ibiza rocks 2011 liefert uns auf zwei cds die indie und dance hits des jahres inklusive songs von adele, jamie t, simian mobile disco, darwin deez und und und! zusammengestellt und gemixt von den ibiza rocks resident djs nicola bear und doorly gibt es 35 tracks und remixversionen von miles kane, example, toddla t & shola ama, beardyman, africa hitech u.v.a.!

3x cd set with pumpin uplifting ibiza house

overview in the 1980s, as hip hop caught fire around new york, sparky d was coming up in the van dyke projects in brownsville brooklyn. she would go on to be one of the first recorded solo female rappers and rise to hip hop stardom. early in her career she was a pivotal player in what came to be known as the roxanne wars. it all kicked off with utfo s roxanne roxxane followed by roxanne shante s debut roxanne s revenge and then a salvo back at shante with utfo and a female mc known as the real roxanne. sparky d then started a trend that ran for what some say was over a hundred assorted answer records and nearly the rest of the decade by jumping into the roxanne trend with sparky s turn (roxanne, you re through). massive spins and sales throughout the city followed. the success of the cut lead to another handful of 12 releases, and this release, her proper full length debut this is sparky ds world,- produced by her boyfriend and old school legend spyder d. though the record didn t take off to the extent that her label mates boogie down productions found with criminal minded....well, what ever did take off like criminal minded. to this day the release serves as a testament to the power of one of hip hop s first female mcs, after all, this is sparky d s world. traffic entertainment group in partnership with b-boy records is proud to release this extended version of the album, out of print in any format for over 14 years. housed in a handsome 6 panel digipak featuring extended artwork and audio including all the 12-cuts, mixes and instrumentals from sparkys classic -throwdown- and -i can t stop- vinyl singles.

once again, finders keepers records are given unparalleled access to the emi pakistan vaults to bring -life is dance-, the follow-up to 2010s critically acclaimed groundbreaking lollywood cinematic pop compendium -the sound of wonder!-. licensed exclusively through the emi pakistan archives in lahore and re-mastered from the original reels. here you ll find fuzzy, scuzzy, twang-happy, spaced-out and funked up urdu-grooves complete with harmonium melodies and driven by some of the most random, freakish, finger numbing percussion that the south east asian mainstream has ever had to offer.

status quo are set to release their new studio album at the end of may, which will also featuring an exclusive official bootleg life albuum recording in amsterdam & melbourne in 2010.

dj-superstar paul van dyk praesentiert zum dritten mal in folge die staerksten tracks des jahres aus seiner weltweit uebertragenen radioshow -vonyc sessions-! eigenhaendig ausgesucht und gemixt, liefert pvd ein masterpiece von einer mixcompilation ab, die die elektronische clubmusik heute in all ihren facetten perfekt widerspiegelt! neben den besten trance & progressive-sounds hoeren wir elemente aus house, techno, electro und dubstep. das tracklisting ist vom allerfeinsten, eine jahresbesten- essenz 2011, die die hoerer der 52 stationen in 23 laendern weltweit zu schaetzen wissen. paul van dyks woechentliche -vonyc sessions- sind zu einem trademark des modernen club/dance-radios per digitalem breitband und satellit geworden. jetzt auch gespresst auf 2 silberlinge in top-qualitaet beim haendler deines vertrauens!

2 cds with 36 tracks...

jeff mills once again indulges his passion for classic sci-fi with this 2cd re-imagining of the score to harry kleiner s titular 66 flick. it follows his -cyborg 2087- recreation and imaginary soundtracks for -the power- and -the occurence- with a deep voyage of discovery. but unlike the aforementioned, the original film plot - about a team of scientists who re miniaturized and dispatched inside a human body to fix a blood clot - thematic scales are inversed and we re drawn to mills inner, as opposed to outer, space-scapes. the action unfolds across 22 tracks and 2 cds, from bleepin, womb-like viscera and hazardous noise bursts through archetypal rhythm arrangements and fluid programming reflecting the man/machine, organic/synthesized themes of the film and his own alien/human aesthetic. it s wonderful to witness mills maturing as a composer and refining his art to something beyond a soundtrack for dancefloor rituals, but without ever losing his original blueprint, and showing that the line between cinematic imagination and dancefloor functions can be a very fine one.

