singer, songwriter and lifelong fan josé james honors the great bill withers with the september 28 release of “lean on me” (blue note), a loving tribute album that features 12 of the legendary singer and songwriter’s most undeniable and soulful songs in honor of his 80th birthday year. “lean on me” was produced by blue note president don was and recorded in capitol’s legendary studio b with a dream team band: pino palladino (bass), kris bowers (keys), brad allen williams (guitar), and nate smith (drums), along with special guests including vocalist lalah hathaway, saxophonist marcus strickland, and trumpeter takuya kuroda.

french producer lb aka labat returns with a new lp named “fake memories” on his own label alélah records. he surprises us with some more hip-hop and r’n’b music, liberating his love for jazz rythms and harmonics. known for his talent at playing with samples, this new lp expresses his actual potential, offering a large use of instrumental stuff : violin and piano chords, guitar riffs… together with delicate voices that balance with the old school drums and procure gentleness to the sharp hats. the b3 eponymous track even discloses the man’s voice, with lyrics sang by himself

this record is a bomb! it had to be said.. telegraph is proud to present tom ellis new ep. a four tracks project (+ 1 digital bonus) that showcases the huge talent of this special uk house producer. all tracks are dancefloor killers, always funky and groovy they are full of creativity evolving into different atmospheres. a tribal exotic flavour on some tracks bring a fresh vibe into his productions, tom s music definitely is very human and always musical. tom s highly acclaimed and ever growing discography spreads far and wide through labels such as hartchef, minibar, trimsound (his own imprint), logistic, archipel, floppy funk, morris audio and telegraph. he regularly performs live around europe and can be witnessed displaying his bass guitar skills along side label partner leif with their trimsound live project.

well, this is different… fourth kind the self titled mini album on omniverse records. it’s hard to pinpoint a genre with records like this, produced by marc mac of 4hero and similar to some of the 4hero output, it defies genre and fits somewhere in-between many. the production is heavily reliant on synthesisers and vintage drum machines in places but is full of real life and organic movements, this is partly down to the signature drums played by luke parkhouse. the only other guest spot is filled by nu jazz funker pascal strauss aka luman child who plays bass guitar on “take me to your sky” which along with “afterglows” are the closest we get to dance tracks, in most parts a 70s fusion feel is present. the short interlude type tracks are just as important and i would go as far as to say vital to telling the story. moogs, arps and solina strings weave patterns throughout, all in all, across the 10 tracks the album is a journey of mood and emotions. 180g pressing.

neck-snapping soul masterpiece from freddie scott, famously sampled by biz markie for his melancholic pop-rap hit “just a friend” and a surefire piano-driven basement party anthem in its own right. the work of the legendary producers gamble & huff, the track was also sampled by ghostface killah for the wonderful “save me dear” with jay dilla also utilising the crunching drums to lace many memorable productions for a tribe called quest and slum village. a peerless piece of deep soul and hip-hop history, here’s your chance to own the first ever officially licensed reissue on 45. on the flip, “powerful love” is uptempo guitar-soul with finger-popping swing. featuring delicate horns and gorgeous backing vocals, it’s an unfairly slept-on gem but, given the weight of the a-side, this is perfectly understandable. this special 7&#8243,, single comes housed in a heavy duty custom printed full-colour company sleeve and is limited to just 500 copies.

flevans returns with a killer 45 for the funky dancefloor! leading the way is “who’s got me” - an up tempo disco/boogie cut with more slap bass than a clone army of larry grahams… it’s a tasty dancefloor number with a big top line from none other than laura vane (mj cole, gnarls barkley, laura vane and the vipertones) who absolutely owns the vocal duties as anyone who is familiar with her work would expect. oooh weee!
over on the other side we have more classic-sounding flevans material with the party starting funk breaks of “take your money”. his signature jazzy keyboard and guitar licks converse with cheeky vocal samples all flying in and out of this slick production in a delightful fashion. it’s all about the beats on this one – it’s a guaranteed foot mover!

