the next installment in cold diamond & mink’s soul investigations introduces a three part harmony group from california. “my my my baby” is a smoking hot group harmony groover that should drop a few jaws at your next dj set. thee baby cuffs was born out of love for soul music and chicano culture. their first 45 “where did our pride go”, came out in 2017 on the raza del soul label, covering an unsung early 70’s larry saunders production. “my my my baby” continues on the same lane of midtempo soul over funky drums and soulful horn lines. the lyric is your middle of the road love song material, but the group harmony lifts it right off the ground like it’s meant to happen in this kind of music. get a few copies and rock the instrumental on the b-side before dropping the vocal, if you feel like it. soul music that’s this potent is better enjoyed in excess.

austin hip-hop beatrepreneur the deli made serious waves with previous cold busted album vibes 3, featuring the song “flowers.” this track shook up the spotify world with over 14 million plays and inclusion on at least 500 playlists. anticipation is strong for a follow-up from the deli and, with his new album jazz cat, he delivers with gusto. filled with the smoked-out, laid-back cut-and-paste rhythmology that the deli is known for, jazz cat contains 15 enticing beat compositions. the title cut shows where he’s at, transmitting an old-is-new-again feel through scratchy snare snaps, looping piano chords, and faraway — both in time and place — city sounds. other highlights include the dreamy lounge pressure of “virgo flip,” “fractals” and its shimmering vibraphone atmospheres co-produced by lungfulls, the ‘hip-hop party happening down the street’ vibe of “spring,” and the crucial, jazzy beat construction of “going home.” dig in ... with jazz cat, the deli trips the night fantastic.

following the release of ‘untitled mcr’ with his late friend marcus intalex, spirit returns to inneractive with two fresh cuts, ranging from the frenzied chopping breakbeat chaos of ‘murderer’ to the icy, acid-inspired moodiness of ‘cold call’. dj support from randall, doc scott, dj marky, storm, digital, dj lee, mantra, double o among others.

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.

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).

borai returns to them with a four-track ep consisting of two 140 bpm jungle workouts, a moody breakbeat dubstep track and a haunting acid-techno warehouse stomper. ruffneck club music for 2018.

best effort records jumps out of the box with their inaugural release ’number one’ - a selection of tracks that celebrate friends making music together. cold emotion are danny wild and rory stenning. the duo explore improvised club music using various keyboards and modular synthesisers. “toast” is a track taken from an extensive live recording session from 2015. accidental cv messages create unexpected cyclic baseline patterns while keyboard melodies float freely above jacking modular beats. the result is an imperfect, inspired club jam ready for any occasion. -cantao- pitches things down from the hypnotic frenzy of -toast- to offer a unique hybrid between computerized dub, subaquatic g-funk and triphop ambiance. canadian content! -manipulate me- is a collaboration between ivy barkakati and phran. the stark, alienated quality of ivy s spoken vocals & dark subject matter sounds even more claustrophobic and sinister backed up by the duo s frigid machine-funk, which is more in the spirit austere & icy 80s coldwave than modern house music. metric systems are a duo from somewhere in australia. the fathoms-deep -adaptation dub”, recored in 2009, is reminiscent of australia s after-hour dub technicians sheriff lindo or andy rantzen. look out for a full lp later in the year

once again, providing a context for exciting new producers to release their debut 12”, cold recordings is proud to now bring you ‘cocktail party effect’. hailing from a musical family eric baldwin, the currently berlin based but british producer, shows off his colours here with a diverse, rhythmical, experimental – but always dance floor savvy – ep of 4 killer cuts, all rolling out between 125-130bpm.

emapea, the renowned beat-maker from poland, burst upon the scene with multiple compilation appearances on cold busted, an inclusion on mark farina’s mushroom jazz 8, and his stunning debut album seeds, roots & fruits. fans and headz worldwide have been clamoring for a follow-up, but all emapea wanted to do was just zone out. and that’s what happened, with the release of emapea’s twenty song album zoning out, volume 1.

esbe is an multi-genre music producer from los angeles, california. he is known for his atmospheric instrumental production which incorporates sound elements from extensive use of jazz and soul samples. his latest release, bloomsday, is a collection of 19 essential instrumentals.

mr. g’s annual record store day release!

