for over forty years, the apostles of aba have stood as the jewel in the crown of the music scene in eastern nigeria. since their formation in 1973, the band has turned out memorable performances in a variety of styles including rock, soul, funk, pop and reggae. even today, the apostles continue to thrill audiences in their hometown of aba with dazzling shows. cultures of soul is proud to present one of the apostlesã more obscure¨yet relentlessly funky recordings in a full-color custom reverse board jacket. banko woman, originally released on the eponymous lp on love day records in 1977. straddling the world realms of afro-funk and disco, the track has long been a coveted dance floor filler amongst djs, and for the first time is available for a wider audience. on the b-side is faith, luck & music, also from the original banko woman album.

(emcee) m.i. and producer dj cutt return a year after releasing the critically acclaimed “avant garde” with a new album and concept. the duo, who have further developed their creative enterprises to incorporate film production as part of their ever expanding six2six organization, have drawn from their respective italian and russian heritages to adopt the personas of luciano and lansky in the new album “omerta”.

naoki e-jima s disc shop zero record store in tokyo holds a special place in our hearts. since before idle hands was even established, when rooted records was king, the cosy, liberally stocked shop has served as a sympathetic outpost for bristol s rich culture of soundsystem music. over the years, naoki has championed all the best music to come from our fair city, from smith & mighty through to pinch and pev and on to the output from our own humble label. it s been a vital connection to help our music reach the right heads on the other side of the world, in turn providing a platform for our most treasured artists to gig and further the cause of the music we love. as a thank you for all the support naoki has shown bristol music over the years, idle hands has put together a special tribute 10inch of tracks that chime with his particular musical tastes, shining a light on some complementary gems that might have otherwise never seen the light of day. its also a chance to fill in the missing idle013 catalogue number – fortunately, the number 13 does not represent bad luck in japanese culture. on the a-side, the mighty (pun intended) rob smith takes to a track from outboxx s debut album, originally intended for a remix 12inch that never came to be. in his learned hands, lost soul becomes a shimmering stepper marked out by beautiful cascading arpeggios and of course plenty of fulsome bass, with arresting fragments of vocal drifting in and out of the mix for good measure. rob s status as a true legend of bristol music needs no explanation, but his presence here is furthermore because naoki is such a fan of his music. on the b-side, atki2 makes a welcome return to the label after bringing a classic ray of sunshine to idle hands on the second single we ever put out. as well as being a big release for us, it was apparently huge at disc shop zero, so it feels right to bring the effervescent hes royal to this 10inch release. with a sunny disposition at heart, these two tracks make sense sharing a 10inch, but it s even more fitting that they sit side by side as we doff our caps to a true hero of the global underground. thanks, naoki.

das liverpooler quartett clinic schickt sich an, dem erst vor wenigen monaten veröffentlichten album free reign einen kleinen bruder an die seite zu stellen. daniel lopatin, der das album bereits mit produziert hat und zur zeit insgesamt recht ordentlich beschäftigt ist bei domino (ducktails, peaking lights), hat sich das gute stück nochmal zur brust genommen und nach seinen eigenen vorstellungen durch den wolf gedreht. das ergebnis erscheint anfang märz auf lp only via domino. limitiert auf 125 stück für deutschland!

another very fine release in asthmatic kitty s library catalog music series, this album comes from william ryan fritch, a prolific film composer, sound recordist and multi-instrumentalist from oakland, ca. fittingly, music for honey and bile takes on the character of a cinematic score, collecting a number of varied instrumentals that show an incredible range to fritch s diverse talents. in addition to the composition and production, fritch performs virtually everything on the album, playing piano, guitars, violin, viola, cello, flute, clarinet, sax, trumpet, marimba, vibraphone and dulcimer to name but a relative few. this is seriously impressive stuff, and chamber pieces such as too anxious to dream , shadows like despondent ghosts and tongues that chatter like pigeons sound like the work of a large ensemble rather than just one man. the variety exhibited on the album is breathtaking too, switching between large-scale productions complete with multilayered strings and percussion to more intimate pieces like eggshells and the manipulated piano drone minimalism of chewed their nails to caustic red pads .