garage bands suddenly obtain cult status and become the antithesis of their initial appeal’ garage class were a group of reluctant outliers who produced one of the finest contributions to the wave of uk diy music that emerged during the late 70s and early to mid-80s. hailing from alsager in north west england and comprised of tim shutt (vocals) phil murphy (lead guitar) clive williams (guitar) lynne sanders (bass) and phil bourne (drums / bass on studio recordings) garage class originally went by the name of the pits before their then manager steve hurt imposed an alias which, though unpopular within their ranks, would nevertheless reflect the shambolic art they would eventually capture on their first and only single.

doublepack anthology from songs by congolese guitar player and stalwart of congolese rumba nicolas kasanda wa mikalayi.

the patchouli brothers deliver four raw tunes, looped for optimum dancefloor ecstasy. on the a side he wonders is a squelching synthy, guitar laden gem, extended and reworked for full cosmic galacticness. a mighty joy follows up with a slice of gospel disco gold, expertly tweaked to enrich your soul with spiritual goodness. on the b side can t stop christy is laced with a good helping of slap bass and trumpet flurries alongside the elusive christy trading licks with that hazy distorted guitar. closing out the ep. take you there channels the glory days of disco into a six-and-half-minute reglammed opus.

the sixth yarn release tohuwabohu is like a big meeting of old friends: the leipzig/berlin based duo echoton is rejoining yarn with a splashy welcome and two dope tracks called kladderadatsch and kuddelmuddel – two glommy playful fellows. the guys from roar added an epic 15 minute kladderadatsch remix on b-side with nice guitar riff accents. ending all up in three amazing tracks with this typical minimalistic impulsive yarn sound. yarn records sixth release comes hand stamped in a recycled paper bag. strictly limited to 300 copies.

over the years moton has become synonymous with releasing great quality edits from a range of amazing producers. their 43rd release is no different offering up two glorious edits ready made for the dancefloor. cuffari (make the world larger than me) on the a side is four and a half minutes of luscious, soulful, string laden goodness, entrancing you with those dreamy vocals. trust us, she s right when she says the melody echoes in my mind this one will be stuck in your head for days! flip it over and marcel vogel, under his em vee alias channels the happy-go-lucky nyc discotheque days through dancing (jumbo). with an all too infectious guitar and bass riff, coupled with cosmic synth pops and perfectly layered vocal chants its sure fire, peak time disco gold.

jonny rock a familiar face on the london house and disco scenes is recognized by many for working behind the counter at phonica records & blackmarket records during the 00s and as the dude for playing the guitar in freaks project. rock skillfully joins the dots between the old school house, underground disco and boogie vibes in a party setting.

e-missions co-founder p.leone returns to radio slaves rekids this september with the my lita project backed with remixes from mark broom. originally hailing from new york, p.leone now resides in berlin where he helms his e-missions imprint with releases from himself and co-founder caiazzo, exciting new artists like rush plus and tred, not to mention remixes from young male, spencer parker and lawrence lee. leone has also dropped a variety of releases on rekids and work them records, when not making regular appearances at clubs like tresor. he now returns to radio slaves respected imprint with ‘the my lita project, following up his highly lauded el dorado ep that garnered support from ben sims, jackmaster and spencer parker. my lita kicks things off with classic synths, piercing strings and choppy vocals slices whilst robust drums march forward. meanwhile, tight in the pocket is more dark and menacing in comparison with its syncopated percussion, echoing claps and ethereal atmospherics. on the flip, mark broom drops two different remixes of my lita the first is a robust cut complete with disco elements like funky guitar licks and soulful voice, with the originals stabs shining throughout, whilst the second remix takes a different route with its crunchy snares, moaning murmurs and fuzzy effects.

more cut n paste action aimed straight at late nite disco dancefloors! fully organic authentic reworks of known and unknown classics a1 - partytime a modern rework of a paradise garage classic. tonight its partytime people! a2 - wicked and lazy the seminal dance track is given a rough n ready makeover with the original vocal line now underpinned by a loose disco funk groove with subtle brass stabs and woozy funk guitar. wicked and lazy indeed. b1 - aint no cruel intentions two dancefloor classics collide in this edit which combines the power and irresistible vocal hooks of beth s confession of indifference with the hypnotic calling card groove of the khan staple. b2 - jubilation the s&g folk classic is a guaranteed party-starter and now it s been beefed up with a proper disco beat and a refrain to die for. pure end of the night, hands in the air bizness.

