our latest examination of esoteric, modal & progressive jazz of the 20th century has taken us to japan. the liberating force of jazz has been created and felt all around the world, but few nations on earth embraced the jazz message with the passion and intensity of japan. from the dawn of the jazz age to the present day, japanese audiences have been renowned tastemakers, enthusiasts and champions of the music in the 1980s, japan was the biggest per capita market in the world for jazz records, and it has even been said that japanese jazz fans kept the jazz record industry alive through the lean years of the 1970s, when the music fell from commercial favour in the land of its birth.

our latest examination of esoteric, modal & progressive jazz of the 20th century has taken us to japan. the liberating force of jazz has been created and felt all around the world, but few nations on earth embraced the jazz message with the passion and intensity of japan. from the dawn of the jazz age to the present day, japanese audiences have been renowned tastemakers, enthusiasts and champions of the music in the 1980s, japan was the biggest per capita market in the world for jazz records, and it has even been said that japanese jazz fans kept the jazz record industry alive through the lean years of the 1970s, when the music fell from commercial favour in the land of its birth.

fockewulf 190 was a new wave group from milan formed in 1980 by vittorio barozzi aka victor life and dario dell aere. in 1979 the duo met outside a cinema and began a lifelong collaboration of projects: diamond dogs, ice eyes, demode boulevard and fockewulf 190, named after the model jet planes dario fanatically built. musically, the duo were inspired by the human leagues reproduction and john foxxs metamatic, while they took visual cues from the new romantics visage and ultravox. with the fockewulf 190 moniker, they created their own dark blend of italo disco and new wave, and released two singles in 1984 and recorded an album?s worth of music that eventually saw the light of day in 2010.

here s some revisions of early tracks which i started whilst living in bristol, before moving to berlin. you can clearly hear decades of the city s influence, mad to think you d see dj die bouncing around stokes croft on the rego, or spot daddy g picking up some fish at the local market on my walk into work each day. such an inspiring city that s always on the move. shouts to the diff don dj guy on the versio

hand-numbered clear mint vinyl 12inch in spray-painted sleeve limited to 200 copies (comes in different coloured sleeve, we cannot guarantee which one you will receive) conoley ospovat, having crossed paths with deep heads like pier bucci, pablo bolivar, and area, now turns up with a fully-realized ep for kimochi. solitude is a pulsing meditation, but with the rays of sunshine breaking throughout, its clear that if its alone, its not lonely. the springtime sounds are full of optimism as well as introspection. ambient house for the adventurous.

tone series (ts) is glad to introduce to you to its second release tsrs02. in 2016, we launched tone series. so far, we ve have released five eps (consisting of two tracks each) all composed by french musician david k. midway between the first release ts10 and the last one ts01 (ts06 came out at the beginning of september 2017), we thought it would be interesting to ask artists we like to reinterpret one of david k s creations. as a result, we re delighted to present you tsrs02, 2nd ep of the tone series remix series, 2nd ep of the tone series remix series, consisting of: a. 24 bars per day (ts08) remixed by english music producer, live performer and mosaic label owner steve o sullivan,
b. friends (ts06) remixed by french music composer, dj and c.s.r. label owner cesar merveille.

fayze came of age in windsor, ontario, a diverse, gritty canadian city in the immediate shadow of detroit. during the 1980s, this fortunate geography placed the local scene in the inner orbit of the emergent detroit techno scene. from that starting point, fayze fell deeply in love with experimental, original sounds. today, his innovative, genre-defying soundscapes flirt occasionally with global schools like avant-pop and krautrock, but his sound is all his own. fayze s new music uses vintage analog synthesizers, which he s been collecting since the early 1990s, to build organic, textural compositions. an idiosyncratic collection of ambient, dreamy soundscapes, the album features inspired collaborations with detroit, windsor, and toronto artists. its myriad influences include aphex twin , stereolab , led zeppelin , and boards of canada . a well-travelled creative professional by day, fayze previously made music with marc houle and marshall sfalcin of king kool flipped . this is his first major solo project.

snaker under chari chari and a missing myth of the future as kaoru inoue were his latest albums back in 2013. time has come to finally celebrate his much awaited return with the exquisite em paz lp. a celestial ambient collection that will drive us through a beautiful imaginary place where the quest for peace is central. in fact, all kinds of peace. em paz will spontaneously make you seek for some brian eno or jon hassell albums because it emerges from that same timeless place. a very strong conceptual and listening album from the beginning to the very end.

