growing up in south yorkshire, mella dee’s early musical influences originated from the sounds coming out of warehouses in and around his stomping ground. this soon developed into a love of the burgeoning scene and audio palette from warehouse parties worldwide, hardcore, house, bleeps, techno and everything in between. with a respectful nod to the impact this had on him, aitchison strives to create his own take on warehouse music with his new project.
the debut sees mella dee present three upfront club cuts, his most energetic release to date. ‘&#8203,,,music controls you&#8203,,,’ is relentlessly compelling and trippy, with a rave stab lead, whilst ‘&#8203,,,expansion&#8203,,,’ uses acid sounds and percussion to build an outright techno groove designed for the deepest, darkest club moments. ‘&#8203,,,movement&#8203,,,’ closes the ep with a driving take on bleep and techno.

trusme gets the remix treatment from answer code request, ben sims & pangaea. this is the first of two eps featuring remixes of tracks from the trusme planet 4 album. answer code request takes our future into new territory with two outstanding mixes. remix 1 moves things to a much more sinister & foreboding place. tightening the feel & tension of the original with all the hallmarks of classic berlin techno. remix 2 winds up & coils the track into a searing workout of early 90s hardcore breakbeat. ben sims takes control of ring round heart, pushing the tempo & creating a whole new urgency in the track. this is proper no nonsense heads down business & tight as you like. the mix builds excellently well & manages to produce an epic amount of feel and emotion, dropping in & out of the groove with a sneaky breakbeat & vocal dubs. pangaea tackles one of the albums more esoteric tracks in the unexplained. he manages to work a wonderfully intriguing steppers beat which drops from nowhere after the highly beguiling metronomic extended opening. the tracks are getting plenty of play & plaudits from likes of ben ufo, dj deep, bicep & anthony parasole.

distinctive tenor singer linval thompson honed his singing craft in his formative years, growing in the west kingston ghetto of three mile, where he was associated with dennis brown, johnnie clarke and al campbell. a subsequent move to new york brought him into expatriate act hugh hendricks and the buccaneers, with his debut recording, ‘no other woman,’ being made circa early 1974 at patrick alley’s art craft studio. a series of other singles followed from his new york sojourn, but the return to jamaica in 1974 led to more noteworthy singles for stamma hobson, phil pratt and lee ‘scratch’ perry, with ‘jah jah redder than red’ and ‘girl you’ve got to run,’ both cut at the black ark for pratt, being the most successful. yet, it was all but a prelude to the breakthrough success he would finally achieve upon teaming up with bunny lee for ‘don’t cut off your dreadlocks,’ one of the most popular releases of 1975, a debut album of the same name, issued by third world in 1976, contained some of his most outstanding material, including the devotional ‘jah jah the conqueror’ and ‘long long dreadlocks,’ the romance thriller ‘black princess lady’ and the anti-rude boy opus, ‘cool down your temper.’

the late 1960s / early 70s brought about a change in sound for many gospel groups. producers and label heads at abc peacock recognized that the traditional sound of gospel needed to be updated to appeal to the younger market. the groups started to incorporate elements of soul and funk with arrangements influenced by the r&b records of the time. this compilation presents 13 striking examples of this seismic shift in black music by some of the greatest groups in gospel music’s rich heritage.

one of the very first artists to begin recording in jamaica, derrick morgan is beloved as a ska icon and a pioneer of the ‘skinhead reggae’ style. blessed with a rich, deep tenor, which with he belts out his clever and often humorous lyrics, morgan became known on the kingston music scene through vere johns’ regular talent contests, and enjoyed a lengthy run of hits during the 1960s for producers such as simeon smith, duke reid and clement ‘sir coxsone’ dodd (among others), cultivating a popular vinyl feud with prince buster after being brought into leslie kong’s camp by the young jimmy cliff. morgan moved to england during the late 1960s to capitalise on the skinhead reggae craze, but was back in jamaica from the early 1970s, and since bunny lee was his brother-in-law, the two have always maintained a close working relationship. people decision, voiced at king tubby’s studio for lee and released by third world in 1977, sees morgan in politicised roots reggae mode on songs like ‘let’s build a better jamaica,’ the symbolic racetrack drama ‘racing at ballistic park,’ and the title track, which all boosted the socialist policies of the ruling people’s national party, ‘natty dread forward out of babylon’ updates the ‘tougher than tough’ saga, and there’s a slew of rude tunes when you flip the disc, including ‘my dickie,’ ‘rough grinder’ and ‘ride manny fanny.’