following the late night swing of javonntte’s hm002, hardmatter uncovers another detroit talent for their third offering: malik alston. in his first vinyl release in several years, the rebirth ep explores a spiritual jazz soundscape with all of the verve of the city’s trusted sound. beside the soulful ballad of “love changes” featuring evan on guitar, the record’s lead song, “i am”, focuses on malik’s signature instrumentation and live improvisation. the track is a seven minute collaboration between craig huckaby, howard wazeerud-din ii and hardmatterís own zapata, who complement malik’s gospel-inspired vocals, the first time he has sung on a track in four years.

big crown records is proud to present another tough as nails split 7”!
the a side is a killer and well sought after reissue of the sonics “find myself another girl”. a tune that lands in one of our favorite sub genres - happy break up songs. the sonics rip into it with a dance floor friendly drum beat covered in uplifting horn arrangements, singing the tune of someone who is relieved to be out of a relationship gone sour. a proper dance floor burner sure to be in all the soul dj boxes. the b side is a never before released version of the classic and often covered “spooky”. taken from the original master tapes and edited down to fit a 45, this is the first time this tune is seeing the light of day. texas outfit s.c.a.m. takes the tune on a proper journey, easing into it on this 45 edit and finding their way through horn crescendos and dropping down to drums bass and rhythm guitar. an easy favorite version of the hit tune that collectors will love to get their hands on.

a year after his debut outing on the label, max essa makes a welcome return to hell yeah with the han zon roc ep, which is another of his impossibly laidback offerings. essa is of course the long time uk talent who has become a part of the balearic mafia thanks to releases on labels like aficionado, music for dreams, and his own jansen jardin. this is the second coming together of artist and label and is another timeless excursion far out to sea. opener han zon roc (midori coup) is an epic 12inch minute adventure that slowly awakens your spirit with new age guitar plucks and heavenly ambience before organic drums slowly being to drift into earshot. they grow ever larger as synths start to spray about the mix, hand drums pitter patter and big chords bring the soul-shine. its like the soundtrack to an afternoon boat party all condensed into one brilliant cut. how you showed me everything then gets super chill with lazy drum tumbles, bendy guitar lines and scattered hits. withering cosmic chords colour the airwaves and its a track that will slow your heartbeat to nothing. last of all, rain birds alfalfa jam is a analogue drum work out with early 90s hip hop influences and diving basslines. it s light and airy, nimble and playful and of course filled with the sort of tropical rays that make all of essa works so brilliantly escapist.

deeply rooted & slowly explosive, estonian andres lõo slides from loud guitar skanks to rumbling toms, all capturing periods of dub, jazz, folk music and the drama of an orchestrated band surrounding the estonian seto peoples musical background. b-side carries a generously beautiful xylophone, played, recorded and manipulated gently. both sides highly polarizing his debut album skeletons on rock (laton, 2009).

fresh from starting his own label insult to injury, timothy clerkin returns to ransom note records with the knife edge heart ep. three tracks of stirring techno for dark basements and warm hearts. timothy is a very interesting man, but hes also the sort of person whod rather let his music do the talking, so well move on swiftly. the mvp here is knife edge heart, an unabashed pop song whose shimmering exterior is cut through with flashes of steely darkness. frequent collaborator natalie reiss’ glacial voice is held at the perfect level of remove, while timothy allows his love of shoegaze to blossom with a guitar line that seems to extend like a ladder to the stars. with you bridges timothys opposing impulses, balancing sparkling synths and a celestial vocal sample with churning low-end, while divisive is paranoid warehouse techno at its very best. with his debut solo album out soon on phantasy, gabe gurnsey of factory floor stops by for a lurching, seasick remix of knife edge heart that sounds like the onset of the robot apocalypse weve all been promised for so long. after cutting his teeth as one half of eskimo twins, timothy launched his solo career in 2014 under the now-retired heretic moniker. hes since released on labels including throne of blood, hard fist and days of being wild. timothys last release on rsn was the serenade ep, which brought us plenty of special moments last year - most memorably andrew weatherall closing out his houghton quarry set with execute. heres to many more this summer and beyond.