being a relentless sound explorer, laurent perrier had no other choice to cross paths one day with the world of modular synthesis and to prefer, over the scalpel precision of the laptop that presides over many of his earlier productions under several identities (as heal, but also as zonkt, pylone, cape fear and under his own name), the unpredictability of modular systems. that being said, espace dincertitude, the new heal album isnt improvised at all but was on the contrary mostly composed as soundtracks for choreographic creations. dedicated to two historic visions of the modular synthesis, espace dincertitude offers two different sonic universes across its two sides.

it is melodies internationals greatest pleasure to bring forth its latest reissue comprising two stripped-back, reflective pieces of us folk soul. largely forgotten for the past forty-odd years, bobby wright (now abu talib)s blood of an american and everyone should have his day resurface as politically-infused works that shine bright and still hold meaning to this day. the 60s and 70s constituted an exceptional era for its unique blend of popular culture and political radicalism

arkansas native, lee moore moved to memphis in 1975 with only one goal in mind: to make it big in the music industry and to release music that would be played in new york, l.a and everywhere in between. as a singer and songwriter lee moore spent the 1980s collaborating in memphis with the best of the best session musicians and vocalists from labels like volt and stax records to record and release futuristic boogie, soul, and funk. lee moore unfortunately never got close to reach his goals of fame and fortune. past due records have saved the day yet again by reissuing for the first time the west coast inspired funk full length le gamby - double oo too sweet from 1985, truly a rarity and another glimpse of the unheralded genius of lee moore. yet again, this rare lp is virtually a ghost, known only to the hardcore record collectors and boogie funk aficionados. now is the time!

violet and bleid met last year in lisbon, at the radio quântica studios. in the very same day, they impromptu started working together on a track: a cover of underground sound of lisbon’s so get up to celebrate international womens day. together, alongside a crew of young lisbon djs and activists, they also run the queer techno party mina, one of the most vital things going on in the city’s nightlife - the picture in the artwork was taken in the backstage of one of those infamous, dark-room-equipped parties.
bleid remixed naive001’s togetherness by violet, and that dope rework made it to rroxymore’s bag (as heard at berghain) and was played on bbc radio 6, rinse fm and +++. the pair became friends, started bouncing ideas about production techniques, rap skills and the importance (or lack thereof) of the classics in dance music. making more music together happened naturally.
naive002 feels like a continuation of naive’s first release in some ways: the jungle-inspired chopped breaks, sonic synth work and oneiric pads are still there but gain a heavier, perhaps more somber tone at times, exploding into depth or ecstasy at others.

brainfeeders thundercat veröffentlicht neue version seines gefeierten albums drunk auf lila 2x12 lp (inklusive downloadcode)! brainfeeder präsentiert einen besonderen chopped not slopped-mix von thundercats unglaublichem album drunk (2017) von dj candlestick und og ron c vom legendären houstoner dj-kollektiv the chopstars. da verlangsamt und zerhackstückelt, wurde der mix passenderweise in drank umgetauft. erstmals tauchte dieser mix im vergangenen jahr online auf, als inoffizielle hommage an das von allen seiten vielfach gelobte dritte werk des virtuosen bassisten.

les adventures de president bongo is a unique work that will reveal itself over the next seven years, give or take, in the form of 24 lp s. what is a groove? it is something that goes on and on, not changing much seemingly, like the growth rings exposed when you cut and fell a tree. it is no coincidence that tree rings resemble the spiral track of a record: they re both grooves of a sort.

a groove is a routine, a life lived. it may not always seem like much – a cup of bitter coffee, another day spent under the flickering fluorescent lights of an office, an overly long queue at the check-out of a suffocating supermarket. but it is also the scent of slightly burnt meat and birch by a gently flowing stream under a pink sunset, a silver fog clearing without notice to expose a starry sky and its familiar twinkling constellations, an impenetrable smile on a crowded morning train. it is the pattern exposed on the tree stump. a proper groove has ups and downs, it has drama. a good groove is a good story, a transmission into the future.