tenor singer johnny clarke had many false starts in his youthful days. hanging around studio one as a schoolboy with jacob miller, clarke was supposed to record material written for him by bob andy, but somehow never made the grade. his 1973 debut recording for lesser-known producer glen stair was not released, and early work for clancy eccles failed to hit, though ‘everyday wondering’ for rupie edwards made an underground impact in britain and new york. subsequent singles for keith hudson and glen brown also did not get very far, but the breakthrough finally came when bunny lee asked him to sing ‘none shall escape the judgement,’ which was written by the singer earl zero, it became a massive hit that launched the ‘flying cymbal’ craze (based on an open-and-closed high-hat cymbal pattern, adapted from the soul train theme), and clarke became one of lee’s most reliable hit-makers, partly because lee stoked a rivalry between him and cornell campbell, whom lee had previously asked to voice ‘none shall escape.’ clarke’s satisfaction lp was recorded at harry j for lee, voiced at king tubby’s studio, and issued by third world in 1979. it is a set largely comprised of cover tunes, such as the strong opening update of the paragons’ ‘riding for a fall,’ the title track adapting their rock steady hit ‘my satisfaction’ in a post-rockers style. better still is the hard-hitting ‘reality’ tune, ‘play fool, get wise,’ which uses a proverb to relate a means of avoiding trouble on the dog-eat-dog mean streets of kingston.

limited edition 180 gram vinyl in gatefold sleeve, includes download code and 60x30cm poster.
in early 1978, vincent ahehehinnou left the orchestre poly-rythmo de cotonou without explanation. he had been one of their principal vocalist since 1968 and had helped transform them from a hard-charging nightclubband into a musical powerhouse and africa-wide sensation. by the end of 1977, after an explosive performance at the pan-african arts and culture festival (festac77) in lagos, the band had reached the very pinnacle of their success.
for nearly forty years, the reasons behind vincent’s sudden departure have remained a mystery. until now. in an interview included with analog africa’s new reissue of best woman – vincent’s first post-poly-rythmo album, which has been out-of-print for close to four decades and nearly impossible to find outside west africa – the great singer finally breaks his silence. he didn’t leave … he was pushed.

celebrating the founding 25 years ago of the legendary drum & bass / jungle label - suburban base records. we have chosen 1 key title for the first 5 years of the label to reissuea vinyl release for record store day 2017 on clear vinyl . pick from 1994 - early dj hype release: roll the beats , dub plate fever & floating kill

mint condition - a brand new record label focussed on excavating the outer fringes of classic house and techno. unreleased mixes, classics and overlooked gems mined from the last 20+ of contemporary dance music are the order of the day. from chicago, detroit and new york to london and beyond, mint condition have got their expert digging hats on to bring you exclusive heat and those rarer than rare jams that have been on your wants list for years! dig in. originally released in 1997 on the global communications sub-label heard, the voyage has long been a record steeped in cult mystery. one of those slabs of wax that almost define category - is it techno? is it deep house? does it matter? when music is this engrossing, emotive and majestic categorisation seems almost futile. rolling, trance inducing, jacking in all the right places, the voyage and it s b-side companion ( subsonic interference ) still sound incredibly fresh today. timeless productions that still manage to take us somewhere else when they pour out of the speaker. paul hester s music has always had that ultra-deep edge to it, and this particular ep explores it in spades. hands down, this record is a must for all lovers of the subterranean soundscapes that occupy the numerous late nights and early mornings, the still going dance-floors and that feeling of totally losing yourself in the music (for real). a very rare 12- indeed, the voyage has always been a highly sought after thing of beauty for a long time and now it s here again, legitimately re-released with the full involvement of paul hester / heard records for 2017 and remastered from the original sources specially for mint condition by optimum mastering. 100% legit, licensed and released. dug, remastered, repackaged and brought to you by the caring folks at your new favourite reissue label - mint condition!