ch seinem hochgelobten album -undertow-, auf ihrem eigenen imprint lower floor music, veröffentlicht das detroiter post-industrial/noise-trio wolf eyes nun eine limitierte 12inch mit zwei neuen instrumentaltracks. diese sind in ihrer art epischer, dubbiger und reduzierter als die albumtracks, getragen von einer signifikanten elektronischen unterströmung unter der tropischen ambience, die auch die jüngsten liveshows von wolf eyes - im gegensatz zu der dichten intensität des letzten albums - kennzeichnen.

brazilian mid tempo boogie double header. side a, an ultra catchy vocal hook with boogie guitars and syths. side aa, taken from the self titled master piece, this track is arguebly the most immediate and club friendly track from the album

sean price sadly passed away on august 8th, 2015. sean was 1/2 of heltah skeltah, 1/8 of boot camp clik and developed a cult-like following with his trio of solo album releases starting in 2011. the sean price legacy continues with the highly anticipated posthumous release of his 4th studio album, imperius rex. the album features doom, prodigy, styles p, smif n wessun, rock, method man, raekwon, inspectah deck, junior reid, buckshot, ruste juxx, bernadette price & more. production from alchemist, harry fraud, nottz, amongst others.

by the time mobb deep hit with their third album – hell on earth – they were solidified street legends. coming off the critically acclaimed the infamous, havoc and prodigy hit the lab and came back with a soundtrack that is fitting to its title. havoc’s production is atmospheric, laced with his trademark drums loops and sharp pianos stabs. add prodigy’s trademark flow and it’s evident that the pairing is such an amazing match. while hell on earth is essentially a continuation of the infamous you can still hear the growth in both performers and hell on earth stands as some of their best work. the album features guest appearances by nas, raekwon, method man, and frequent collaborator big noyd.

billy green is dead is jehst’s first album of original material in 6 years, and will be released 16th june on his own label, ynr productions. the project is co-executive produced by beat butcha (rick ross, curren$y, jadakiss), features production from paul white (danny brown, open mike eagle) and jehst himself, plus guest vocals by eric biddines, strange u, confucius mc, mysterious rnb man ennio lion and more.

lp in gatefold with lyrics insert and download card. the new intergalactic lovers album raises the bar once more: it s the sound of a band resolutely coming into their own.clipped indie-rock in the vein of interpol, the cure, or yeah yeah yeahs, it s punchy and concise, yet also incredibly open.

das album wurde von mike mccarthy produziert, der in der vergangenheit den alben von trail of dead oder spoon den letzten feinschliff verpasste. milk famous ist das dritte album-release der band und der nachfolger zu ihrem mute-debüt its frightening von 2009. die englische presse lobte es damals sehr, wie z.b. the fly (an album that deserves attention from start to finish) oder das mojo magazin (their knack for addictive melody and honed songcraft delivers a beguiling, coherent and memorable whole). das neue album ist ein mehr als würdiger nachfolger ihrer letzten platte. der opener heavy metal, geprägt von einem rückwärtslaufenden piano-loop, steht ab sofort zum download auf der bandwebsite bereit.

gloria estefans neues album the standards enthält viele berühmte songs des american songbook und spricht fans weltweit an – hier finden sich englische, spanische, italienische, portugiesische und französische klassiker, einige davon mit von ihr selbst verfassten neuen texten. bei einigen nummern dieses albums arbeitete estefan mit preisgekrönten künstlern von weltrang zusammen, so mit der singer-songwriterin laura pausini, dem geiger joshua bell und dem saxophonisten dave koz.