garden city movement bestehend aus roy avital, yoav saar und johnny sharoni haben eine reihe von sounds aufgenommen, die alle spiegel ihrer diversen kulturellen welten darstellen, ausgehend von art-pop über experimental house bis hin zu sich abwechselnden angeordneten vibes. seit ihrer gründung 2013 hat das trio zwei eps sowie eine 12inch (in kollaboration mit the vinyl factory) heraus gebracht, mit move on 2014 den mtv best music video award in israel gewonnen (zudem als best music video beim l.a. film festival nominiert) sowie diverse chart-hits in ihrem heimatland landen können. dazu gesellen sich viele touren weltweit, u.a. mit bonobo, caribou und alt-j. ihr video zu shes so untouchable- wurde im september 2017 beim raindance film festival in london gezeigt. die 18(!) tracks auf apollonia schlagen einen düsteren lyrischen ton an. manch süß-saurer ton trägt die bittere botschaft eines sich schleichend abzeichnenden endes einer beziehung und die darauf folgende depression, einsamkeit sowie missbrauch. diese melancholische fusion kennzeichnet das sehr emotionale album als moderne soul musik und erdet es in der realen welt.

the first release on black wattle comes from sydney talent thomas gray. the ep, ‘never far enough, sits somewhere between a record for home and a record for the dancefloor. part ambient, part spacious percussion, toms ep has the ability to relax you after a long day or keep you moving into the night. it is also toms first time being pressed on wax.

-funky country- sammelt obskure und unterschätzte country-funk, blue-eyed-soul und andere schwungvolle rhythm & blues kuriositäten aus den sechzigern und siebzigern. die stücke auf diesem album sind so gut wie die von berühmten künstlern wie little richar

optimo trax reaches no. 33, the final number in the series (although reserving the right to return at some point). the last release is a 3 track ep from montreal’s solitary dancer that ends the label’s run with a distinctly non 4/4 feel. we asked solitary dancer to say a few words about this ep to which they responded with

- -recordings inspired by archetypes existing within a hypothetical matriarchal society and how that may pertain to our present day reality.”

gulf points expanding roster delivers a twist with the introduction of vienna-based alexey lanvin. men s fashion connoisseur by day, one look diarises alexey s private persona as he broods over the octaves with acutely romantic flair. his series of short online videos hint at a realm where long stares, midnight moods and south beach style are everyday fare a vision fellow pastel chief and label boss benny badge simply couldn t ignore. one look- opens this window to lanvin s electrifying world even further, his talking keyboards ready as ever to converse. alexey gets straight to the point, launching into two searing ballads full of silky rhodes and evocative textures. while an ominous inner-city funk adorns all songs, its definitely miami when the upbeat items arrive (both good love and lips could score one of crockett s fleeting love scenes in easy fashion) - suggesting his high street antics are merely a front for his downtown demeanour. ep includes: standing out, in and out of love, your eyes, good love, lips, cassette only bonus track. arranged and recorded entirely at alexey s home studio with minor alterations by benny badge at secret heat music.

malmö s own sune fills in for better listen s tenth release, continuing a run of sweet scandinavian finds for the label. the butter love ep is a true reflection of the crime city man s sound jovial, dusty disco and soul samples adorned by heady drum machine programming.

frits wentinks label bobby donny welcomes back young us producer tlim shug for a second ep after his last effort back in 2016. his house sound has developed nicely but remains resolutely deep and atmospheric. it s the sound of a slow train on a warm summer s day, passing through the countryside and encourage you to daydream. warm, fuzzy pads drift by as muted rhodes keys bring a jazz touch. occasional clever vocal sounds ensure a certain intimacy and romanticism to the deep house grooves. its a lo-fi and imperfect beatdown record with well-sampled drums adding a touch of soul.

brand new year, brand new imprint. coop presents is an all-new record label, founded by ig culture and alex phountzi, set to focus on the depth and wealth of talent that exists within the london bruk movement and beyond, a project which they consider to be a continuation in the same spirit of the legendary coop movement. last summer, the coop presents crew released an ep via first word records entitled selectors assemble . this was the first collective offering from a foundation comprised of uk dance music pioneers and nowadays bruk soldiers, navigating in & around the world of broken beat and beyond over the last two decades to the present day. reinvigorated by recent boiler room sessions, the crew proceeded with more parties, more radio shows, and gained access to an unlimited pool of all-new sounds. the squad were primed and ready to move forwards from the famed days of the plastic people dances, and further explore the evolution of their sound.

