from the word go, >its all true< has a spring in its step as opening track >itchy fingers< features lofty bpms in a range never explored on record by the group before and then, just as suddenly, the band shift gears to the sparse, brooding >playtime<. from the confident stomp of >you ll improve me< and the sophisticated pop of >a truly happy ending< to the epic album closer of >banana ripple<, >its all true< is by far the junior boys most accomplished album to date.

der new yorker saenger und multi-instrumentalist allen hoist machte seine ersten buehnenerfahrungen an der seite von soul-, latin- und jazz-legenden wie tito puente, dizzy gillespie, millie jackson, solomon burke, sam & dave, ron carter oder mongo santamaria. eine tour brachte ihn schlie§lich nach europa und es begann eine tiefe verbindung zu paris und der dort ansaessigen musikszene. gemeinsam mit einigen der besten world musik-& jazz-musiker der franzoesischen hauptstadt nahm er im jahr 2000 das klassische jazz-album -just before spring- auf. in den darauf folgenden jahren entwickelte sich eine enge zusammenarbeit zum soulab label. fuer sein neues album -soul renaissance- arbeitete allen hoist mit renommierten produzenten wie 4 hero, kaidi tatham (bugz in the attic), greg gauthier oder franck roger zusammen. so entstand eine brillante kombination aus akustischen und elektronischen sounds und einfluessen aus soul, house, jazz, broken beat, doo wop, nu soul, afro beat, latin und funk.

listening through bigfield, its clear why many people consider harald one of the finest producers ofelectronic music today. every single sound is pure perfection, the colors are vivid, the arrangements tothe point yet never less than enigmatic. whats more important is that hes got soul, oceans of it. harald is a true romantic artist, constantly returning to the same themes of nostalgia, understated euphoria and sunshine over snowy landscapes. over the last few years, haraldÕs followers have heard him get closer and closer to the core of his art with every single release. finally, bigfield has arrived -his first true masterpiece, one of those rare albums that will make listeners dance, weep and smile inequal parts.

electronic, danceable pop meets industrial, dark techno. its the first time you can hear the folkpopsongs of piroth in these free interpretations. piroth remixed is a collaboration between the swedishlabel kranglan broadcast and oma gusti records. the release consists of 6 remixes of songs by the swedish folk-pop duo piroth. the remixes are made by some of the finest electronic producers such as popnoname (kompakt/firm/italic), disrelatedkin (ministry of sound/kitsunŽ), harald bjšrk (kranglan broadcast), studio barnhus (petter nordkvist, axel boman, kornŽl kov‡cs studiobarnhus/border community/pampa records/ourvision recordings), clara moto (infinŽ) and nathan fake (border community). the release is scheduled to the 26th of january 2011. the mastering is done by stefan echinger aka lopazz.

austin-based vvv is one of a new wave of garage producers whose music actually feels like an honest mixture of vintage and modern touches, rather than a trend-hopper looking to capitalize on a few dubstepforum fruity loops tutorials. he s an artist who happily mixes and matches signifiers, lacing his productions with subtle streaks of colour and leading them into unexpected detours. over the course of across the sea vvv swings from gleeful todd edwards-style vocal mush (-aisle seat-) to sepalcure-esque house-tinged workouts like -retreated- to more experimental fare. on tracks like -stuck between- or the stumbling punch-drunk jungle of -duration of light-Ñwhere breaks crash through filtered soul samples and cause ripples like dominoesÑhe always keeps the tracks backbone intact while doing some of the weirdest things to bass music youll hear this side of machinedrum. across the sea doesnt have the same visionary outlook as room(s), but it shares that albums embrace of fine-tuned sequencing and development. the tender, reflective moments that occasionally pop up are its best, whether its that memorable opener or the fogged-glass beats of -among the whispers,- which admittedly sounds a little like burial but higher-definition, with high-strung chords recalling netsky more than untrue. the albums closer -all that weve been through- nicely sums up the proceedings, throwing an out-of-context piano on top of another burial-esque beat loaded up with reverb yet still cutting clear as day. its perfectly representative of vvvs aesthetic: his debut album isnt always made up of entirely original ingredients, but like any good chef, he knows how to present it in a way thats irresistibly appetizing.

this latest release by the ever impressive trunk records consists of two jazz recordings from 1964. the first four tracks, credited to west indian trumpeter shake keane, are taken from an unreleased acetate belonging to garricks private collection. the final four tracks consist of the shake keane & michael garrick quartettes a case of jazz ep that had a limited pressing of just 99 copies. much like trunks earlier michael garrick release moonscape (which was recorded in the same year), this is indeed obscure 1960s uk jazz. the first four cuts from the untitled acetate are very much jazz of the bossa nova variety. the hastings girls choir feature on the first two tracks and their lush vocals add a cool exotic vibe. tracks 3 & 4 are taken from the flipside of the acetate and were recorded with the gordon langford orchestra. the final four tracks from the a case of jazz ep are freer flowing and keanes trumpeting accompanied by garricks piano makes for some quality early modern british jazz. moody album closer regrets is a stunner and best showcases how well they both compliment each other.

2011 debut from the brooklyn-based band. rapprocher sees front person elizabeth harper pushing the songs into new directions. harper remains the force that binds the songs into a cohesive statement, her winking coo darting about in the deep drums and lofty arpeggios, and her passion backed mostly with electronics summons thoughts of yazs alison moyet. in concurrence with the title (-rapprocher- is french for -bring closer-), the candid, sincere lyrics meld with the atmosphere, enveloping the listener into class actresss world of 21st century romanticism.