the sandy beaches of new south wales, australia, give way to dusty beats of aussie producer shinji in this funky seven inch single on cold busted. taken from his forthcoming album in colour (coming in april 2018), this single features two retro-tastic tracks that will send the beatheads swinging across the floor. “second wind” opens up with heavy rhodes piano chords accompanied by a crucial rhythm and streetwise horns. evoking the soundtrack to a tv detective series from the ‘70s, the cut unloads serious action in a 45-slinger’s dj set. flip the record for “grand mash,” which begins in the hip hop zone before soundtracking a movie scene of the pimp-mobile once again in pursuit. groovy horns, tough beats, and a way-cool-for-school spoken interlude move this one to the top of the crate-digging charts. shinji strongly delivers the goods, queuing things up nicely for his sure-to-be essential long-player.

integral 043 sees the much anticipated return of dawn wall’s cousin, the mysterious mohican sun. following the huge “dead sea” & “fixation” eps which have made a significant impact among the scene’s tastemakers, we are pleased to introduce the brand new “cold earth ep”. consisting of 5 superfresh slabs of futuristic soul, this showcase truly highlights next-level production skills and the outfit’s unique andversatile sound. kicking off the new ep with a bang is the cinematic and soulful‘don’t wait’. the majestical, eerie vibes of the intro instantly mesmerise. rumblingand warm bass grooves, slick beats, delcious melodies andheart-wrenching vocals push the #ekhosound to newheights.

i cant love you anymore is the first single by hard working soul performer carlton jumel smith recorded with cold diamond & mink, and the man has revealed his middle name just for the occasion. otherwise known simply as carlton j. smith, theres no doubt he has swallowed a large pill of soul since seeing james brown live at the apollo theatre as an 8-year old. smiths timmion debut single sinks him into drum heavy southern flavored deep soul, a style that comes out of him naturally as water from a mountain spring. backing him up on the falsetto parts is pratt, who recently turned some heads with his pratt & moody release lost lost lost on stylart records, and together the two basically nail it. when looking for artists, who just seem to move through time effortlessly with a steady air of confidence, passion and precision, one might pick up the phone and give cjs a call. even though his discography of couple of late 2000s albums and some guest spots in early 90s soulful house 12inches is a bit mysterious, there seems to be not one bit of difficulty to his craft or personality. as a recording artist, i cant love you anymore is a new opening into raw soul territory, and it is just what the world needs today. he laid down an album worth of tracks on his last helsinki visit, and this might be something to look forward to.

halvtrak has gathered a following. the previous releases by the finn on dont be afraid and bakk teased an appetite among techno heads for his detroit infused and texturised sound and unexpected grooves. moving towards warmer tones, his latest output on a new london/helsinki label cold blow enters him further into detroits past. as an unexpected treat, the title track has been re-imagined by the very special chinaski with his trademark ghoul sound so reminiscent of old horror films now blended with sharp electro and ebm vibe. chinaski has been busy of late with a berghain live set as well as his fine rivers end ep on uncanny valley and ghost rider on live at robert johnson. from relentless groove to darker places, this is halvtraks most refined release yet as he becomes an illuminator of his own ascent.

cold busted has navigated the smooth seas to unearth sailing, the new album from moroccan guitarist and beat-flinger saib. the casablanca- based producer has steered his sound into warmer waters. mixing tempered hip-hop beats with jazzy vibes and a lounge sensibility, saib. touches on a style thats both chill and opulent. the albums opener, archipelago, sets the scene with gentle piano, swirling strings, and beachside sounds that would make martin denny proud. tropics pushes the agenda further, featuring delightful vibraphone lines, stand-up bass, and boom bap beats, providing the perfect soundtrack for poolside cocktails. the sleepy crooning of blue memories, the future-retro sing-a-long of mermaid dreams, and the guitar/vibes interplay of pastel provide other highlights. sailings twelve songs show saib. as an artist capable of bringing a sunny climate to any listening environment

after the success of his recent comeback ep entitled exiles ep, the icelandic artist cold shows us that he is here to stay and ready to make his mark in the international techno scene. dub safari offers us intricate soundscapes and otherwordly chords which are impeccably assembled into five minimal techno masterpieces. a side starts with a dreamy voyage where ethereal pads seamingly blend with punctuating kick and a acid bassline. second cut gives us a darker experience. a pulsating groove where chords and percussions offer an interesting sonic playfulness. b-side offers three minimalistic techno tracks ready for both the dancefloor as well as for dancefloor within your mind. thule records is considered by many to be a pioneers in the field of dub-influenced techno music and was a starting point for many of iceland s most renowned electronic musicians