180 gram vinyl lp, incl a code to download mp3 version of this album

to pick up where >i am the walrus< left off, that was the goal when electric light orchestra formed in the early seventies.
they wanted to steep different music styles in a rock tradition and mix in some beatlesque pop, but it took jeff lynne & co until their third album eldorado to get on the right track. their most ambitious album to date, they decided to hire a 30 piece orchestra and choir to fill out their sound, and the investment paid off.
with the unforgettable >cant get it out of my head< as the lead single, >eldorado< was a commercial as well as a critical success, and it would achieve gold status in the us. the english guys with the big fiddles had arrived!
audiophile pressing on heavyweight 180 grams vinyl.

remastered re-issue on heavyweight double vinyl of this legendary 1982 album by the stranglers. contains 4 exclusive bonus tracks.

die blitzgescheiten punk-soul-brüder melden sich zurück. es geschehen noch zeichen und wunder: schlappe zweieinhalb jahre nach ihrem letzten album -why not?- (2008) legen die sympathischen sonderlinge von superpunk ein neues album vor. nicht nur das: -die seele des menschen unter superpunk- ist das album, das man sich von superpunk (und auch von jeder anderen band) immer gewünscht hätte. die platte ist ein zärtliches und schmunzelndes -fuck you!- an, und jetzt kommt’s: die umstände. die lässigkeit und die größe, sich bei total aus der mode gekommenen musikstilen zu bedienen, die verachtung für die masse und die eliten, die textliche und musikalische autonomie - all das hat auf -die seele des menschen unter superpunk- sein zuhause gefunden. nennen wir es stil: rumpeln und groove, doo wop und 60s punk, angebertum und bescheidenheit schließen sich eben bei superpunk nicht aus. denn die blitzgescheiten genussmenschen sind musterschüler des punks, und dessen erste regel lautet nun mal: du sollst nicht langweilen! produziert wurde das album vom hamburger soulbrother bernd begemann.

limited crimson red vinyl in a transparent sleeve. love has eyes is the second single from sciencing, the highly acclaimed third millionaire album released with unday records on 19th may after a 12 year hiatus.

ukrainian label >crocus< presents a vinyl release of one of the most high-profile hits of the year. its author, ivan dorn, is the most outstanding artist of the local scene. with the release of his single >collaba<, dorn successfully launched his international career. >collaba< is the pilot single for the >otd< album recorded in los angeles. crocus release includes two previously unreleased remixes from experienced ukrainian sound producers: the founder of the vinyl label >artreform< - joss and his colleague kirill kirik, the owner of the crocus label. both remixes are dance versions of collaba, in tech-house and house style.

the second release in endless illusion s series of split eps comes from marcos cabral & daniel araya and features two tracks from each artist. new york s cabral is known for his experimental idm and techno on labels like l.i.e.s. while daniel araya has recently released an album of acid, techno and industrial on the classicworks label. araya s we almost lost detroit is first and is a truly haunted deep techno cut with sparse acid undulations and a real sense of manic in the rasping synth lines. softer pads in the background only add to the spooky nature of the track. ghost bass is the other araya cut and this one is more up on its toes, with mid tempo kicks down low and wonky chords up top. it s a mind melting tune that trips deep into the night. live at the egg is cabral s first effort and is a lonely and icy techno track that is supple and seductive in its long lines and paddy drums. after getting you into a state of hypnosis, some freaky vocal sounds only add to the unsettling nature of it all later on. cuts & bruises rounds things out in squelchy and depraved techno territory. muted acid stabs are off in the distance as swampy drums suck you in from the front. it s a brilliantly odd tune that close out a fine ep.

dutch maestro reimer eising returns with a new lesson in high class braindance electronica for analogical force. just one year on from the inspiring wingtip album on clone records and many (like us) have been looking forward to his new stuff, now the wait is over. alacasa , the result of months of work, sees reimer delving into his unique world of delicate drum patterns, kaleidoscopic synths, 4/4 beats and breaks, acid-tinged melodies, ghostly pads...blah blah blah... kettel has presented us with all of these things before but never with such immaculate care and attention to detail, production and pacing. he has never sounded better and fresher than this. the ep includes a dreamy and evocative remix from swedish hero rolando simmons, pure bliss to get lost in. no more words are needed, you know what to do.