cabaret du ciel was an electronic research project based on atmospheric ambient and harmonic textures. luigi morosin explores electric guitar soundscapes while andrea desiderà, fascinated by synthesizers, navigates into melancholic notes. eu based label manufactured by late-night rec. melodic, cold, pop, hybride sentimento diffuses music for atmospheres. the ethereal side of synthesizer sound.

deep, rootical lovers b/w thirteen minutes of blissed-out disco reggae (w/ download code)
deep, rootical lovers, darkly seething with one-step-at-a-time hurt and steely, vengeful self-esteem. hypnotic, stripped and desolate, with implacable drums and bass, dubwise from the start, the production is classic, unmistakable wackies, featuring fabian cooke’s scattered, abrupt organ stabs and minimal guitar-work, ras menelik’s masterful nyabinghi drumming, and harmonic commiseration by sugar minott and the love joys (with a strangled sob at intervals). over six minutes, the extended mix is different to the love power lp, and the additional dub, released here for the first time, is unmissable for its extra rawness and dubbed-out emptiness. plus thirteen minutes of blissed-out disco reggae on the flip: two contrasting dubs of the giorgio moroder/irene cara/flashdance cut from love power, both previously unreleased and a bit sick.

founding member and co-creator of ‘aiwo rec.‘ dj normal 4 delivers second circle’s eleventh release to date with the ep ‘exoticz’ . . raised close to düsseldorf in the ruhr area, normal 4 grew up amongst a landscape of dusty factory skeletons and abandoned machine complexes in a formerly thriving industrial conglomerate. bringing his signature sound of broken industrial dreams mixed with escapist rave fantasies, normal 4 delves into the archives with two tracks ‘kalaidoka’ and ‘aeo’ recorded around 2011/2012, alongside a new track ‘la arabia’. produced at altstadt studio mülheim an der ruhr, with normal 4’s good friend anke preuß on guitar and vocals, ‘aeo’ is given the remix treatment by phillip otterbach on the ‘aeo (ottertasia mix)’. on the b side the synth freak out ‘kalaidoka’ is followed by ‘la arabia’ which rides the breaks into a dusty moonlit desert rave.

second in a series from someone you might know using obscure and sometimes not so obscure elements from days gone by the green girl mix kicks things off with an energetic, peak-time stomper layering those sleazed up, chopped vocals behind swelling pads and crisp percussion. up next the hometown mix struts into disco territory, splicing up the guitar and trumpets to killer effect, teasing snippets of the vocal and filtering in an epic breakdown sure to win over any dancefloor. finally, the straight 8 mix begins on a full-frontal boogie tip before an acid line takes over leading the track into an otherworldly melting pot of disco squelched goodness. dj support from: todd edwards, friend within, hifi sean, horse meat disco, kokiri, anna lunoe, luca guerrieri, sam feldt, michel de hey, joyce muniz, moodymanc, adriana lucia, martin solveig, sleepy tom, jey kurmis, motez, and don diablo.

sugardaddy are a uk electronic music duo formed in 2006 and is the musical brainchild of tom findlay (one half of groove armada) and singer song writer tim hutton (hybrid, groove armada, way out west) “hypnotise- has an altogether late 80 s heavy, low slung, boogie vibe, caressed with beautifully haunting yet soulful vocals. greg wilson remixes an extended rework, holding the vibe of the original and effortlessly extending certain aspects of the groove, creating a 9 minute dancefloor monster! situation are next up with a late night, deep house dub interpretation which builds to a discoesque guitar licked, infectious, yet hypnotic bombshell bittersuite finish the release with a chunky funk fuelled version, full of slap bass and a bucketful of soaring, atmospheric synths, cleverly weaving those wonderful vocals and building to an electro jazz funk masterpiece.