for toro y mois chaz bundick, 2011 has seen the release of his acclaimed sophomore album, underneath the pine, remix work for tyler, the creator, a split 7 inch with cloud nothings, and a steady stream of international tour dates. just over halfway through whats already been a busy year, the prolific producer has a brand new batch of lavishly funky material to offer. bundicks latest is no sloppily assembled bunch of pine session throwaways. the freaking out ep was put to tape in june during a period of touring quiescence. the release finds bundick reveling in twenty minutes of boogie, roping in the heavy sounds of groups like the gap band and mtume. while the first two tracks are modern takes on the 80s post-disco vibe, -sweet- sounds like the product of a todd edwards and teddy riley collaboration, with smooth synths weaving in and out of meticulously chopped and arranged vocal samples. the new jack influence spills over into the cover of cherrelle and alexander oneills -saturday love-, in which a swingbeat carries along fluttering piano lines steeped in delay. the eps crown jewel, -i can get love-, sees bundick assimilating styles of each of his to-date releases, with the synthesized funk of causers of this, the irresistible hooks of pine, and dance alias les sins penchant for filter effects and house beats. full of energy and crafted with a conciseness that begs repeated listens, freaking out is toro y mois most concentrated venture into pure dance floor hedonism.

for three years - that is from the very beginning of absys coming to life - weve been concerned with shaping the profile of our label, concentrating mainly on the originality of sound, thus supporting both native (poland is a country of great potential and to show it is part of our mission), as well as foreign upcoming artists. after some time we can say that the path weve chosen is right.so, mystical deep vol 2 is kind of an essence of absys records and at the same time the twin of its predecessor - mystical deep. we present to you an extrasensory journey into the very centre of human mind. this journey will be mysterious, atmospheric, dubby, futuristic and - of course - set in the core of depth, but still, despite the featured diversity, will also be coherent and consistent. we hope that this compilation of music, associated by beautiful artwork, will be a good mood enhancer - not only in the autumn cloudy and rainy days.

this collection documents the two-decades-plus recording career of r&b icon luther vandross. even before he started putting out records under his own name, he was a first-call session singer (hes the one who created and sang the chorus hook on david bowies -young americans,- for just one example). throughout the 80s and the 90s, he was (both commercially and aesthetically) one of the most consistently successful r&b singer/songwriter/producers. this healthy two-disc selection of highlights from the impressive vandross catalogue moves deftly from heartfelt ballads (-a house is not a home-) to percolating, poppy numbers (-never too much-), spotlighting the mans mellifluous voice and tasteful phrasing at each turn. this is quite clearly the definitive career summary for this deeply influential r&b titan.

for the past decade or so, polish musician michal jacaszek has been exploring a new, resolutely modern chapter in eastern europes long, storied love affair with classical music. his creations are painstakingly crafted collages of electronic textures and baroque instrumentation, harpsichords being swarmed by woolly static one minute and pulled apart by billowing wind the next. ambient music - if we can generalize unnecessarily for a second - is rarely so sonically challenging.

this is the first part (of four) of the much anticipated reissue series of drexciya s early catalogue, marking 20 years since the release of their first ep deep sea dweller , and 10 years since their final album grava 4 . one of the most influential techno acts ever, and part of the heritage of detroits underground resistance, drexciya explored techno like no-one else before: raw and uncompromising music that reflected the harsh environment of the city where drexciya was conceived, with a mythical approach that only added to their cult appeal. drexciya arguably stands for the darker side of techno and electro, made not only for the club scene, but a further development of the music as an expression and extension of the mind. journey of the deep sea dweller is a near-complete collection of their early works, released in four parts, with all audio remastered from the original master tapes. since the original releases have such a strong character and stand on their own, these reissue can never recreate the magic of those originals. instead, clone have stirred up the catalogue, taking tracks out of their original context, giving the committed fan a fresh experience and the new listener a document that is the best possible introduction to the aquatic world of drexciya.