this is my best album for sure, says todd. we cant be exactly sure on that one, all three albums from todd bodine have been great. forms however, is perhaps the most complex and mature album that the berlin producer and dj has accomplished to date. and its also out with us! todd has worked at full speed over the last six months to bring us this fine piece of work. as a dj playing around the world and as a producer in the highest ranks of consistency, todd bodine has constantly developed as an artist. releases and remixes on respected labels, and collaborations with various artists have made him an internationally popular electronic musician. in 2007 he finally began to perform as a live act, and what club would better fit todds new live premiere than the panorama bar in berlin!? todd shows with forms, his innate knowledge of the two sides of electronic dance music. this is a meeting of peaktime euphoria with the relaxing bliss of the hazy morning light. a meeting of hypnotic natural rhythms and driving cut-up sounds. todd can impress you with dancefloor bombs and also with his sophisticated sound visions. the sound of detroit would probably be the best comparison.

ein afrofuturistisches album aus tansania, das tradition und elektronik hypnotisch verschweißt.

it had been four years since juxtaposition, radians last record. chimeric is not a polished album. within the context it is raw, broken, even dark sometimes. steady, multiple rhythms, layered on top of each other disappear into chaos and turn back into discreet structures in the next moment. references of rock music, executed with the precision of a sequencer, mutated, restructured. a lot on this album is about control and the loss of control. the risk of failure. but chimeric is much more free. some of the longer pieces are composed of very different parts and different colours along a continuous timeline. they tend to evolve in a narrative form and are moving through various scenes and surroundings, which is also present in the spacial relationship between the instruments.

was auf oracle ungeschliffen passiert, ist der erste output einer deutschen jazz supergroup. zunächst wollte man ein unperfektes spiritual jazz album aufnehmen, das vorbildern aus den siebzigern fröhnt (strata east, black jazz et cetera), einfach mal der leidenschaft nachgehen. und man wollte eine fiktive band erfinden, die es nicht gab, und rausposaunen, es handelt sich um ein unveröffentlichtes album von namhaften und beseelten typen aus den 70ern. nun ja: dann hätte man nie live konzerte geben können, von interviews ganz zu schweigen. kurzum, es wäre schwierig gewesen, das geheim zu halten, also hat man sich entschlossen, die identitäten preiszugeben: web web sind: roberto di gioia (piano, synth, percussion), tony lakatos (tenor- und sopranosaxophone), christian von kaphengst (upright bass) und peter gall (drums).

home is procol harum’s fourth album, released in 1970. with the departure of organist matthew fisher and bassist david knights and the addition of the remaining musicians (gary brooker, b.j. wilson and robin trower) former bandmate bassist/organist chris copping from the paramounts, procol harum was, for all intents and purposes, the paramounts again in all but name.
remastered audio on 180 gram audiophile vinyl, including 4 page insert.

recorded at the famed paradiso theater in the netherlands, there is no compromise here, no concession. this set is what it is: a hard rocking, straight-up set of hart’s best-known tunes from her studio offerings. this live album is now available on vinyl for the first time!
limited edition of 1.000 numbered copies on turquoise 180 gram vinyl.

limited numbered record store day 2016 release, 12 inch lp in gatefold sleeve with cd included.
for the first time, the last album variety of the rita mitsouko, released in 2007 is available in vinyl! the electrifying french band comes up with a 1000 units limited and numbered edition. it features a poster with a beautiful picture of catherine ringer and fred chichin.