fourth floor was a major us player in supporting the london garage scene in the late nineties. responsible for very early releases from todd terry (known as masters at work at the time) the imprint also released seminal classics from fallout, the morning after and arnold jarvis, take some time out both of which made the cut for this double 12inch release. included on this 8-track package are some contemporary edits from luke solomon of rhythm faktor dream on (organ grinder mix) and love root funky emotions (another mix), plus outstanding records from royal orchestra, m.o.d.e., bamboo and the break boys. 4 to the floor presents fourth floor records is part of the 4 to the floor series. lovingly selected and compiled by luke solomon, the 4 to the floor series also delves into the movin records, sub-urban, faya combo, soulfuric and slip n slide catalogues, digging for those lightbulb moments of musical discovery. fulfilling his role as your friendly record shop assistant, lukes 4 to the floor series comes correct with brand new vinyl lp collections and digital albums from these now legendary house labels, plus official label merch to accompany all of the releases, for that full rack-raiding experience.

limited edition of 300 copies on 10 inch vinyl.
brooklyn musician and red bull music academy alum sam posner created el niño & the southern oscillations as a meditation on the the beauty and power of the ocean. the tracks flow through timeless electronica influenced by selected ambient era aphex twin and early larry heard as well as contemporary artists like carribou and jamie xx. posner sketched the framework and palate for the project over a few years of travel, bringing the final ep together in a sea-side cabin watching waves crash against the rocky maine coast.

bqd40.2 is a collection of original material of artists who we signed back then. on the a side, vid’s “camelie” was an early masterpiece for the label. the mesmerising piano that shines over the beat caught everybody out and made this track one of the most loved brouqade anthems. the b1 belongs to label fave, oshana, who actually released her first production, “magdelena”, on the label. the track featured here, “something different”, was part of a digital compilation, and we’re proud to say we’ve been part of oshana’s story since the very beginning. and as we’ve been digging this track for so long, it’s now only right that it gets some a release on wax.

beautiful 1 lp, heavy cardboard, phosphorescent glow-in-the-dark - for fans of musique concrète, library music, early electronic, cosmic oddities, movie soundtracks, forbidden planets, synthesizers, bernard parmegiani, and bruno spoerri. nino nardinis masterpiece musique pour le futur lp available for the first time on vinyl since 1970 - housed in phosphorescent glow-in-the-dark heavy cardboard sleeve.

limited edition of 1000 copies for rsd 2017.
soul brother records are delighted to release for record store day 2017 one of the most elusive soul lp’s of all time, a truly holy grail album. susan phillips ‘soft sexy soul’ was recorded for sylvia robinson’s all platinum label 1971, pressed in small quantities. few copies have ever surfaced, it is so rare that many collectors doubt if it was ever released, it is not listed on discogs and it has never been recorded as selling on ebay. if an original copy were found today, it would surely sell for a substantial amount of money. the album has that classic early 70’s new jersey orchestrated soul sound. the album contains the in demand 2-step single ‘he knows my key (is always in the mailbox)’, the northern soul floater ‘answer to my prayer’, detroit sounding ‘please don’t keep me lonely’ the multi paced ‘where do i go from here’ and many great ballads like ‘he’s gone’ and ‘this i’ll guarantee’. demand from soul collectors is expected to be high and this album is likely to sell out quickly in the same way that last years ‘this is eleanore mills’ (also from all platinum) and all the previous soul brother records rsd releases have.

