaphor. but back in the days, it was the name for the revolution, not less than that. warehouse memories was born to give a direction to that revolution, this is rave 002. forward strategy group join the warehouse side of arts with a brilliant debut, 4 cuts that gives an extra luxury level to your mixes.

tokyo based dj/producer tsuyoshi ogawa presents -seven samurai-. this vinyl-only label has been founded in 2018 and it is operating in tokyo, japan. it pays tribute to the japanese legendary movie director -akira kurosawa-. therefore, the name of the label comes from his film -seven samurai- and the tracks on the vinyl have been recorded using sound effects from the original movie s scenes. -seven samurai 001- is the memorable first ep produced by tsuyoshi ogawa. the 1st track, -seven samurai-, was recorded using the voice sample from the movie -seven samurai- by akira kurosawa: -everything s riding on this battle!-, which brings us a sign of the start of the samurai battle. here, the 2nd track -shadow enemy-, expresses the fear and tension of invisible enemies, whereas the 3rd track -kannon soleil- leads to the end of the battle by buddha who comes from the sky. this ep is dedicated to kurosawa as a new spiritual soundtrack for seven samurai.

5 dirty tracks by gbo for a new 7- from bmm records. if this disk does not break your neck it will be refunded ,) 5 tracks ep, deep, phonk and ghetto af. boris lodel (aka gbo) is a drummer / producer based in strasbourg, in eastern france. drummer since his childhood, it is at the corner of a cloud he met the -giant mic Ô-, his nebulous mentor. following this mystical experience he took the name of gbo and was introduced to the art of sampling to complete the quest entrusted to him: to produce the perfect beat. at the controls of his mpc, he travels today the galaxy looking for the pearls of soul, jazz or hip-hop.

limited pressing of 1000 copies on clear double vinyl, housed in a gatefold sleeve with download code included. ryan lee west aka rival consoles presents his expressive new album ‘persona’, set for release via erased tapes. the title ‘persona’ was inspired by ingmar bergman’s film of the same name, specifically a shot in the opening credits of a child reaching out to touch a woman’s face on a screen, which is shifting between one face and another. this powerful image struck ryan and it inspired the album’s main theme — an exploration of the persona, the difference between how we see ourselves and how others see us, the spaces in between, between states, people, light and dark, the inner persona and the outer persona.

get on down proudly presents another top-notch vinyl reissue, from their long-running series of collaborations with james brown’s famed 70s funk label people records. as the 1970s wore on, the classic funk sounds that had defined james brown’s backing band, the j.b.’s, gave way to the rise of disco music. fred wesley and his collective of musicians couldn’t resist the chance to make their mark, releasing “hustle with speed” in 1975, with charles bobbit and don love producing, and the godfather himself, james brown co-writing and providing arrangements. “hustle with speed” didn’t cross over like the band had hoped it would, but it was nonetheless remarkable album, featuring the j.b.’s signature funky style married with disco to exciting effect. all the while there’s still plenty to be had for the funk die-hard, from the brass blow-out jam “here we come, here we go, here we are”, to the trombone-heavy “all aboard the funky soul train”, to the powerhouse opening salvo that is “(it’s not the express) it’s the jbs monaurail”. songs from “hustle with speed” would take on lives of their own decades after the album’s release, through sampled appearances in tracks by jay-z, nas, eric b. & rakim, ultramagnetic mcs, epmd, and many more.

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.

in october 2017 honey dijon was commissioned to take part in the smirnoff were open campaign, aiming to promote inclusive night time culture and celebrate nightlifes ability to transcend gender boundaries and prejudice. as well as appearing in the were open tv commercial, honey was asked to record her take on the initiative’s ethos for creating positive change, making dance music culture a more open-minded and socially inclusive space. what resulted was a rework of ‘queen of disco’ sylvester’s ‘stars’ featuring vocals by singer-songwriter sam sparro, who she collaborated with previously on her album the best of both worlds. now being released on limited edition blue vinyl via classic music company, with breathtaking artwork from assume vivid astro focus who also supplied cover artwork for the album, the entire proceeds from the release will be donated to lgbt foundation. created with parts recorded especially for the were open advert,stars (disco version), produced with the help of classic head luke solomon and studio partner lance desardi, pops sylvester’s spangled party-starter directly into 2018. previously made available as a free download to coincide with the launch of the campaign, the cosmic energy dub, underlining honey’s acidic but sweet production, is followed by two mixes by one of her favourite producers of the moment and fellow chicagoan, cratebug. his nova remix references the classic disco elements of the original, while the supernova remix - exclusive to vinyl - goes fully intergalactic with a glorious squelching extended mix. paying lip service to the legacy of a truly gender-redefining figure whose music is nothing but inclusive and empowering, honey dijon and classic prove the power of music to inspire positive change in the dance music communities with this stars release.

emotional rescue and jamwax return to capo disco with the first ever-official release of a holy grail of the caribbean disco sound. fully licensed and remastered especially for this release, there is no now requirement for badly pressed rip offs. while little is known about the crashers, all leads point to an incarnation of the revolving “house” band of glen adams. as often the case, the floating nature of jamaican born labels, rhythm sections naming and renaming to fit occasions was endless.

clash lion is a mix of three personalities shall ocin, terr and daniel watts. three artists with different musical backgrounds merging forces to create a truly eclectic and open-minded label. after the success of their first release from maetrik firmly putting this label in the spotlight, it was followed by releases from shall ocin and daniel watts. anna who started 2018 with the acclaimed‘hidden beauties ep on kompakt now comes back with a 3 track ep for clash lion. her debut on the label kicks off with suzi in transe, a roaring synth work drives this track into the deep and dark realms of techno, but with an acid element thrown in for good measure. ethereal yet brooding, impression is a track that grows and grows. its classical piano stab perfectly blends into the mix, keeping its dancefloor ready pace right to the end. 80s flare, break beat focused rhythms and an explosive synth riff. into the void is the most futuristic offbeat techno piece we have heard from anna, and makes for a standout new release with three varied and texturally interesting tracks.

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