an evergreen disco-funk-calypso record, bunny mack’s ‘let me love you’ from 1980 was the first commercial hit for the sierra-leone-born composer and is now available alongside remixes by dj gregory and moplen on this unmissable 12” vinyl package. perfectly suited to dj gregory’s world fusion sensibilities, he worked a remix for defected in 2008, laying down additional percussion and emphasizing the electric guitar riffs. italian dj and vinyl junkie moplen introduces organ chords and synths in keeping with bunny mack’s afro roots on his brand-new remix discolypsomix. completed by an accapella version courtesy of bunny mack himself, this is another stellar lightbulb moment of rediscovery from 4 to the floor

afro was our first international release, and our first attempt to bring afro-peruvian music up to date in the same way as nicomedes santa cruz and others did decades ago when the fragile existence of this music was fading. we were very satisfied with the result, which is raw and acoustic but at the same time electronic. dark but soulful. deep and haunting at times. we are joined on this album by some of the finest afro-peruvian musicians on cajon, guitar and vocals giving every song a live feel and the album includes additional production on all tracks by nitin sawhney s and da lata s studio wizard toni economides.

respuesta alternativa or the alternative response was the project of spanish musician jesus ma catalan, created with the help of julian c. perez. as the title implies the music was generated in response to traditional music notions of the time, and reflects how jesus ma catalan would challenge these traditional ideals using a fusion of styles and his unique vision. jesus laid out his synths and drum machines, while other musicians played traditional instruments over the top. this unique approach worked to create atmospheric tracks capturing simple themes, with each influence being carefully thought of in the joint result. as he explains each instrument weaves independently throughout a passage in a curious game where the listeners attention goes from focusing on a keyboard, guitar to bass or percussion. previously only released on a cassette album in spain, left ear have polished 5 choice cuts for a 2018 12inch.

cold busted’s acclaimed iwymi series makes the jump to vinyl with a four song iwymi intnl 7” (it’s what you make it international)” focusing on japanese beatmakers. curated by es-k and vitamin d, the single aims to expose a quartet of worthy producers from the land of the rising sun to turntables worldwide. en tokyo’s pigeondust launches the wax with his smooth and sexy “bboy blue,” filled with glistening keys and guitar chops over intricate rhythms. the lilting “inheritance” comes next via utsunomiya’s axion117 (collective resonance), easing the listener into a quiet storm mentality. the mesmerizing vibes continue as tokyobased beat-slinger bugseed drops the dreamy “mindless” straight to the platter. tajima hal (hermit city recordings) closes out the single in style with “all day,” featuring cut-up beats, looped guitar and vocals, and an otherworldly flavor. the iwymi intnl: japan 7” is a prime sampler of the innovative sounds coming from japan’s instrumental hip-hop scene.

free your mind and float away, you’re now entering the mode of the growing bin. hamburg’s centre for audio enlightenment is back with another sublime sensory experience, this time from the land of the rising sun. . keen to get another stamp on his passport, basso reached out to japanese duo singu, two open minded cats who just love to jam. marrying kiyo’s free drumming with keta ra’s melodic mastery of keyboard and guitar, the two-piece fuse free jazz, post-rock, kosmische and ambient into immersive and esoteric improvisations. free from any compositional concerns, the hiroshima outfit trade in energy, emotion and expression

l.i.e.s. presents the first part of broken english club new album trilogy, white rats. following on from last years the english beach, white rats is described as, a collection of caustic and absurd portraits of the human animal. oliver ho continues to push his industrial influenced sound with metallic acid tracks, guitar noise/drone experiments and heavy synth wave once again with this nine track release. includes download card. the album sleeve features the disturbing and erotic photography of javier gallego escutia, which also comes as a poster with limited edition copies of the record. white rats part 2 and 3 will surface in 2019.

a-ton is proud to announce panama / suez, the first ep by trio oren ambarchi, konrad sprenger and phillip sollmann (aka efdemin). the three multi-instrumentalists collaborated with the goal of creating subtly shifting musical passageways: sonic routes that run between continents of musical category. the results are two variations of kraut-y, groove-based post-techno that unfurl through mutating polyrhythms and chiming, ethereal guitar play – a rare moment of guitar and techno in deep embrace. with a potential to sustain energy on experimental dancefloors, panama / suez lives from ambarchi, sprenger and sollmann’s diverse input while reflecting a common penchant for both pop and the hypnotic.