tobias. returns to ostgut ton with his third full length eyes in the center and expands the musical narrative laid out by his helium sessions ep (o-ton, 2016). the berghain resident keeps exploring the vast modular synth-driven techno, experimental and ambient territories on a journey in-between genres. tobias freund is long established as an influential artist and has – since the early 1990s – been working as a professional producer, sound engineer, label owner and strictly live musician. besides his early solo projects (such as pink elln, metazone or phobia) he’s also been collaborating with dandy jack (as sieg Über die sonne), ricardo villalobos (as odd machine), max loderbauer (as nsi.), valentina berthelon (as recent arts) and atom tm to only name a few. with his vast experience, diverse output and interests, tobias. doesn’t tire to actively push against existing boundaries and explore new areas of electronic music.

the casino edits series continues with two more disco-inspired dj tools, ready to compromise the structural integrity of any neighbourhood discotheque. casino times tackle the a side, taking a cover of an early blues classic and cutting it up into an unconventional flamenco-italo hybrid. whilst on the flip, we welcome longtime friend and banoffee pies affiliate malcolm to the series, with his driving interpretation of a dial tone infused, late 70s ny disco jam..

oscars blood is peter van hoesens tenth solo ep for his own time to express label. it features four new tracks, composed and refined in the producers berlin studio and properly tested during several shows in late 2016 and early 2017. both oscars blood and circumference 12 feature van hoesens take on driving and hypnotic techno. he applies a different approach to unit prep and theoretical terminal. both compositions take their cue from subtle yet vibrant percussive patterns, extending into blissful atmospheres.

floor fillers reminiscent of early prodigy-style breakbeat, accompanied by a neurotic acid gem and an ambient version of the title track. the r raves on! with whats going on, electronic emergencies turns back the clock to 1993. by then, dutch brothers the r had made a name for themselves with releases like rave the planet on legendary proto techno label esp, and the four previously unreleased tracks on whats going on were also created during the heyday of dutch pre-trance techno house

groovin recordings is proud to repress another masterpiece of the blaze duo, kevin hedge and josh milan, here under the black rascals alias. in 1993 they released only few singles that still represent a landmark in the early 90 s deep-house scene. after the repress of their first single, “keeping my mind”, now it s time for “so in love”, featuring the legend cassioware on vocals

acclaimed russian producer, dj and live musician kito jempere is back with a stunning second album, this time on italian label hell yeah. entitled sea monster and due for release in early 2017, the nine track album is a fantastic fusion of live instrumentation and electronic production. kito jempere is a musical polymath. the russian artist, producer, multi-instrumentalist and band leader has been involved in many projects over the last ten years plus. these range from rock to acid jazz to electronic bands and often call upon a rotating cast of other members who are all equally talented. from playing in small bars to headlining big shows for thousands of people in saint petersburg, he has put out a number of albums and singles on labels like freerange, room with a view and hell yeah and djs around europe. jempere plays live as the kito jempere band, and here he calls upon his bandmates for their many skills to lend the album a richly musical feel.

following synkro aka joe mcbride 2015s stellar debut album changes, apollo recordings is proud to present a collection of his formative early works. this 12inch sampler follows the 17 track album. the a-side contains three tracks from the 2cd set and the b-side has three tracks from this period that are previously unreleased but that are in high demand amongst synkro fans.

up next on 20/20 vision we welcome the ever-diverse and evolving nathan jonson. following a decade of producing and dj ing as hrdvsion, nathan has stepped out under his birth name to mark a new stage in his career. cross colours is a perfect representation of this new stage, a hybrid of all the styles he has become renowned for. when we heard cross colours we were all in agreement that luke vibert would be the perfect remixer. luckily luke agreed too and turned in a killer take on the original, flirting with early rave and hardcore whilst keeping the electro aesthetic. the b side is rounded off with a club focused version from ralph lawson & rui-z (which has already being championed by seth troxler on his most recent essential mix) and a dark techno rework from exciting new 20/20 signing dokta, who you can expect to hear a lot more from this year.

ltd coloured edition
from his early releases as lusine onward, jeff mcilwain’s electronic explorations make up one of the more diverse discographies of the past decade and a half. effortlessly blurring the lines between techno, electro-pop and experimental composition, the texas-raised/seattle-based producer’s arrangements are meticulously constructed, but also filled with emotion and soul. with an introspective turn that’s hinted at in the record title, lusine’s fourth album for ghostly sees mcilwain diffusing the pop-leanings of 2013’s the waiting room with opaque, brush-stroked melodies washing over these new buoyant productions.
the double vinyl release includes a download code.