the cocoon label presents the cocoon morphs tokyo cd, previously released exclusively in japan. presenting exclusive work by artists of the highest cocoon-caliber, cocoon morphs tokyo also celebrates the aesthetic partnership between world-renowned german photographer and artist andreas gursky and cocoon-head sven vaeth. gursky has published a cycle of large-sized pictures with -cocoon- as the central theme: the -cocoon- pictures reference current club culture, with gursky using the big techno events cocoon stages as inspiration. the architectural frame of his work refers to the design of the cocoonclub in frankfurt. the spatial concept was developed by v„th, together with the design agency 3deluxe. in gurskys cover art, you can see the idealized approach to the original cocoon club in all its fervent glory. here, excellent electronic music meets the work of the most important contemporary german artist worldwide - again, cocoon explores new frontiers and combines art forms of the 21st century. artists include: gerber & kalbata, tiefschwarz, pig & dan, vaeth vs. rother, schneider & galluzzi, ricardo villalobos, david k, and patrick zigon.

nach digitalism & phoenix praesentiert das heissegehandelte, brasilianische dj-duo the twelves mit der neuen folge der mixserie -kitsune tabloid- einen definitiven anwaerter fuer das mixalbum des jahres! beruechtigt fuer ihre remixes, u.a. fuer m.i.a., la roux, aber auch fuer nirvana(!) und die beatles(!), liefert das dj / produzenten-duo the twelves aus rio de janeiro ein erstklassiges mixalbum auf dem pariser label kitsune ab. das tracklisting ist eine grandiose selektion aktueller trendsetter von siriusmo ueber juan maclean und daniel wang bis zongamin, dem aber ein feuerwerk an bislang unveroeffentlichten, exklusiven the twelves dubs ihrer juengsten remixes fuer solch angesagte hochkaraeter wie munk, metric, two door cinema club, french horn rebellion oder black strobe vorangeht. ob nu-disco, retro-house oder der ganze rest, the twelves bringen den funk zurueck auf den dancefloor! the twelves -kitsune tabloid- hat das zeug zum mixalbum des jahres!

soaring by the bank of la seine, we soak in tipsy chanson and say goodbye to the bleakly cold. la chanteuse de jazz presents you luscious melodies to welcome the coming romantic season. the album first brings you josâ phine bakers j ai deux amours rendered by ranee lee, the winner of juno awards in 2010, with elegant piano to build up the atmosphere of left bank. then, annie royer, the charming bilingual vocalist, with her beautiful voice that brings on images, performs dith piafs hymne l amour and padam. after that, chrstine albert from new york brings you charles trenet s la mer with her cute tone. lavalse des lilas composed by michel legrand, the composer of the umbrellas of cherbourg is rendered by carol welsman, the smooth jazz queen of canada. caroline daly presented c est magnifique, the song composed for can-can by the american composer, cole porter. of course, last but not least, isabelle antena, the popular bossa nova queen in france, gives you her unique version of la pecheresse a la ligne, nous dormirons esemble and melodie to put on a little romance for this spring!

jazz cinema 2, a touching remembrance of poignant love, takes you swimming through the joy of music and serenity and entering into a time of majestic legends. the performers in this album includes jamie cullum, one the most popular jazz singers in the world, stacey kent, a grammy award nominee, peggy lee, who has a great reputation in both singing and film career, nat king cole, one of the most legendary jazz singers, louis armstrong, the swing star, billie holiday, and ella fitzgerald, two of the most honorable jazz queens. their renditions of songs are from inception, the english patient, un homme et une femme, cars, oceans 11, casablanca and the curious case of benjamin button, those romantic melodies which is to remind you of the classic stories and write you an most unforgettable and delicate note in life.

mysteryland takes place saturday august 27th at the beautiful fields from floriade. with a total of 18 areas mysteryland can be considered as the largest dance festival in the netherlands. the mother of all dance festivals is still leading after more than seventeen years! this mixed double album gives a good reflection of the music and line-up of this year s edition. where cd1 contains the more popular dance styles, big name artists and club hits, cd2 takes you to the more underground and edgy side of the festival. so whatever your taste is , this mixed compilation gives you a little piece of mysteryland 2011 not to forget.

after years in the game, this vinyl-wielding 4-piece originating from brighton - the one and only soft rocks - have finally committed their collective wit to a slew of original tunes. their debut album, -the curse of soft rocks- is without-a-doubt a departure from the current musical climate. in an age where any laptop-savvy poseur can upload their bland nu-disco or faux-chi-house directly to a cesspool of digitally downloadable fodder, it is more than refreshing to hear this cheeky bunch blending a mixed bag of instrumentation and obscure influences so recklessly.