während das *text-album* in momenten an sonic youth, pavement, cocteau twins, stereolab, velvet underground, the national und sonny&cher erinnert, lösen sich die songstrukturen auf dem instrumental-album zart auf in zwingende soundscapes zwischen noise-miniatur und cinemascope-breitwandepos, wecken assoziationen zu neu!, goblin, feelies, young marble giants, wendy carlos oder mogwai. die vermeintlichen widersprüche ihres scheinbar unbegrenzten pop-entwurfs, die gleichzeitigkeit von unaufgeregt und völlig durchgedreht, schüchtern und radikal, krachig und hymnisch, radiotauglichen melodien und avant-experimentalität schaffen eine große, befreiende leichtigkeit. und alle konzeptualität mal beiseite: es sind einfach wahnsinnig schöne songs. ob mit worten oder ohne: locas in love sind in ihrer nüchternheit und melancholie, in ihrer unzufriedenheit und uneinverstandenheit auf ihrer neuen platte lebensbejahender und umarmender als jemals zuvor. und das macht ihre musik so hörenswert - und wertvoll.

es ist vollbracht. beinahe zwei stunden peterlicht, live, gebannt auf ein album. mit allen hits in neuen versionen, einem tosenden strom von musik und sprache, der hyperreal die atmosphäre der live-konzerte spiegelt. immer wieder durchkreuzt von peterlicht selbst mit seinen flirrenden erzählungen zwischen komik und schmerz, irrsinn und hysterie. und seinen wunderbaren, nicht enden wollenden lied-ansagen, in denen er sein schaffen als künstler auf der bühne immer wieder kritisch hinterfragt: was tue ich hier eigentlich? was tut ihr hier? und nehmen wir das gerade tatsächlich auf? herausgekommen ist eine pulsierende mischung aus guter musik, wilden live-momenten und literarischen schussfahrten. wir folgen einem künstler auf seinem kühnen ritt über die mindestens doppelbödigen planken der live-darbietung, dass es für alle ein genuss ist. und am ende geht alles immer glimpflich aus: der nächste song. applaus. ein lob der realität.
erscheint als doppel-lp im gatefold plus cd-dreingabe. im blumenbar verlag erscheint zeitgleich das buch *lob der realität*, das mit vielen unveröffentlichten texten und bildern aus einem anderen blickwinkel der realität ins auge sieht.

sting gelingt mit dem in den londoner abbey road studios aufgenommenen -symphonicities--programm ein echtes kunststück. denn sowohl seine neuen und lyrischen komposition als auch ein new-wave-klassiker wie -next to you- - einst das erste stück auf dem police-debüt-album – fügen sich wie selbstverständlich in die soundsphäre der aufnahme. hier passt alles zusammen, persönlichkeit und idee, klang und ambiente, konzept und umsetzung, so dass -symphonicities- trotz des großen künstlerischen aufwands nichts von seiner authentizität verliert. das ist weit mehr als crossover und liegt nicht zuletzt auch an dem eingespielten team, das sting zur seite steht. denn sowohl das royal philharmonic concert orchestra unter der leitung von steven mercurio als auch die sängerin jo lawry als gast haben mit ihrer kompetenz dazu beigetragen, dass dem star des erwachsenen pops ein weiterer schritt in richtung stilistischer individualität gelungen ist.

classic 2nd album repressed in colour! prod.by 9th wonder, vocals by phonte & big pooh / feat. elzhi (slum village), yahzarah, darien brockington, joe scudda & chaundon

‘moving on’ is a talisman that will surely bring more and new success to roy and yvonne. you hold in your hands the first studio album recorded by the duo throughout their career. and from this day, it has already become a classic and a collector’s item

u-roy was a true reggae pioneer, dubbed the originator for good reason. bursting onto the jamaican scene in the early 1970s, he pioneered the vocal approach called “toasting,” which in addition to bringing jamaican music into a new era, was also heavily influential on an american vocal style also in its infancy: rapping. following up the record store day 2017 release of u-roy’s classic dread in a babylon, traffic entertainment group now brings us a very welcome reissue of the vocalist’s 1976 full-length (and fourth) album, natty rebel, which has been out of print for more than 30 years. produced by tony robinson (known for his work with big youth, lloyd parks, the gladiators and many more), the album’s 11 cuts range from bouncier and sometimes even disco-tinged grooves – “have mercy,” “go there natty” and the album lead-off, “babylon burning” – to the classic roots stepping that drew fans to the legendary jamaican vocalist over his long career – including “so jay jah say” and “natty kung fu.” at its core, this is a deep journey into the heart of rasta living, spoken by one of jamaica’s most underrated dub and roots legends, and it’s one of the strongest full-lengths in his expansive catalog. whether you are experiencing u-roy for the first time, or replacing your decades-old original lp, diving into this reissue of natty rebel is one hell of a way to spend an afternoon. or, if you’re not careful, a week or two.