florian meindl surges ahead in 2017 as he returns once more to his home base flash recordings. he has been locked away in his studio and is now ready to unleash his new album ‘time illusion’. with these album sessions florian has created a special collection of analogue focused tracks which will be released on a double vinyl album and digitally in the spring. amalgamating his array of impressive hardware, he has refined his sound and crafted a selection of tracks that demonstrate intricate knowledge and mastery of his analogue equipment. his aim was to find the right balance between musical depth and sound design while interacting with the hardware. in anticipation for the lp release in early april, florian has prepared a unique live set featuring a modular system, the korg minilogue, effect boxes and a 909 drum machine which were used in the creation of the album and which he will be touring throughout 2017. electronic beats visited him in his basement at riverside studios berlin to record an exclusive live session, which you can find on youtube and his facebook page.

pale blue is the new alias for mike simonetti, one of nycs most infamous underground producers, paired with the vocals of elizabeth wight. the duos seductive double sided ep comes home / have you walked through this night is remixed by breakthrough spanish producer pional on man power’s me me me label. have you passed through is raw and daring, its female vocal reminiscent of innovative early electro, this is a intoxicating late night anthem of leftfield electronica. its lyrics are taken from the film the thin red line, a movie about mans destruction of nature, his world and himself. come home is equally alluring with a dreamier narrative, and pionals remix is stripped back and effortless. for these two songs, the inspiration is coming out of the darkness that is inside all of us. it sounds heavy and overbearing, but dance music is the ideal music for escape. it fits perfectly into the pale blue agenda. this music was made for a small, dark crowded dance floors, with low ceilings and high hopes. humanity is bombarded with suffering and pain at every turn its almost like we thrive on it. but we deserve better. these two songs represent part of that struggle- moving towards the light. take your frustrations out on the dance floor. throw it all away for the night. the b-side is about coming out of darkness, coming home. finding euphoria in love and security in one another. feeling lost in the best way. pale blue

informationstechno was released on cassette in 2014 via zeon light and it was nominated for best swedish dance album of the year at manifestgalan 2015. during 2015 the band received attention from swedish radio p2 and p3 and performed a series of gigs at home in stockholm. the second album informellt was released on lamour 2015 and a remix album called reformellt released early 2016. motormännen make information techno infused with an air of swedish nostalgia through a filter of retro-futuristic skepticism. the music is packed with minimal acid loops and samples with excerpts from swedish politicians, documentaries and christer glenning, reflecting on times when the cold war and the traditional welfare state were dissolving. inhibitions were relaxed and new, foreign influences crept into the body of society and the old information monopolies. motormännen s tracks are visually enhanced by messages from pictures and videos from the 1970s and 80s.

our dedicated digging team has scoured the planet once again to bring you yet another dope rare break kit from around the planet. ready to chop, loop, and layer, international breaks 505 features 101 new breaks from from the late 60s to early 80s. our team assembled a comprehensive break beat kit with ultra rare gems from russia, china, thailand, india, korea, japan, bulgaria, turkey, france, holland, italy, poland, uk, and brazil. if you are looking for more variety than your typical over sampled soul breaks, then this kit is is perfect for your production arsenal. don’t sleep on this kit!

siince the release of his debut album, substantial, in 2004, volker bertelmann – aka hauschka – has, slowly but surely, earned a remarkable reputation as a purveyor of imaginative, distinctive, prepared piano music. this isn’t, to be fair, a heavily populated field, but it’s one he’s made his own, and while some might have dismissed his work early on as a novelty, bertelmann has proven himself to be uncommonly inventive, coaxing ever more unprecedented, euphonic sounds and rhythms out of his instrument. even so, on what if – which finds him adding player pianos (also known as pianolas) to his armoury – bertelmann expands his range even further, defying expectations and delivering what is without doubt his most ingenious album yet.
the vinyl release includes a download code.