gits album -imagination- could be described as an experimental design with roots in underground hip hop. gits musical style may be hard to pin point. his love of drums set the foundation for his sound: driving, percussion heavy productions anchored in traditional hip hop, with an experimental streak. his sound has many flavours and is not to be boxed in one label. one of the goals of this album is to fill the void that pop music has left. -imagination- will remind us that talent and emotion can still be found in music today and one not always needs a million dollar budget to make good music. if you like music that is raw, pure and speaks from the heart then you will love this project.

one of the most referenced producers of the last year and one of the most influential producers on the scene: mk aka marc kinchen presents a sublime collection of his work, much of which has been previously unavailable digitally, on this latest volume in the house masters series. during the halcyon period of house music in the early 90s, marc kinchen became one of the genres most respected producers and in-demand remixers. starting out at an incredibly young age in detroit as a protŽgŽ of techno god kevin saunderson before later moving to new york, he fast became a prolific figure in the dance music community. here twenty of his most influential of recordings are collected and made available completely unedited, unmixed and dj friendly for the very first time. this package includes 9 tracks that have never been made available digitally.

ugly duckling is back with their fifth full length album moving at breakneck speed. after more than a decade in the music business, young einstein, andy cooper and dizzy dustin are well accustomed to the recording process and for their latest lp the boys dug deep into their bag of tricks to create what they feel is their most dynamic and complete release to date. moving at breakneck speed is an exciting and musically exotic, adventure story that has our desperate heroes circling the globe to outrun an evil gang of super criminals determined to put an end to ud once and for all. the record is made up of 14 power packed tracks that showcase ugly duckling s classic production sound and the flavorful, humorously soulful vocal styles of dizzy and andy.

dub trio is back with their fourth and most powerful album to date Ð iv Ð an overwhelming blend of sounds, styles and ideas that come out swinging, and hit harder than ever. can metal coexist with dubs bass heavy riddims? dub trios newest album proves that not only can such incongruities coexist, but that in the right hands they flourish! with iv the band succeeds dramatically at emphasizing the theories, emotions, sounds, and concepts of their current musical exploration. iv finds the members playing multiple instruments, tweaking, turning & torturing knobs, cutting and chopping the audio itself, and shaping the compositions to create their own unique interpretation of dub as an art form.

australian pressing of this 2011 collection of rarities and non-album tracks from the queen of modern soul. sharon jones & the dap-kings have developed an international reputation as the #1 group on todays soul scene. soul time is an exploration of the full range of their dynamic sound through 12 songs handpicked by the daptone records gang, each one a precious exclusive. the needle drops on genuine pts. 1 & 2, a supercharged funk arrangement that evokes the late godfather not only with the spirited syncopation of the dap-kings rhythms, but also with the raw power of jones voice. it is performances such as these that have earned her the moniker the female james brown. though it has long been one of their best-selling singles, it makes its album debut here. longer and stronger, written for her 50th birthday, is a deep mid-tempo soul celebration of the strength and determination with which sharon jones has earned her long overdue success. whether youre a lifetime fan, or just getting turned on, sharon jones & the dap-kings have yet again made a record that will blow your mind.

kanda bongo man is a giant of african music and the artist credited with introducing john peel to african music. his fans number vampire weekend (cape cod kwassa kwassa), paul simon and john peel. all the tracks were recorded for joe boyds hannibal records between 1984-91, an era we can look back on today as the high watermark of parisian soukous, and showcase a band at the height of their powers. behind his soaring voice kanda employed diblo dibala and rigo star, two lead guitarists who are widely considered as the best soukous guitarists who ever lived. diblo was recruited from the band led by the legendary franco whilst rigos scorching licks graced albums by paul simon and it was their twinning that gave kandas music a wonderfully joyous, ringing quality. they both feature extensively on the -king of kwassa kwassa-.