the four tops were among a number of groups, including the miracles, the marvelettes, martha and the vandellas, the temptations, and the supremes, who established the motown sound around the world during the 1960s. the group was the main male vocal group for the highly successful songwriting and production team of holland–dozier–holland, who crafted a stream of hit singles on motown. their immaculate four-part harmonies gave voice to many of motowns most enduring songs. their self-titled album (1964) included the singles *baby i need your loving* and *ask the lonely*. you would be hard pressed to find two better singles on a debut album, both being the cornerstones of four tops. a debut to remember.
pressing on audiophile 180 gram vinyl.

big sean is due to release the lp for his recent release, ‘idecided.’ via kanye west’s g.o.o.d. music and def jam recordings / virgin emi. in recent months big sean has been announced as puma’s global ambassador and creative collaborator. prior to this, big sean lit up 2015 with ‘dark sky paradise’ which featured the likes of drake, ariana grande, kanye west, chris brown, john legend and more. ‘dark sky paradise’ spun off the smash hit single, ‘i don’t f**k with you’ featuring e-40. sean was also a major collaborator on kanye’s ground-breaking ‘cruel summer’ album in 2012, and shared multi-platinum success with kanye on the grammy®-nominated ‘mercy’ (also featur¬ing pusha t and 2 chainz), and ‘clique’ (with jay z). released on 2lp translucent blue vinyl, gatefold sleeve, sticker.

raoul k is known for blending the sounds of real westafrican instruments and modern electronic clubsounds into one mesmerizing soundscape. this time, he takes a new approach: the original mix is produced without the use of any electronic instrument. just pure african sounds, chopped and melted together into one groovy slice of contemporary clubmusic. this is the first release in a series celebrating the tenth year of baobab music… which will lead to a new raoul k album. electronics aren’t completely left out. the blending, however, was left to the remixers this time: irfan adds a good measure of energy in his mix, setting up some analog synths with raoul’s beats. watch out for the break… kaito delivers a very dreamy remix which seems to lose its kickdrum but does not lose its groove. dance into the sunrise. choose vinyl, please

dear ladies and gentleman, may i allow myself to present to you something quite special. perhaps you are not quite able to imagine, or maybe you just don t know any better, but incase it is not already obvious: otto – whose last album -greatest hits- created furore not only with their female fans – have just backed it up with a new release more advanced than most. which of the two can play the flute, or which has a drivers license you ask? most likely can the strongest clues be found in their delirium. do enjoy.

self-released by the artists.

reissue of the 1989 bob dylan album on 180 gram vinyl

mit ihrem neuen album besinnen sich die britischen synth-pop-legenden 2017 auf ihre ursprünge und geben sich so experimentierfreudig wie schon lange nicht mehr.

es erschien ursprünglich bereits im juli 1993 und war das letzte album in der mk-ii-besetzung mit sänger ian gillan und gitarrenvirtuose ritchie blackmore sowie john lord (hammond-orgel), roger glover (bass) und ian paice (schlagzeug), die ein jahr zuvor ihre zweite reunion gefeiert hatten.