(180 gr heavy weight gatefold 2lp with liner notes) funky chicken brings together some of the best belgian dance tracks from the early seventies. its a post-fact documentation, the result of a quest into a period on which information is few and far between the black hole in belgiums history of pop.

with a wall-to-wall 21st century freshness, light years past any concept of vogue, or any linear genre lines, norwegian quartet rohey deliver music that bristles with energy and honesty, that grooves with the best funk, that has deep soul roots while keeping an eye on the broad expanse of a golden future. lead vocalist rohey taalah brings all the emotional complexity you would expect of a classic jazz or soul singer (and can withstand comparison with any with ease). ivan blomqvist s keys play a dual role of laying down old school sonics, while bringing a retrofuturistic hyper-urban tone (akin to british idm), while kristian b. jacobsen (bass) and henrik lødøen (drums) create a jazz-soul-funk hybrid rhythm section that ducks and weaves with supreme artfulness.
rohey have toured extensively throughout scandinavia, taking in just about every major jazz festival along the way. with the release of “a million things” on jazzland recordings in early 2017, their path can be expected to take them ever further: music this good can t be kept secret for long. “a million things” performs a balancing act that most pop artists have forgotten in these days of studio micro-editing: how to write and play a song with full and sincere conviction, while enjoying an artful expressiveness without making things unnecessarily difficult for the audience. this has been borne out by their nomination for best single at the scandinavian soul awards in 2015.

the digital afterlife is a live workout recorded in amsterdam, early 2016. the b side features a couple of prime gherkins straight out the hieroglyphic pickle jar...tip! . a1. the digital afterlife was performed live during a 2hr hieroglyphic being ambient show at amsterdam s occii in january, 2016. the moment was beautiful, the recording was strong. b1. a tribute to the beautiful northen french town of arrass b2. you aren t up on akashic energies ?

summer 2017 arrives early thanks to the grinning and beaming dilemma001 from the inimitable sonikku. get yourself propped up poolside for this one because its seriously bumpin’. four super fun mixes of some seriously cherished noughties rnb bangers.

after a strong run in the early 00 s, 3am recordings came back into action in 2016 with a various artists release that featured a range of artists closely tied to the label s foundations. now label boss al bradley is stretching his wings with -night owl-, a refined production that demonstrates his experience in the field of tech house. goshawk comes on board for a remix that takes the deep sweeping original and makes it into an effervescent summer time groover, while label regular michael scott nudges -night owl- into stripped down late night territory. the third remix from fourfourfour heads into oddball territory for those who like their house music off kilter and playful.

30 brand new bob dylan recordings on three 1890 gram lps with download code included.

kevin arnemann and daan kemps taped artifact record label is prepping its first release of 2017. following the labels recently released various artists compilation, the amsterdam based imprint welcomes two pioneers within the icelandic techno scene: ohm & octal industries. ohm earned his stripes through his collaborations with exos in the early 00s, whilst octal industries is a much-respected artist within the idm scene under his ruxpin alias. with the highly dub-influenced maoss ep, the icelandic duo follows up their recent appearance on thors renowned thule records. the four-tracker features highly textured, rhythmical and classic rooted dub techno, showcasing the iconic icelandic aesthetic.

we dont have much info to give about vicram, partly because the artist doesn t want us to communicate the few things we know. but this is his first ep. its super raw - not necessarily rough. raw like a piece of sushi, an unpolished unvarnished beautiful piece of wood, raw like those bare drum machines and simple acid lines. almost naive, like those early 90s idm-techno record we cherish but with a very different angle. as usual, we liked vicram because we dont really understand how he makes his music.

mannequin records is proud to present an archival collection from the what could be considered the genesis of orphx s unique sound. inspired by early industrial music and new waves of noise from japan and europe, the compilation is gathers together some of the best material from their first two cassette releases along with previously unreleased tracks recovered from the original 4 track tapes. tip!