5 cd set includes the albums, chic (1977), c est chic (1978), risque (1979), real people (1980) and take it off (1981).

sander van doorns new artist album 2011. if theres one thing we can say about the evolution of the worldwide dance scene this year, is that its genres are being mashed up like never before. on his new artist album eleve11, sander van doorn once again does what he does best, mixing up styles, genres and artist-cooperations. along side his smash hits koko and love is darkness, eleve11 is packed with artist-cooperations such as believe with singer/songwriter tom helsen, eagles with adrian lux and sanders latest purle haze installment timezone. an emotional dancefloor-killer that brings shivers down your spine each time you hear us singer fredericks voice. more uplifting is sanders collab with fellow-dutchman laidback luke. whos wearing the cap is an idea born when their resemblance on a photo was so anstonishing that the songtitle was placed underneath it, making fans wonder if they might be brothers. those who have heard nadia ali on iios classic rapture have probably wondered when her voice was due for a svd treatment. well, that time has finally come and the result is called: rolling the dice together with sidney samson all in all, eleve11, with its neatly corresponding 11 tracks all recorded in 2011, shows the world exactly what sander van doorn has evolved into.. a worldwide dancemusic phenomena.

being a product of the age it was written, slow clubs 2009 debut, yeah so, dealt with the all too familiar space between adolescence and the oncoming storm of adulthood. a boy-girl duo who played a flower-adorned chair live, they were the polar opposite of what was coming out of post-arctic monkeys sheffield. slow club were fun, cute, whimsical and all manner of other words just shy of twee - and they hate being called twee. paradise, however, is where the duo grows up. two years on, it stumbles out of a trivial, self-indulgent teenage malaise (where sexual adventure was priority for most) and carries itself with a sense of perspective that only adulthood can give - a darker, more thoughtful view of the world. for instance, on the poignant you, earth or ash, a song about rebecca taylor s granddad, her melancholic vocals (beautiful, as always) evoke an awareness of mortality for those around her: singing -and i know, soon you ll go,- her voice seemingly breaks under the weight of premature grief. whereas even love-wise (an inspiration every band draws from) slow club s lyrical output is glossed with a more mature and detached sense of sauce, with taylor crooning on where i m waking: -i can see you looking at me / you got the brains i ve got the body-.

nach digitalism & phoenix praesentiert das heissegehandelte, brasilianische dj-duo the twelves mit der neuen folge der mixserie -kitsune tabloid- einen definitiven anwaerter fuer das mixalbum des jahres! beruechtigt fuer ihre remixes, u.a. fuer m.i.a., la roux, aber auch fuer nirvana(!) und die beatles(!), liefert das dj/produzenten-duo the twelves aus rio de janeiro ein erstklassiges mixalbum auf dem pariser label kitsune ab. das tracklisting ist eine grandiose selektion aktueller trendsetter von siriusmo ueber juan maclean und daniel wang bis zongamin, dem aber ein feuerwerk an bislang unveroeffentlichten, exklusiven the twelves dubs ihrer juengsten remixes fuer solch angesagte hochkaraeter wie munk, metric, two door cinema club, french horn rebellion oder black strobe vorangeht. ob nu-disco, retro-house oder der ganze rest, the twelves bringen den funk zurueck auf den dancefloor! the twelves -kitsune tabloid- hat das zeug zum mixalbum des jahres!

mighty clouds is a brand new project that finds thomas re-teaming with betty marie barnes, a talented singer who provided vocals for slgtms every night and fill up the room.the result is a collaboration of the sort that can only occur when two musicians connect on a level that goes beyond the songs they are performing. throughout mighty clouds self-titled debut, thomas and barness musical camaraderie generates a gentle electricity that exudes intimacy and beckons the listener to move in for a closer listen.

excellent discofied electro / rock , electropop album

qwazaar & batsauce follow up their masterful style be the king ep (2011, fifth element/galapagos4) with a 14-track juggernaut entitled bat meets blaine. the record is an absolute rarity a series of inspired sessions from a world-class mc & producer team at the height of their respective powers. batsauce provides ambidextrous backdrops that are as multilayered as they are strident, while qwazaar simply astonishes, baring his soul while performing near-impossible lyrical feats. its a record all true heads should cop and that all lab scientists can envy.