forgoing traditional melody and song-writing, eskers distinctive sound focuses on the interplay between noise, texture and rhythm. voitax is happy to present her stunning debut ep, which was assembled from various recording sessions over the past two years. formerly a drummer and guitarist in various bands in melbournes noise scene, the influence of her past is evident in this record - a combination of processed guitar, mangled samples and bizarre, ghostly synthesis form a deep and complex sonic space. the effect of almost a decade in berlin is just as clearly heard in the eps thumping techno pulse. wielded with a drummers feel for timing and meter, phasing rhythms, crunching lo-fi percussion and thundering kicks provide a solid backbone. having become absorbed in techno culture, this is her contribution.

california’s the sentiments are back with another dose of sweet soul for all lovers of the low and slow. following the acclaim of their last 45, the group has arrived with another philly infused lovers lament. “what’s so good about saying goodbye” enters like a classic soul record with a signature drums fill leading into heavy hits accompanied by violins, fuzz guitar, vibes, and lush horns arrangements. and to answer the sentiments’ question, what’s so good about saying goodbye is knowing that after you do you can go to your local shop and grab this sweet seven inch. the song and arrangement, like the last, embodies so many elements that make up that sweet soulful sound that keeps reminding people why its better to smile now and cry later. produced and recorded entirely at the incomparable transistor sound studio, you’re gonna need doubles for sure. one for you....and one for your baby.

autarkic makes up part of an unspoken alliance from telaviv, which is currently altering the state of contemporary house and techno music. heavy dreamer, the artists first, four track outing on life and death, showcases much of what this bold movement is about, all while pushing it forward into progress. ever present tones of kraut and punk rock flow throughout the ep, beginning with some things to keep, a pumping, warehouse floor filler. autarkic steps up to the mic, often re-amping and distorting his vocal delivery, placing it alongside finely programmed keyboard riffs, tough drums and further psychedelia. realistic guru, the trippiest of the lot, is tailor made for an early morning dj tennis afterparty excursion. slowing down the pace on powerhouse, autarkic hints at moments of bauhaus and tones on tails doom and dance pop, while offering up a digital only, stripped down, bonus version. the title track stands as a testament to this new wave of artists, coming from the shores of israels mediterranean coastline. bass, drums and guitar are recorded through bespoke boxes and presented through the lens of modernist club culture.

saft is proud to present the official re-issue of the 1986 joan bibiloni band classic “the boogie”. the vocals by deborah carter still sound as relevant and uplifting as ever. the sought after guitar licks of bibiloni have appealed to a lot of generations ever since he started making name for himself in the early eighties. while in recent times some of the more experimental work has been re-issued and compiled through some respected labels, the dancefloor classic “the boogie” still remains the pinnacle of the guitarist more dancefloor oriented work.

incl. love is a stranger !!!! cold beat is a san francisco-based quartet fronted by hannah lew (synths, vocals) with kyle king (synths, guitar), luciano talpini aita (synths) and sean monaghan (guitar).

polaroid were an italian post-punk/new wave band, formed in turin in 1981. the original lineup of the band consisted of marcello zavatto (voice, guitar), massimo vagnarelli (bass, drum-machine), evandro fornasier (guitar), claudio vagnarelli (synthersizer) and marco farano (drums). polaroid made their debut with the cassette 6-track ep

el deux is the swiss electro-pop trio of gutze gautschi (guitar, vocals), steno onetz (bass), martin kraft (vocals, drum machine). formed circa 1981 in aarau by gutze and steno who played together in punk/new wave band fresh color aka frische farbe featuring a pre-yello dieter meier. gutze?s minimal electronic compositions did not fit the concept of fresh color, so they formed a new project with their live mixer, martin kraft, on vocals.

2018 repress , with the debut release selling out in a matter of days and a repress already flying off the shelves, rhythm section international present their second offering in the form of a remix ep, with reworks of al dobson jr. by polish rising stars ptaki and manchester mainstay ruf dug. eschewing the typical notions of a remix package, rhythm section international offers up 2 new tracks that didn’t appear on rye lane volume one, accompanied by 2 strikingly imaginative remixes. on the a side the polish duo of jaromir kami&#324,ski & bartosz kruczynski take al dobson jr’s tribal tom-tom rhythm and extend it into a sprawling disco epic, adding catchy keys and sensuous vocals that aim to tease the most reluctant of movers onto the dance-floor. ruf dug’s rework, named “ ruffy’s 3am canavan’s special” takes inspiration from one of many hazy late night sessions at the infamous peckham pool hall that is home to rhythm section. ruf dug, a rhythm section favourite and huge admirer of dobson’s beats, takes the gentle guitar strokes of the original and morphs them into metallic stabs, layered over an aggressive squelchy bass sound and sharp phasing hi-hats. this mantra is built upon in an effortless style typical of the mancunian producer and is as catchy as it is hypnotic.