cold recordings is very proud to include berlin based producer phon.o as part of it’s growing roster by means of this immaculate ep. across the 3 tracks, phon.o demonstrates his ability to combine uk- bass influences with techno sensibilities, ultimately crafting cutting edge music for the dancefloor.
‘clu5t3r’ opens the ep with a swinging 132bpm rhythm that sits somewhere in between classic uk-funky and a cracking shed/heads high techno anthem. the repeating riff that circles and cycles, sweeps through the frequency spectrum, energising and purposeful. versatile and effective, this is a track to come back to time and time again.
flip the plate and there’s another couple of gems. ‘v3r5u5’ continues on from where ‘clu5t3r’ left off, progressing the mood into a more ethereal space, building layers of pads and texture as the track developes, rising and ramping up, before pulling back and dropping into a rolling rhythm. closing up the ep is ‘h4ndcuff3d’, which takes the mood into a more dramatic backdrop. chilling pads swell up from the ground like mist in a graveyard, while the broken rhythm sets pace, creating a moody ambiance for those moments when you want to take a dancefloor into mystical, other-worldly territories. dramatic and energising!

comes in gatefold full color cover.

once again, providing a context for exciting new producers to release their debut 12”, cold recordings is proud to now bring you ‘cocktail party effect’. hailing from a musical family eric baldwin, the currently berlin based but british producer, shows off his colours here with a diverse, rhythmical, experimental – but always dance floor savvy – ep of 4 killer cuts, all rolling out between 125-130bpm.

chicago’s carington pierre, also known as lanzo, has bestowed evidence of his cosmic hip hop beatology to the cold busted label in the form of a new album, omnipotent. previously recording for blvnt records and the natural selection label, lanzo specializes in a style of experimental hip hop that draws from boom-bap, soulful downtempo, and atmospheres that lean toward the celestial. lanzo and his trusty mpc 1000 have been actively producing since 2008 and omnipotent confrms his upward trajectory, presenting ffteen tasty sonic morsels that groove in a confdent but abstract fashion. highlights include “comfort zone” which envelopes a swinging rhythm in dreamy strings, distant voices, and rolling bass, and the odd but appealing “gutter balls”, featuring some deliciously drunken synths. there’s also the melancholy quiet storm of “colours”, “against the wall” and its heavily processed beat magic, and the loping sci-f jazz of “between friends”. omnipotent is a heady listen, displaying textures and swirls that accentuate the sturdiness of its drum beats. lanzo has provided a distinctive soundtrack that’s ready-made for day blazing or night groovin’.

geodetic is the joint venture of well-known italian experimentalist claudio rocchetti, a close collaborator of valerio tricoli, and jukka reverberi, founder of post-rock band giardini di mirò and half of cosmic electro-disco duo crimea x.instruments of discipline is proud to release cold lights , geodetic s second ep, the follow up to broken consonance , released on maple death records earlier this year. cold lights is an avant-garde undertaking that artfully weaves soundscapes that swing between murky industrial atmospheres to moments of uplifting levity, all held together by strong rhythmic grooves, a collage of at times familiar sounds juxtaposed into an altogether unfamiliar whole.

going one above todays current wild wild west landscape of digital sampling and officially licensing a legendary 60s-era song thats made its rounds in the golden era of sample based hip-hop. akshin alizadeh, the man from azerbaijan, is the lucky one tapped from the label’s roster to remix marlena shaws woman of the ghetto. the producers strong funk and nu-jazz influences, as well as his ability to combine funky grooves with punchy hip-hop beats, are on full display once again. rightfully dramatic orchestral strings give way to bluesy rhythmic wah-wah guitar plucking, slightly cabaret-ish piano, pitch bending keys, and a totally sultry sax. the percussion sounds like signature alizadeh with a flickering hat pattern, well placed snare rolls, and punchy interplay with the kick. for the djs needing to spice things up, an instrumental is included.