it might sound like an empty phrase, but when oliver koletzki founded stil vor talent in 2005, he certainly didnt anticipate where his label would be today. now - six years and over sixty releases later - stil vor talent can look back at many magnificent moments in the labels history. originally started to give other musicians the chance to showcase their music, stil vor talent has preserved this very down-to-earth attitude until today and has helped foster the careers of producers such as channel x, niko schwind, juli holz or david august to name just a few. while there have never been any musical or stylistic limitations, an open philosophy dominated by quality and individualism prevails at olivers label, from delicately designed record sleeves to their own fashion line and to music that varies from house to pop to jacking dancefloor cuts. now it is time to congratulate everyone involved and the fans of stil vor talent with a special birthday present: a six-year anniversary compilation that celebrates past, present and future of the label on two cds

this new reference on dilek records is something very particular and out of the ordinary. it was achieved after a long period of work in the studio, which lasted three years and was done with a lot of heart and passion. its the 10th vinyl release of this surprising swiss/argentinean label who is now presenting an extremely multicultural project. this release will be available on vinyl as well as in digital format including bonus tracks and later on also in cd, with even more unedited material! listen to these tracks and have the opportunity to discover something totally different with some of jorge drexlers uncut material. this new album was supported by amazing artists as well as magazines and radios stations that you can check bellow.

for over a decade mark grusane & mike cole have been a vast music resource for djs, producers, collectors, rare music compilers, and specialty stores around the world. they started individually, each with their love of music. they traded and sold music with those -in the know- for years. in 2004 mark & mike focused their energies into founding mr. peabody records. the business plan and mission was to become a world class resource for all genres of obscure music. until now, their focus has been growing the shop. but the soul of mr. peabody records does not reside in the bricks and mortar the store, or even in the bins of records themselves. the real genius lies in mark & mikes unique ear for music.

wretch 32, real name jermaine scott, is one of the uks most loved mcs - from the underground up. from his early years in londons flourishing grime scene back in the early 00s, the tottenham-raised lyricist has always stood out from the crowd. his conscious and reflective bars, along with an extremely relaxed flow, made him a firm favourite on the uk hip hop circuit. much like tinie tempah, wretch 32 has proved that british mcs can reach the mainstream without selling their soul to pop. the first fruits of this crossover success were tasted in january 2011, when his single traktor broke into the domestic top five following an appearance on the bbc sound ofÉ list. and his second official single, unorthodox, fared even better, peaking at number two in april. so its clear that much has changed since his debut lp of 2008, wretchrospective - but has public recognition come at the expense of what marked wretch 32 out as such a talent in the first place? not at all - on the opening title-track, the rapper lets the listener know that its the same old wretch at work. over a drum-heavy hip hop beat he sets up the rest of the album well, advising everyone to fasten their seatbelts as he prepares to take them on a ride that they wont forget in a hurry. never be me finds wretch delving into his past, opening up about making certain decisions in life that got him to where he is today. featuring rnb newcomer angel on the hook, the track has an inspirational feel to it - all over another impressive, but this time more grime-influenced, beat. a true standout is anniversary, with alex mills on singing duties - its a love song, minus any cheese. then the album lurches into the electro-infused sanes the new mad - a glimpse into wretchs party lifestyle, with ladies and alcohol at the forefront of his attentions. and closer dont go just might be one of the tracks of the year.

-all profits made from this various artists compilation cd will be donated to the relief and support efforts for the affected families in japan. with your help, we can reach out to the victims of the earthquakes and the tsunami in east japan and start to

the number 1 album, incl the singles rehab, im no good, back to black... uk edition (incl 11th track addicted)

sing (if you want it) is the sixth release from the british soul icon, omar. this eagerly awaited re-issue definitely puts omar back in the spotlight and will become an essential album for any music collection. omar is often referred to as the founding father of nu-classic soul and has been acclaimed by artists such as erykah badu and mobo award winner kele le roc. omar can also count stevie wonder as a fan, who most famously said, -when i grow up, i wanna be omar-. on this album, omar collaborates with stevie wonder and a host of great artists including estelle, common, zed bias, and many more. the album also comes with two brand new bonus tracks, including the single -dancing- and -its so-.

the darkside of hardcore is back, even more heavy, even more experimental! this time the curse is casted by meccano twins and the subtitle confirm it: the wrath of god! dont expect cheap melodies or mainstream tracks, the sound is fat, extreme, harder than ever. many unreleased tracks from top producers like tommyknocker, tieum, meccano twins, promo, armageddon project, nosferatu, angel of darkness and many others. darkside: hardcore to his exteme level!