bondage-music head honchos pornbugs prep the labels next release for early april comprising three original tracks and a remix from mihai popoviciu. since 2006, german duo pornbugs have been pushing their minimal yet ambitious dance floor orientated house music through clubs across the globe, with their label bondage-music acting as a catalyst for forward thinking music. bondage-music also works as an outlet for other talented producers including romania’s mihai popoviciu and inmotion music signee markus homm to further develop their sound. fresh from a string of early 2017 digital releases from frink and sous sol, april sees bondage-music’s first vinyl offering of the year, kick started with the subtle and melodic cut “when you are gone“, which takes a deep groove and laces it with a plethora of soft synths and atmospherics. mihai popoviciu then reworks “when you are gone“ into a different entity, rewiring a headier groove into the track with raw-defined hats, building further tension with tight synth stabs and ethereal pads. vinyl only track “innocent“ then takes tribal tinged percussion to new depths, fuelling it with booming kicks and flourishing chords, further intensified by swirling vocals. a pure dub aesthetic then shines through “maritza“, as saturated drums and a rumbling low end provide the skeleton for swelling synths to meander alongside spiritual vocals, closing out the package.

before he was nigeria’s self-proclaimed mr lover boy, felix lebarty was an upcoming musician in the country’s edo-delta region. his big brother, aigbe, was a legendary highlife bandleader, but felix paid his dues playing guitar with thony shorby nwenyi and the collection of stars, along with fellow star mighty flames bassist, willy nfor. perversely, girls for sale was released after lover boy, the slick disco album that cemented his place in nigerian music history. it is a collection of tracks lebarty made early in his career, when his music was rawer and his pickup lines less sophisticated and less practised.

in the early 1980s, nigerian was booming and recording studios used the oil money sloshing around to fit their studios with the latest state-of-the-art recording equipment. with the equipment came a new, slicker sound and a new breed of producers like lemmy jackson, jake sollo, tony okoroji and nkono teles who became bigger stars than the musicians they recorded. such was the fate of sony enang with don’t stop that music

deleted - with this fifth release, the moonrise hill guardians decided to deliver a vinyl conceived by half of them on the a-side and two friends they decided to invite on the b-side. the first side of the record is the more club oriented one, with two tracks from ethyène & folamour that sums well what made the early moonrise style, between smart soulful sampling to unstoppable groovy beats that will instantly make you burn a dancefloor. the second side starts with one of the two guests of this record, lb aka labat, with a house anthem that gathers all the detroit codes and an undeniable hip-hop influence. toshigi canopy has been asked to end the record, something that he did perfectly well with a more lo-fi track leaving you with a mysterious poetic taste that the moonrise hill guardians have always been defending.

the legendary west end records kick off 2017 with the a brand new re-edits series inviting like-minded producers with an underground thirst and a deep understanding of house & disco culture to collaborate on a very special project. first up, wolf music man medlar, applying his dancefloor know-how to west end’s rich archive of classic disco and boogie. hand picking four personal favourites, medlar reworks them perfectly for current club sets. picking out dub sections and skilfully reworking & extending them proving exactly why medlar has been such a draw to labels like delusions of grandeur and for discos only. “i put these edits together for myself and a few friends to play in our dj sets. west end was one of the key stepping stones to what would later become house music and for many is the definitive sound of early 80s new york. i d argue that it s aged better than any other label of that era and if you re relatively new to the label or know it inside out, the catalogue can likely still provide something new.” these four sublime new edits from medlar showcase his passion for digging deep, knowledge of house history and skills as a producer.

moving music records present the previous unreleased soundtrack to the norwegian cult movie, heaven and hell. a soundtrack written and composed by norwegian maestro egil monn-iversen. it features some of the key norwegian jazz musicians, terje rypdal, jan garbarek and the late svein christiansen. jan erik kongshaug mixed the session.
it was originally recorded summer 1969 and planned for a full release, but it never happened, until now! one of the most exciting norwegian releases this year.
egil monn-iversen nearly perfect score borrows elements from john barrry and lalo schifrin soundtrack music, the opening theme song, sung by inger lise rypdal sounds like it could be a norwegian bond movie theme! key players are hired in from the late 60’s norwegian jazz-scene and you can hear early talents like jan garbarek and terje rypdal in full bloom! the result is a vivid soundtrack that could rank up with any good 60s 70s european groovy soundtrack score!