“monstrance” is mika vainio & joachim nordwall’s first album together and was originally released june 2013 via touch (to:88). it consist of drone works and pulsating electronic minimalism but also guitar, acoustic elements, organs and metal percussion. it was recorded in einstürzende neubauten’s berlin studio during an intense session in early summer of 2010. “monstrance” is a place where vainio’s and nordwall’s backgrounds as musicians and composers meet, and something new and extremely powerful is born. something deep, raw and direct…

after being one of the many standouts on the we are opilec…! vol. iii compilation back in 2016, i-robots glamouflage is now getting a full vinyl release with artwork by tomozo kevorkian, who was designer for nyc s body & soul, and remixes by a standout team of producers from japan to switzerland to south africa and the usa. opening up the ep is a fantastic new take ii version from label boss i-robots, who added exclusive chinese vocal samples recorded on the streets of huang jiang city many years ago. the track is inspired by ennio morricone and supermax and is a loose and infectious groove with brilliant drums and percussion and an elastic bassline that really gets you moving. it s a subtle update to the original—also included here as a bonus cut—which itself is a steamy and tropical sounding groove. swiss electronic pioneer schaltkreis wassermann then features on a version of the original that reaches for the cosmos with its rugged bass riffs, tumbling toms and busy, ever evolving groove. it has a big breakdown with exotic synths wandering through the night and oodles of effects and big guitar licks. the first of the remixes comes from kuniyuki takahashi who has been a big supporter of i-robots since 2000. he is a sound designer from japan who had a compilation of his works put out by music from memory back in february. his version is laden with cosmic synths and chants, grunting and organic drums and is sure to be massive this summer thanks to its open air vibes. detroit s underrated but vital gary martin is the boss of the teknotika label and his version featuring colten decker playing an unusual sax line shows another side to the motor city. it s a curious and mysterious tune that makes for an unsettling atmosphere that keeps you locked throughout as it snakes along.

fresh from touring with hugh masekela (the boys doin it), gboyega adelaja goes into the lab to drop heavy keyboard science on his moog and fender rhodes. its joe sample meets the afro funk of blo. with names like jake sollo on guitars, mike odumusu (blo, osibisa) on bass guitar and gasper lawal on percussion. this is a top quality, afro-funk, all-stars affair that shines from the inspired interventions, masterly arrangements to the sublime production.

estonian archival label frotees 6th release suvi ei jaa by heidy tamme is available again as 7inch single with new b-side for the balearic heads. while suvi ei jaa is a cover version of roberta flacks song what a woman really means, it was given new estonian lyrics which eloquently describe the summer season and its brevity (title translates as summer doesnt stay). its sung by popular estonian singer heidy tamme, recorded in 1982, and arranged by tiit paulus, one of the best estonian jazz guitarists. after original release of 7 in 2015, frotee has discovered another version of the title track. tiit paulus had played guitar over instrumental version of suvi ei jaa and this version is now essential for our balearic summers.

remastered reissue of whitneys recording originally released on tape cassette in 1983. produced and engineered by walter whitney from april 1982 to august 1983 at subterranean sound studios, accompanied by carl weingarten and david udell s guitar magic sounds.