eine offenbarung. meisterwerk und was es sonst noch für synonyme gibt.... dieses album wird gleichermaßen gehasst wie geliebt.

seven years ago, unbalance created his own label as a base for his musical ideas, a platform to play around with the conception of what -techno- is and would be alongside his own creative progression. come to present day and the label is now at its ninth release, reaching a point where the line of accumulated experiences must be drawn in the sand — and the experiences of previous projects and releases lead to venerable conclusion. enter ten, an album of internalized strife that was created during a period of big changes in the artist s life. between enduring personal experiences, his creative output veering between his straightforward club eccentricities and subdural sensibilities, unbalance cultivates a symbiotic link between sounds played and sounds portrayed — whilst paying tribute to the essence of groove, vibration and the hypnotic unknown that exists to balance the scales. this album will be the final point in the label s journey into the depths of multifaceted techno music.

try love was originally recorded by norma jenkins and pitched to motown who passed on the track (this version only survives on acetate). master of the girl group herb bernstein picked up the track and recorded the version you hear on this 45 which for whatever reason failed to make a dent until it was picked up first by the belgian popcorn scene and later the northern scene, demand far outstripped supply and this rare 45 became very expensive. a haunting, odd and beautiful record to this day the members of the sparkles remain a mystery.

strut presents the new album from the modern day leader of afrobeat, seun kuti. the youngest son of afrobeat legend fela kuti is as incensed by injustice as his father ever was and, with his mighty new album black times including a feature from carlos santana, he honours the revolutionaries who have gone before and rallies the torch-bearers to come.

the first full artist ep of 2018 is one by a new artist for heist, but a familiar name for any modern day house aficionado: adryiano. after taking 2016 off, he came back guns blazing in 2017, releasing 5 solo eps in 1 year on labels like shall not fade and baka gaijin. his me and you and her ep for heist showcases his contemporary view on classic house and acid, and is an experiment into how much distortion a track can actually handle when youve got a killer sample hook. me and you and her is about as classic as a house track can be and moves in similar fashion as his post-2013 hit ‘on my side. its got a sweet and repetitive vocal loop, some semi-grainy but definitely groovy percussion and a deceptively simple piano hook. add some filtering and youve got a lovely warm house song that can go on forever. the a2 move it, move it moves straight into old-school chicago territory, with a raw af acid bassline. chicago bred jamie 3:26, now residing in its dutch counterpart rotterdam, gives the track a nice old school twist. hes going full 707 on the percussion and has casually added an amazing synth hook to give the remix a true vibe of its own. the ep closes off with fashion country girl: adryianos dystopian view of a world where dolly parton gets mangled through an overdrive, then gets distorted, crushed, mangled, deleted, re-added in 8 bit and then crushed some more. the result is an uptempo roller with more than enough grit, and just enough tongue-in-cheek to make everyone smile a little bit more. yours sincerely, maarten & lars.

the next collaborative release between freeride millenium and pauls musique is a terrific two-tracker from manchester artist joseph louis harland manning under his new alias los angeles with the 7? vinyl release artwork designed by daniel rajcsanyi as part of his ‘baby exhibition in austria. joseph louis harland manning was the drummer of the band wu lyf and is involved in projects like los porcos, the mancunian boyband menage a trois and dream lovers. under his other aliases he released on aficionado, cracki, ocean records and is it balearic? sub label u?ber as well as having made music videos for molly nilsson. here he is fine form across a pair of delicate and moving synth tracks. opener ‘lamour is a gentle cut that starts with celestial chords and wide-open expanses of synth before a buried deep groove slowly comes to the fore. breathy vocals also add to the loved-up, dreamy feel and the whole thing carries you away in a majestic reverie that shifts from ambience to new age house. the track features the artists own field recordings from the streets of berlin, twisting up sounds from the sidewalk into percussive notes that give an organic feel. the perfectly soothing second offering is ‘i wanna go to heaven is a gorgeous synth piece that suspends you in a crystal clear blue sky on a warm summers day. chords are smeared and stretched whilst angelic, wordless vocals drift by. it is the sound of a blissful passage to the afterlife and will leave you feeling cleansed.

the second series of jacks tracks va vol 2 presents 4 distinctively different tracks from both established and upcoming talent. first up on the a side is alex arnout from dogmatik records with hypersomnia, which is a tough rolling number with haunting subtle keys laid over the top. then a2, the talented tuccillo from unblock with his track another day brings a deep skippy house vibe with some cool vocal snippets over the top driven by its baseline. on the b side are more tech house flavours and fabric resident legend terry francis presents jua which is a timeless house number previously unreleased , now signed and ready for an official vinyl release. last but not least, young new talent kilian vega with ardour, a groovy infectious rolling underground house vibe. in short, an ep with 4 strong individual tracks from sincere and dedicated music makers.