you can forgive a band who set out to create something even just a little bit different and get it horrendously wrong, but its tough to have sympathy for a band who shy away from the challenge altogether. such was the case with autokratz on their first album, animal, which, apart from a passable opening track, consisted of a series of bland electronic pastiches Ð dance music that conversely made the listener want to sit and wait it out. that didnt stop the hype building around the duo, though, thanks in no small part to the fact that the album was released through in-vogue french label kitsunŽ music. the confusing positivity surrounding the lp suggesting, perhaps, that style overcomes substance once a record company has received the hipster seal of approval.this time around, however, kitsune has stepped aside, with autokratz releasing the follow-up on their own label, bad life. but has the sense of responsibility that surely comes with this step made them re-evaluate their direction? has it inspired them to inject a much-needed shot of creativity into their work? not a hope. if anything, autokratz descend even further into mediocrity on self help for beginners. once again, their best tunes are loaded towards the front of the album, starting with the lead single, -opposite of love. its far from outstanding, helped in no small part by the terribly contrived lyrics, but does possess a catchy synth melody Ð enough to earn it a place on club playlists, at least. its a similar story with -becoming the wraith, which has peter hook on hand to deliver an overtly new order-esque bassline. beyond that, however, the quality dips dramatically. tracks like -the seventh seal and -r.i.s.e. are typical of the selection on offer, underwhelmingly vapid, derivative tunes which show up a disappointing, but not totally unexpected, scarcity of guile on the part of their creators.where autokratz do excel is as producers Ð a quality evident not only in their own work, but also in their remixes for other artists. unfortunately, this only serves to exacerbate their deficiencies on the other side of the control room desk. ultimately it may mean that, having failed to address the shortcomings of their debut, autokratz will be fated to be filed under -also rans in the annals of music history. thats assuming, of course, that someone out there will actually remember them at all.

amiable new york city-based alt-rockers spin doctors hit it big in 1993 with the jam band hits -two princes- and -little miss cant be wrong,- both of which fueled many countless collegiate afternoons spent hacky sacking and devil stick juggling amidst a sea of red plastic cups. released in 2011, the best of spin doctors, which doesnt differ too much from 2000s just go ahead now: a retrospective or 2009s playlist: the very best of spin doctors, features 18 tracks culled from the groups three albums for epic. front-loaded with the groups two biggest, aforementioned hits, the collection loses steam as it progresses (though there are some tight, 70s-inspired nuggets to be found like -mary jane- and -cleopatras cat-), due in no small part to the groups penchant for always staying in its comfort zone.

dave.i.d likes to think for himself. always has done. its the reason why his debut album didnt go quite according to his initial plan. he was going to make, to use his own words, >something pretty simple and straightforward<. but then he noticed lots of his friends were discovering new beliefs. some even tried to convert him. >im very open-minded to different beliefs, but i question and see things slightly differently,< he says. without necessarily wanting to, he found himself reflecting on existential questions. >the album is a record of the time that it was made, and thats what was going on in my life at the time. i didnt necessarily want to make the debut album like that. i felt i had to make it<. the cerebral inspiration catapulted him into musics outer rim. he beamed back a dark, dense sometimes confrontational sound, but ultimately compelling sound. but, in the end, it turned out to be a happy accident because the resulting record, called >response< appropriately enough, is mind-bendingly inventive, brilliantly off-kilter and constantly surprising. crucially, the tough sonics are paired with killer melodies: this is deep, heavy music you can hum. the records he was listening to while making >response< help make sense of his singular sound

nachdem kris needs mit den beiden -dirty water- compilations die geschichte und einfluesse auf die punk musik aufzeigte, widmet er sich mit dieser neuen reihe der fluechtigen magie new yorks und dokumentiert dabei bedeutende musikalische entwicklungen und wendepunkte. der erste teil ist auf die 40er und 50er jahre fokussiert und enthaelt jazz, blues, latin, rock n roll und doo wop songs von kuenstlern wie miles davis, duke ellington, dizzy gillespie, harry belafonte, john cage, cab calloway, nina simone oder billie holiday. die 2cd enthaelt 32 songs und beinhaltet wie -dirty waters- ein 72 seitigiges booklet.

gil scott-heron is one of the most influential and important singer/songwriters to have come out of america in the second half of the last century. much can be said about why this gil s lyrics are so original and powerful but ,it is important not to overlook his utterly singular voice which is so distinctive and rough and tender. it is a voice of experience. a new record from gil scott-heron, forty years after his first solo album, is a cause for major celebration and something that the world needs now more than ever.