special remarks connect4 kit ltd to 250 copies (out of 500): you might be curious about what we’re gonna give you as a present this time: included in the release pack (first 250 copies only, once gone , it s gone) you’ll find a full connect4 kit as we always like to play with numbers, right? tracklist a1. 004a1 a2. 004a2 b1. 004b1 b2. 004b2 shortinfo: here we are for the 4th round of apparel wax and a crazy one indeed for all the lovers of the vinyl masked man, a release that expresses 4 different nuances of house. few words are needed to describe the debut of the vinyl with a1 track which is a rarely powerful combination of 2.0 dance music and 80’s vibes, a proper slap in the face to kick it off! our unknown dj then shifts to a more sensual mode with a2, where funky guitar shades and smooth chords blended with the vocals that drag us on a more intimate level of listening to keep on traveling on a lower tone. b side starts with a track guided by weaving jazzy rhythmics dialoguing hectically with samba and some jungle environmental recordings, creating a super personal interpretation of brazilian jazzy house, while to end up the 4th trip on wax planet, b2 blesses us with some more classic vibes with a sharp string’s melody and a rich bassline guided silently by a rhodes piano and some pungent and melancholic female vocals, to end it up in style.

croatian producer ilija rudman returns to classic with his funk-drenched ‘lovers change minds’. well-known for his distinctive analogue-disco sound, the record’s delivery on 12” vinyl comes as a perfect pairing. he remains reverent to his well-rounded retro style with heavily filtered soft vocals complimented by a deep 70s-centric bassline. hot toddy’s bass-focused mixes come laden with electric guitar riffs and synth flares for an even slicker groove on ilija’s smoothly minimalist masterpiece.

coming out in late july from the man who brought you e ruscha v s -who are you- to great acclaim earlier this year is secret circuit s 2nd ep for invisible inc, the cryptically titled -out of body interiors-. featuring four exclusive new tracks of the acid drenched, dubbed out, tropical disco variety mr ruscha, as always, delivers a sonic palette you won t find on many other imprints: from the turbo-charged homage to early 90s bleep meets indie rave euphoria of stomping ground, through the chugging, motorik groove of crazy ways which sounds like it s blasting out full volume from a smoke-filled space patrol hovercar gone rogue then flipping over to side b and waking up in mali, andromeda in a haze of syncopated percussion, other-worldly guitar licks and a billion new synthetically generated sounds that you may strongly suspect you just imagined.....to finally the feather drop which brings entirely new meaning to the word deep and which fires technicolour sounds of profoundly immense variety at the synapses at a rate of knots not many other producers can keep up with as all the while the bass holds court and keeps things deep rooted and dub heavy. secret circuit (aka eddie ruscha v) has had a plethora of releases on an equally expansive plethora of labels under such names as the parels (lal lal lal), blasé (esp institute), food of the gods/laughing light of plenty (whatever we want), odd numbers ( no label), shadow kids (el diablo s social club) and of course as secret circuit (beats in space, emotional response and invisible, inc.)

here we are for the 4th round of apparel wax and a crazy one indeed for all the lovers of the vinyl masked man, a release that expresses 4 different nuances of house. few words are needed to describe the debut of the vinyl with a1 track which is a rarely powerful combination of 2.0 dance music and 80s vibes, a proper slap in the face to kick it off! our unknown dj then shifts to a more sensual mode with a2, where funky guitar shades and smooth chords blended with the vocals that drag us on a more intimate level of listening to keep on traveling on a lower tone. b side starts with a track guided by weaving jazzy rhythmics dialoguing hectically with samba and some jungle environmental recordings, creating a super personal interpretation of brazilian jazzy house, while to end up the 4th trip on wax planet, b2 blesses us with some more classic vibes with a sharp strings melody and a rich bassline guided silently by a rhodes piano and some pungent and melancholic female vocals, to end it up in style.

reissue of balearic gem spanglish movement from little known band hot pepper! originally released as a private pressing in 1978 and featuring famous drummer jesus munoz tilico, a giant musician who appeared on countless recordings and accompanied famous figures like paul mauriat and carl tjader among many others. four superb long tracks including the cosmic underground club classic ritual song. hot pepper was a studio project created by mexican drummer / producer /arranger jesus munoz tilico who in the late 70s decided to record an album in a disco-funk vein, helped by some of his friends who were top session musicians. “spanglish movement” was the result, written and produced by “tilico”, released in 1978 as a tiny private edition housed in a fabulous afro cover. being tilico an enormous drummer, you can expect here lots of heavy drums, congas and percussion, surrounded by crazy space synths, male-female vocals, latin horns, afro touches and occasional fuzz guitar.