transmitting crucial beats from burlington, the vermont-based producers es-k and loupo have crafted a smooth, introspective long-player for the cold busted label titled symbiosis. holland-born es-k (essential knowledge) is known for his monthly spontaneous grooves series (where a collection of tracks are created in one sitting) and his vital 2016 album passages. fellow vt rhythm- wrangler loupo is also on the rise, with a recent album on the melody soul label named good company. this new collaborative release, symbiosis, is a brilliant meeting-of-the-minds, blending the styles of these two talents over the course of ten tracks. the result is deep and meaningful as well as groovy and headz approved, showcasing the duos penchant for envelope pushing in terms of atmosphere, melody, and rhythm.

a cold cell in bangkok will be released on a single sided 12 inch single with a silk screened image on the other side lovingly designed by lindsay todd, the remarkable and acclaimed scottish artist and runner of the firecracker, sacred summits, shevchenko and unthank record labels. this record is dedicated to the memories of jhon balance and peter christoperson whose music has brought so much joy and light into my life.

straight off the back of a huge debut on cold tonic and a monster 12inch on feel my bicep comes the debut ep from the new zealand wonderboys, sandboards. 4 sun drenched bangers merging the elements of larry heard-esc sounds with shep pettibone style basslines. something for everyone on this ep.

in 1999, the duo of dj t-rock & squashy nice formed in atlanta. squashy nice is an accomplished beats producer, and dj t-rock is a scratch-master responsible for battle records on the likes of bomb hip-hop records, stereo-type, and replicant music trading corp. together they released three party-ready instrumental hip hop albums for new zealand’s why records label. now based from coast-to-coast (squashy nice in new york and dj t-rock in los angeles), the duo has joined the cold busted family for their fourth album, the satisfying seventeen track back to the essence. showcasing the variety and breadth that squashy nices beats and samples and dj t-rocks scratches can provide, the tracks on back to the essence swerve from party rockers to soulful, thoughtful numbers featuring vocals from new zealand vocalist miss glue. among the standouts are the opening hit the breaks, combining harmonica, 60s style fuzz guitar, heavy beats, and some crucial vocal scratches, let them be, with miss glues lovely vocals providing a counterpoint to acoustic guitar cut-ups, and watch the clouds, featuring gentle piano, a loungey string section breakdown, and wistful vocals from squashy nice. back to the essence should be ingested whole, as its plentiful tracks radiate fun, funk, and good vibes. its like a virtual block party dropping down wherever its cuts are playing.

ltd edition 12 inch vinyl & download
following on from the success of the first astrophonica compilation, the mixmag album of the month-rated gradients, label head fracture delivers the action-packed cold & rain ep. this is fracture’s first solo ep on astrophonica and it’s been worth the wait with four tracks showcasing the londoner’s creative energy and attention to detail. as ever, the release comes packaged with artwork from utile creative. the ep is propelled by the title track, built around an irresistible vocal sample from featured artist inaya day. the original, 1997’s ‘hold your head up high’, featured day in full house diva mode delivering a positive message. for his take fracture hones in on a specific line, speeds it up, and chops it with trademark expertise until we’re left with something he admits feels a little more cold though no less powerful. propelling day’s voice forward are expertly diced breakbeats, rolling percussion, and synth stabs for a short but intense ride. completing the a side is ‘your time’, a no-nonsense rollout with 2 step drums, filtered breaks, and catchy basslines playing call and answer with gnarly melodies. you can’t put it better than the sample does: this is one for the junglistical massive.

thule s dark doppelganger ae recordings was revived last year with the excellent freyja ep by nonnimal, and now the saga continues with this devastatingly on-point release from cold. much like the vibe on thule, the music on thule continues to channel the mood of the icy tundra into refined, modern club tracks, but there s definitely a more sinister intent at work in these tracks from cold. -aerials- is a nightmarish chugger loaded with eerie sonics, while -phased out- lays down some fine dubby processing over a bed of chilly chord pulses. -exiles- is a standout track thanks to its crafty groove, coming on a little more housey than its counterparts but still heavier than the average thule jam.

dusky present the latest 17 steps release with the cold heart ep, a four track package that cements their ability to craft a unique range of house and techno soundscapes. having spent last year releasing their outer lp, as well as delivering their second acclaimed essential mix and touring a new live show, the cold heart ep sees the prolific duo return to their roots in textured house and techno with four powerful dj tools. with a nod to vintage new york house through a carefully sourced vocal sample, lead track cold heart is a blissed out, atmospheric house epic that blends crisp percussion, soulful hooks, washing pads and a hypnotic lead organ melody. a favourite from the duos recent dj sets, psychic life coach shuffles with dubby grooves, skippy drums and ethereal vocal cut-ups, before bowed offers a high energy dose of cosmic disco and ravey techno flavours, rounding things off, closing track balfour betty is built around warm, swirling synth textures that meet at the intersection of detroit techno and vintage progressive trance.