2011 debut from penguin prison aka chris glover. this effort is quite simply the most smoothed-out, hook-heavy, unabashed lovers disco around. from the miraculous slices of shiny, infectious contemporary pop of multi-millionaire and -golden train-, to the single -fair warning-, shimmering with spectral synths and breathless, honey vocals, to the mellow and mysterious album closer -someone got everything-, penguin prisons debut effort rolls you through a sleek, melodic world where all you need to worry about is whether youve got your sunglasses on and the right moves to keep up.

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.

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.

sunrise is the largest outdoor festival in poland and this year the cds are mixed by the two variables in trance / progressive namely by judge jules and marcel woods. judge jules has been a pioneer in the global dance scene and still hosts one of the most listened to dance programs on bbc radio1. expect beautiful melodies interspersed with great progressive tracks and you have a real jules mix cd 2 is attributable to the netherlands pride, marcel woods, who also made this years anthem, called ??sunrise. be ready for mix of house, trance, tech house and progressive as marcel woods serves it you all. this sunrise 2011 compilation is a perfect and complete overview of what to expect at the this festival and in fact at all contemporary festivals. get into the mood for festivals and join the sunrise trip 2011.

dj diamond is 24 year old karlis griffin from the west side of chicago. he has been producing music since the age of 13 and djing since 20, heading the -flight muzik- clique of footwork producers. you might recall his two tracks from our -bangs & works vol.1- footwork compilation of last year. in addition hes also released several mix cds in chicago, but this, his first international album showcases his unique style of footwork music. dj diamond is a unique producer with his own distinct style and an unusual ear for unexpected sonic and rhythmic combinations within the footwork template. often he thoroughly edits samples into tiny trance-inducing, techno-like stabs. combining this with a penchant for neon synths and loose, broken drums (that are often more effect-laden and freeform than those of of his peers) and you have a sound which has an intriguing, deeper, dreamlike feel. the breadth and quality of his production is clear when you listen to this album. take opener -rep yo clique-s woozy drawling synths and tribal tom patterns next to -speakerz n tonguez- with it-s snapping snares, minimal, repetitive voice samples and martial, detailed drum work. then a track like -torture rack- which is like grime in outer space: a minimal bassline and some samples from a computer game, while a bass kick stumbles at half time, swarms of percussive detail giving it drama. its a brilliant exercise in wonky tension. the extraordinary -decoded- comes across like a kind of amalgam of trance and prog rock bombast at 160bpm while -wreckageÕs- high pitch saw noise is like a strange metallic bird-call, over light cymbals, gabba-like kicks and metallic claps. -digimons- harmonic microedits could even be an snd track transported to chicago. finally the albums closer -i choose you- rolls out over a heavily edited and processed soul sample, its drums rolling off at odd angles to almost seasick effect.

sine music released the second album by merge of equals entitled submerge. the album will be available on cd and at all well known download stores. as the title suggests: listeners of submerge dive deep down into the sound-world of flavio maspoli. this versatile, multifaceted artist and producer from zuerich caused a sensation in the european music scene with his debut creation intoxication and now, with his new album, puts the listener, already with the first track, into a kind of rapture of the deep. the world is one could well be the credo of this new album submerge. with titles like tvija lijubov, biya, opium or atesh mystic and exotic tones taken from a wide variety of cultures fuse with modern beats and futuristic electronic sounds to enter a new symbiosis. the captivating vocals in varying languages of the guest vocalists gina estrada, sitta foehr, jelena schweizer, katt tait and kotomi bisang-mori guarantee a very special multi-cultural deep-sea dive while discretely enhancing the established chillout and lounge paths. even the classic bar chillout lover will be rewarded with tracks such as kleine wolke or heart & mind. the artist describes this new slot he has created as >magic chill•< offering a balance separate from prevalent trends.

fabrics resident-dj craig richards ist dem legendŠren club seit seiner eršffnung 1999 treu geblieben. auf fabric 58 liefert er ein einzigartiges set aus ungehšrten & unterschŠtzten raritŠten aus den bereichen techno und house der letzten 20 jahre und verleiht dem release so einen nicht zu unterschŠtzenden charakter von zeitloser qualitŠt.

space invadas is a project of two well-known artists: katalyst and steve spacek. space invadaÕs album soul-fi is receiving rave reviews and airplay from tastemakers around the globe as well as having 4 singles smashed on national radio in australia where the record has been released earlier this year. the album is being championed abroad by likes of gilles peterson on bbc1, garth trinidad on kcrw in la, tyler askew in nyc, andrew jervis (ubiquity) in san fran to name just a few. getting much love in the us and throughout europe where the record is yet to be released via bbe records. looks like its going to be a big year ahead for space invadas.

special kind of fool is tys story. the tale of an artist who after ten years,three critically acclaimed albums (awkward 2001, upwards 2003, closer 2006), collaborations with the likes of tony allen, de la soul, damon albarn and estelle, a mercury nomination amongst other accolades, and a worldwide army of fans, has always followed his heart.

die compilation zum gršssten dance-event! sensation! including way out west, dirty south, freemasons, tv rock, wippenberg, underworld, bertie blackman and many more.

incl. simian mobile disco, lele, tom trago, bobby caldwell, phoenix, herve, groove armada, mr oizo, edie brickell, harvey mason, armand van helden, mocky, bas kosters, laidback luke, crystal waters, caged baby and many more..

with the summer season now in full swing, the mighty cr2 are proud to unveil their latest venture alongside ibiza super club space. featuring 28 tracks superbly mixed by the mighty mync guys the compilation brings together artists such as wally lopez, steve lawler, harry choo choo romero, pryda, nic fanciulli & many more

top mix cd vom kölner kompakt - dj star !!

detroit house at it best, a must have !!