burgeoning dj and producer bontan makes his debut on the notorious hot creations label. hotly anticipated, the release features two original cuts to fuel his rising profile. uk based bontan has been using title track the first time as his secret weapon for the last six months and is now finally unleashing it. “i’ve been testing it and tweaking it play by play!’ he explains. ‘the vocal compliments the rolling bass melody and gives it a darker edge”. this a producer who fully understands how to create a track for a heaving dancefloor. personal question is the second cut and flips the mood entirely with a twisted vocal entwined in beeps and percussion, whilst stirring the sentiments of lost early hours. a firm favourite in the underground scene, he has built a solid reputation with releases on circus recordings, 20/20 vision, and cajual among others.

a hidden recordings mainstay, jc laurent’s once again combines his admiration and respect for detroit’s gritty past with a modern touch that makes his techno / house sound all his own. previously on the label, he released “from nice to berlin” with a remix from the legendary fred p. aka black jazz consortium as well as “southside” with a remix from uk’s tom dicicco (the corner, run out run). handling important remix duties is michigan native myles sergé. first introduced to techno in the late 80’s and described as a ‘reclusive perfectionist’, his haunting productions reflect influences from early detroit / chicago electronic music.

lagartijeando is the name of producer, musician and dj mati zundel. born, raised and currently living in a small town on the outskirts of buenos aires called dolores. from a very early age, he was musically curious- experimenting with percussion, charango, guitar, bass, voice, and beyond. strongly influenced by his travels through latin america, mati s signature psychedelic dance tracks latch onto everything from traditional folk sounds from the bolivian altiplano to the jungle beats of brazil. mati hypnotically fuses his traditional influences (with an emphasis on shaman chant and charango loops) with contemporary electronic beats, creating a sound that once left npr speechless.

jacques bon motions through the day’s early energy dawning light. true to the record’s title, bon composed the four tracks for his debut ep on beats in space records in the morning sun, reflecting and refracting the colors of daybreak from his compositions. burning spheres aside, bon draws inspiration from his past in paris, where he slung records at daphonics and started the label, smallville with pantha du prince, and his current life in hamburg, where he frequently helms the legendary decks at golden pudel. both cities and their scenes offer crucial cues for bon’s productions across dawning light and past releases for smallville and mule musiq. beginning with licks from his juno 106, filtered through the glide of a tb303 and foundational fits of his roland drum arsenal, bon embraces simplicity in setup to allow for maximum melody. opening track “island” assembles the palette of dawning light, infusing the ep with a warm glow. “we are” twinkles like the first blinks of awakening, dusting away night’s sleep with golden beams trickled onto tangled bed sheets. “aurora” evokes the first rush of the refreshed energy, shaking off yesterday and centering the mind, body, and soul to power through the hours. the record’s title track bounces with youthful optimism, a fitting end for the four-tracker’s mission of morning praise. each 12&#8243,,, on beats in space records features original artwork in considerate and serial form. andrew kuo’s prismatic painting holds dawning light in good polychromatic company, the geometric colors soft-coded entry point for bon’s music.

sydney’s outer time inner space move from record store to record label in 2017 and they’re keeping it local with the first release. in 2016, thomas mcalister aka cop envy, turned in a stunning ep for uk label opal tapes. a percussive excursion through 3am mind melters, thom proved his ability to craft seemingly effortless, yet undeniably entrancing club tools. under new alias sean thomas, thom extends his reach into deeper, harmonic textures. heady melodic inflections float atop peak-time, rolling rhythmic beds in what feels like an ode to the late 90s, limited-capacity club excursions of western australias red ember records, patrice scotts sistrum recordings or the uks phono label early support from: plo man, ben fester, simon caldwell, adi toohey and a load of other selectors that are keeping it deep in twenty seventeen