under the glow of moonlight, zak damundo has arrived on the cold busted label scene with his fantastic debut album 3am. the alias of san francisco dj / producer zach devincent, zak damundo presents eighteen original and sampled beats that are mixed continuously in the physical realm (cd and vinyl), but also available digitally as individual cuts. an underground dance music veteran, devincent is the host of swim on digitally imported radio, an affiliate of the bay area’s independent hip hop tv program distortion 2 static, and has released tunes for the likes of 5 and dime recordings, acryl music, looq records, and open bar music.

a very expected release is finally unveiled, cold colors new ep “leave this world behind”. this one-man project is without any kind of doubt one of the leading synthwave acts of france, frédérick barbe proved himself as a truly master into create hypnotic soundscapes on his fully analog recordings. “leave this world behind” represents his fourth ep and again shows us what “minimal melodic synth“ music should be, perfect bass sequences, clear drum stems and that catchy cold colors pads. all tracks mastered and remastered specially for vinyl by eric van wonterghem at prodam studio (berlin).

nice price deal !!! our great friends from somewhere between west london and the french riviera strike back with this perfect crossroad between elctronica and bboy breaks

the self-proclaimed funkiest band on the west coast of africa, the heads funk band, could arguably make that claim for the whole continent. featuring the slick guitar of felix ‘feladey’ odey, the slinky drumming of eddie offeyi and the swirling keyboard chops of kevin ‘fortune’ coburn, nobody was funkier. and that’s not even taking into account the dance floor monsters they were releasing at the same time as akwassa.

after lamenting on the emotional baggage of hurricane katrina on his last single after the storm willie west offers another sonic angle on the city of new orleans, his place of birth. give it back is the closest example of mardi gras funk that willie has recorded since his cult classic said to myself on warner brothers from 1975

for his 5th birthday, p&d recordings (phil weeks & didier allyne) released another two classics from rick wade. black vinyl edition !! this release is the follow of night station... with night track which was out on elevate (daniel bell label) in 1995 & >cold fusion< was on the same album >dark ascencion – music is< from big daddy in 2002.! another piece of wax for your ears & one bonus on the wax when you will have it in your hands !

m_steps roots go back to the heyday of viennas cheap records, and the echoes of that labels seminal style can still be heard on his trust debut: stone-cold electro funk meets the kind of low-slung basslines and laid-back jazz chords that the viennese producer, dj, and (double) bassist contributed to classic releases of 550 rondy, pulsinger & tunakan, sluts n strings & 909, and even kruder & dorfmeister remixing madonna. fourth release in the covert systems series

the greek beat-head massive is represented once again on the cold busted label with beatbop street. it’s an album from the cool new project andyfellaz, a collaboration of athens-based producer billa qause (beatquick) and percussionist nikos martziokas (wolfy funk).

crucial heavyweights poldoore and emapea each take on a side of this cold busted 7“ single, the latest in a bi-monthly series of dub / reggae cuts exhumed from the label’s golden vault. belgium’s poldoore commandeers the a-side with an instrumental version of ”this road“, a track originally found on his acclaimed 2016 album the day after. stirringly dubwise, the cut is wet with atmosphere and the ping of spring reverb, as a tuneful horn section carries the main melody. flip the wax for accomplished polish beat-maker emapea and his delightfully skankin’ ”rudeboy“. previously appearing on the in dub 3 compilation, ”rudeboy” showcases emapea’s knack for combining samples from multiple genres into one cohesive, steamy gumbo. with either track, b-boys and natty dreads alike will give the dance floor a serious workout as the needle meets the vinyl.

krystal klear captures the essence of nycs underground music culture with danceteria / keith haring released 27th february on his own cold tonic imprint. krystal klear has released on all city records, rinse, eglo, madtech, and cold tonic. he also curates a monthly show on rinse fm while djing the most exciting clubs around the globe. from his roots in dublin to attending the star-studded red bull music academy in madrid, krystal klear’s signature productions blend early-days nyc dance music with a forward- thinking sensibility.