180g lp, reissue of this classic jamiroquai album...
synkronized is the fourth studio album released by funk/acid jazz band jamiroquai, fronted by vocalist and key-member jay kay. originally released in 1999, synkronized is the band’s follow-up to the successful album travelling without moving
the album includes the singles -canned heat- (#1 on the us dance charts), -supersonic- (#1 on the us dance charts and #22 on the uk singles chart), -king for a day-, -black capricorn day...

this sought-after rarity presents a blend of ambient, new-age, 60s inspired folk music. the melancholic lyrics of singer-songwriter suzanne menzel are transformed by danish new-age pioneer, klaus schonnings, futuristic soundscape. schonning, not only produced goodbyes and beginnings, menzel also credits him as giving her the artistic courage to self-release her first and only album. goodbyes and beginnings sits at the cross-section of many genres. menzels voice is as timeless as her heartfelt, somber lyrics. while schonnings synthesizer, organ and rhythm computers offer a playful contrast. the beautiful tension between them creates a fresh, unique sound and makes goodbyes and beginnings hard to categorize even today.

2018 will see the ever-influential acid jazz records celebrate thirty years at the forefront of the uk soul jazz scene. with co- founder eddie piller still at the helm the label continues to stride forwards both with new artists whilst also uncovering old classics. following the recent and definitive career spanning compilation anthology: 1972 -1984, acid jazz are pleased to announce details of two further leroy hutson albums, the reputation enhancing hutson and hutson ii will be available for the first time in over twenty years on vinyl.

finnish visual artist and filmmaker hannu karjalainen s music draws inspiration from ambient, drone, modern classical and dream pop. his first album worms in my piano was released in 2007 on osaka records and the second album, hintergarten in 2009 on simon scott s kesh recordings. a handful of dust is a desert, his third album – and the first under his full given name - arrives after a prolonged break.

top-sampler mit 21 soul/funk/disco-klassikern aus den 1970ern, die in der britischen rare groove- und modern soul-szene seit den 1980ern wieder für furore sorgten, darunter etliche cd-erstveröffentlichungen und vinyl-erstreissues. mit kostbaren raritäten von almeta lattimore, mary clark und tommy mcgee, 2-step-perlen von jocelyn brown und zulema, smoothen jazz-soul-floatern von margie joseph, aretha franklin und ihrer schwester carolyn, debbie taylors grandios orchestrierter ballade -i don t wanna leave you- sowie wundervollem harmony-soul von the ebonys, manhattans, natural high und the impressions.

banger!. on edge society comes in heavy with label favourite marco faraone. this is marcos 3rd release titled stage capture and safe to say its his best to date. marco brings you 4 banging techno bombs guaranteed to own any dance floor.

following two sought after, sold out 45s on the label, kevin hendrick’s m i d d e x project releases it’s debut lp for mid-february and right from the off this is no everyday minimal synth project. 10 brutally sharp, icily industrial, analogue synth blasts which tip their hat to those hugely influential days in the late 70s where across the uk, tiny pockets of forward thinking, electronic experimentalists were creating groundbreaking, analogue electronic music, under the radar from almost all, unknowing at the time of course about their impact even to this day. limited edition of 300 numbered copies.

surely one of the most famous song that franck produced in his entire career.. the combination between him and mandel turner (naturally born in usa) was explosive the day they created this songin avery naive and uncalculated way .it all started from a beat on a mpc with a minimal hook and a bassline.. franck called his long time friend mandel turner to join him in his studio and explained him that the idea was not to do a classic garage song but to make it in a modern way. the result was to work on a strong chorus without verses etc .that we can found on every classic songs. we gived a demo track to appolonia guys wich were in ibiza starting their new residency at dc10 and it has been played the whole summer and all clubbers in ibiza knew this song and became a underground hit when it came out.. franck asked to his close friends (seuil etc..) and producers to give another interpretation of this song because he knew that his friends loved already this song.. so they gave to this song a new life few month later after the success of the original release. today we got ion one wax different versions of this song for different time to be played and different audiences.