unkonventioneller ausnahme-dreampop von den trailer trash tracys! wer das londoner duo noch nicht kennt, wird sie wegen ihres bandnamens womöglich leichtfertig für eine punk rock-combo halten, doch weit gefehlt. stattdessen zeichnen sich susanne aztoria und jimmy lee durch das kunstvolle vermischen von stilen wie synth-, dream- und shoegaze-pop aus. nun melden sich die beiden mit ihrem neuen album -althaea- zurück!
schwarze heavyweight lp in spined sleeve inklusive mp3-downloadkarte

auf seinem zweiten album als big french kombiniert der new yorker musiker quentin moore den willen zum knappen, eingängigen pop-song mit der Ästhetik des lo-fi-recordings. mit einem mehrspur-rekorder aufgenommen, nimmt der künstler manipulationen an den bändern vor und ändert die soundästhetik der ursprünglichen aufnahmen nachhaltig. damit erreicht er einen kontrast zwischen den melodiösen songs und einer ungeschliffenen sound-kulisse.

das zweite album von elif als schweres 180 gramm doppel-vinyl im klappcover, downloadcode inklusive.

music on vinyl proudly presents a brand new series of collected albums. the new albums will focus on memorable artists with almost a life span of original intriguing music, covering a timeless musical period!
ub40 - collected has captured all the different phases of the band in one complete album, from classic hits combined with the new!
pressing on 180 gram audiophile vinyl, housed in a gatefold sleeve with high quality pvc protective sleeve. includes a 4 page booklet with liner notes and photos.

the squirrels are back. their second platter comes courtesy of kit n c.l.a.w.s. (say it out loud), the cheekily-named collaborative project from squirrels on film co-founder brian hock and veteran san francisco producer kit clayton, and just like the label s first record, it s a woozy, wobbly trip designed for dancefloors drifting between dimensions. savvy techno heads will recognize kit clayton s name from his decades of experience at the avant-garde of electronic music. in the late 90s, he and partners tang tran and juan mendez (now better known as silent servant) launched cytrax, a groundbreaking minimal techno label that paved the way for the clicks n cuts sound of the early aughts. his debut album — nek sanalet, first released in 1999 on stefan betke s seminal label ~scape and reissued in 2015 — remains one of dub techno s most enduring documents. meanwhile, brian hock moonlights as the drummer for deranged bay area post-punk outfit bronze while recording murky electro-techno excursions as c.l.a.w.s.

parallels is the fourth full album released under jason chung’s distinctive moniker, nosaj thing. masterfully dimensional, parallels represents the acclaimed los angeles-based electronic producer/composer/performer’s most diverse, vital work yet. as such, chung sees parallels represents a kind of redemptive rebirth. the album’s compellingly elusive, uncategorizable sonics developed out of what he terms a personal & musical “identity crisis.” according to chung, working with a group of collaborators on parallels that combined both longtime friends and new creative partners added “new energy which pushed me not to limit myself. everything felt fresh and alive.” chung is known specifically for his innovative, unexpected musical pairings: kid cudi hit up on nosaj thing via his myspace page in 2006, resulting in chung producing cudi’s autobiographical classic “the man on the moon.” kendrick lamar flowed over nosaj’s ethereal boom bap to create the youtube gem “cloud 10”, chance the rapper, meanwhile, freaked a nosaj beat for his 2013 breakout masterpiece “paranoia” and appeared on nosaj thing’s previous lp, 2015’s fated. chung and blonde redhead vocalist kazu makino are also longtime creative partners on each other’s work, her voice appears on parallels as an otherworldly spirit animating the icily ‘80s-synthetic “how we do.”

it has been eleven long years since urbs dropped his last album which was called “toujours le meme film”. back then, the musician, dj and producer created the soundtrack to a fictitious film noir, which was released on kruder & dorfmeister‘s g-stone label, but after touring europe he almost completely retreated from public life. he does not consider his creativity as being his career, but rather as a part of his life which rarely is subject to concrete planning, and that is why urbs quite consciously took his time to create his latest –untitledalbum.

emotional response starts 2017 with a mini-album of ambient-equatorial enlightenment by australia s mysterious tropical hi-fi. the final record from an artist appearing on the label s first schleiben series, this also points to the future. based somewhere in the far flung northern territories, the music of hi-fi s pre-incarnation electric egypt was first discovered via the note-worthy airwaves of l.a s outstanding dublab radio station.