the empire line present six cyclonic episodes for confined spaces on their debut album, rave. comprised of posh isolation s christian stadgaard (damien dubrovnik, vanity productions), jonas ronnberg (varg), and with isak hansen (iron sight) on tantrums, the trio s marauding live shows have been translated into a slippery set of pummelling techno works, watermarked with florid noise. rave is a celebration of contemporary rave culture, focused on the everlasting and transcendent as the night slips out past the day. with living-for-the-weekend hedonism irretrievably converted into a manicured, violent cliche, building new worlds and forging new modes of intimacy takes an exceptional sincerity. naming some of the crews closest to the empire line in the album s titles, their spaces are examples of just how rave culture persists as a transgressive stronghold in people s lives. ranging from k-hole anthems to jacking, close-range sessions, rave still bears the traces of the group s experimental background, ensuring the tension is kept up through the catharsis.

mesh-key is pleased to announce the release of a lavish, limited edition run of this heretofore unheard collaboration, finally seeing the light of day 15 years after its recording. acoustic instrumentation and synthesizers meet mukai’s haunting voice for four sparse, minimalistic compositions unlike anything in either artists’ previous output. . mesh-key is pleased to announce the release of a lavish, limited edition run of this heretofore unheard collaboration, finally seeing the light of day 15 years after its recording. acoustic instrumentation and synthesizers meet mukai’s haunting voice for four sparse, minimalistic compositions unlike anything in either artists’ previous output.

vinyl with blue marble effects in translucent inner sleeve, and includes cd. molecule returns with a new odyssey both physical and musical. following the success of 60°43 nord, his concept debut played, recorded and mixed on a fishing boat during a 34-day journey in the atlantic ocean, the french producer decided this time to take the process further up north and embarked on a voyage to greenland. isolated for five weeks in the small inuit village of tiniteqilaaq, romain delahaye used his survival electrokit to find new sounds in the fjords, the icefields and the hostile yet dazzling landscapes surrounding him. entirely recorded and mixed in this remoted place, the tracks of -22.7°c range from contemplative ambient atmospheres to more upbeat techno blizzards and accurately translate this epic self-reflective adventure across a land of contrast, its abyssal silences, its immaculate glaciers and its blinding whiteness. with ten previously unheard tracks and very enthusiastic early feedbacks from medias internationally, -22.7°c is set to confirm molecules status as a one-of-a-kind producer in todays electro scene.

phantasm is a new vinyl label and collaboration between amsterdam s sinchi collective and the much-admired night noise outlet, based in geneva. it kicks off with a strong ep from the soviet union aka richard baldwin, including classy remixes from sinchi themselves and in flagranti. baldwin has a signature style that is cinematic and synth heavy and has been formed over the last decade plus. a fine dj, experienced promoter and self-confessed addict of vintage analogue synthesizers and drum machines, richard pulls his influences from early electronica, 80s film-scores, and shades of techno right up to the present day. this track was first written on a cold evening in december 2010 using a roland tr707 and jx8p synth. after collaborating with his songwriting partner the track was given a haunting vocal and released as the disappearance of becky sharp , while the original remained on baldwin s soundcloud and got id requests from all over the world. 7 years later it comes back to life in the form of its original instrumental, with a 2017 rework, plus remixes by sinchi and in flagranti.

every now and then a release comes along from out of nowhere with little fanfare, no social media or extensive pr campaign enabling those who discover it to simply focus on the music without bias or preconceived ideas which can so often cloud our judgement these days. the hypochondriac ep is one such release, bringing four diverse tracks which veer from the heavier percussive groove and goose-bump inducing rhodes of the title track through to the spaced-out, soul-drenched vocal workout existential. on movement and ghosted we’re treated to deep and tracky shuffled grooves and 90’s inspired nyc deep house with a nod to dopewax and henry street. simply put, this is the kind of record that back in the day would be your secret weapon for many years with all four tracks working their magic in different sets in different situations and places. we hope you enjoy this little slice of house perfec-tion!

neil landstrumm and tobias schmidt are two men responsible for modern day electronic music. when the sound crawled out of the primordial speaker, this pair were there to welcome it. for more than twenty years the two have worked together as sugar experiment station and arrive on shipwrec for their first collaboration in eight years. this is a 12- born in burning furnaces of bass. moulded in those low frequency fires, smelted in the thumping heat, are beats, beats hardened like steel before being shaped into lancing points. with these tools of rhythmic brimstone ses goes about destroying dancefloors before reinventing them. chords are rolled in gravel, doused in distortion and rinsed in static. a style forged from the friction of pistons, the sweat of the assembly line, before being dipped in a searing liquor of circuitboards and molten microchips. ses - sugar experiment station - shattering every stereotype.

get on down presents an often overlooked crucial reggae release from the 1970s with johnny clarkes rockers time now. the record is a mix of covers and originals, including ethereal versions of the the abyssinians satta massagana and declaration of rights, smash hits on the island just the year before. rockers time now was first issued in 1976, clarke had just been named artist of the year in jamaica for the second year in a row. this is just one of three full lengths he released that year as this was a very prolific period for clarke, in particular from 1974 onward when his output was directed by legendary producer bunny lee. the pairing resulted in a creative energy that resonates to this day. the release was recorded at channel 1 with bunny lee producing, which of course means the band backing the popular jamaican vocalist was the aggrovators, which at the time included robbie shakespeare, earl -chinna- smith, augustus pablo, and aston family man barrett. the release was mixed at king tubbys by osbourne ruddock…aka king tubby. crucial all the way around. now is the time to rediscover a classic of the genre, rockers time now.

one of techno’s most prominent prism pushers follows work on fever ray’s plunge album to open 2018 with the masterful machine control of the 3d printed songbook , dispatched thru his stockholm-based personal imprint. in his highly personalised style of scandinavian techno dub pressure, mannerfelt pursues a signature blend of raved-up smarts with cutting-edge sound design into ever more curious, densely packed but spacious gestures on the 3d printed songbook by getting ever closer to grips with his elemental electronic material. where so much techno can feel like the work of a bored neek pushing blocks on a screen or effectively doing a colouring-in book, mannerfelt is a sculptor who has picked techno and pure, abstract electronics as his medium, manifesting a sound which works just as well for those who appreciate the tactile sensuality of manipulated noise, as those who love dancing to irregular, warped rhythms and sensational tones.

after 7 years of chart topping hits covering an array of genres, pleasurekraft have announced the release of their debut album friends, lovers, & other constellations

previously spotted on labels such as john dimas elephant moon and nil, christian ab delivers his second full solo ep and sounds like a far more mature producer. warm, hardware deep house is the order of the day, and -luna de leo- makes a fine case in point with its moog-esque basslines and plush pads. -flysergic- is a playful jam with techy undertones in its sci-fi synth work, and -anxwhyitme- takes an edgier route into bugging electronic pulses and eerie harmonics. -sunshine song- completes the set with a sweet natured trip into beat-laden deep house for the good times crowd.

all aboard the super tuff 003! this vinyl only v/a sails from the brooklyn docks at dawn. walking up the gangplank first is our lead cartographer, australias dj heure, carrying the blueprints for ra-ia tropical, ambient cut that grows into a swell of birdsongs and synthesizer swells. stoking the coals in the boiler room is hot coffee, a richmond based producer who fires up on the verge for his vinyl debut. the aggressive and furiously anthemic tune pushes the ep past rough seas and sails us safely through the night. as morning arrives on the b-side, ship captain m. vaughan throws a life-raft overboard with the chugging, yet delicate man to man. and with time running out for the motley crew, austrian navigator tilman sets his compass for the sunset, keeping morale soaring with a day to remember ia finale track brimming with beautiful rhodes work and tender spoken words.

“kissing to be clever” is the debut album by culture club. originally released in 1982, it immediately put the band on the musical map. turning the flamboyant boy george into a star, the soulful pop outing incorporated elements of pop, rock, new wave, dance and caribbean rhythms and sprouted several international hit songs.
“do you really want to hurt me” hit the #1 spot in several countries and turned out to be a song that resonates to this day with its universal feel of heart ache. all in all, this set is a highlight of 80s pop music, that set the stage for one of the decade’s most loved and oft-remembered bands.
pressing on 180 gram audiophile vinyl.