a collection of 16 christmas classics, recorded between 1949 and 1976. featuring performances by elvis presley, frank sinatra, roy orbison, harry belafonte, dean martin and many more.

aha shake heartbreak shows the band flirting with latin-styled music, acoustic guitars and heavy twin-guitar riffs.
exclusively remastered audio, sourced from the original masters and pressed on 180 gram audiophile double vinyl, housed in a gatefold sleeve.

best of album des electro-pop-trios pollyn aus los angeles, das, inspiriert von portishead, gorillaz und talking heads, im laufe der zeit von matthew herbert, dj harvey und moodyman geremixt wurde, aber auch selber bands wie gorillaz, liquid liquid, buffalo daughter und death from above remixte. coloriertes triple-vinyl (lp1 rosa, lp2 weiss, lp3 blau) inklusive der brandneuen single -findaway feat. alexis taylor (hot chip).

seit fast 20 jahren bereichert der brite james holden die electronic-szene mit innovativen, prägnanten und stilbildenden ideen. für sein drittes album versammelt er die liveband the animals spirits um sich herum, um seinem elektronischen sound organische liveinstrumente wie saxofon, kornett oder cosmic-percussion hinzuzufügen. so entsteht ein neuartiger, synthbasierter folk-trance, der elemente wie psychedelia, krautrock, weltmusik und spiritual-jazz mit holdens melodischer stärke kombiniert. damit kreiert holden eine neue genreprõgende form universeller musik, die gleichzeitig flüssig wie lebendig klingt.
schwarzes 180g doppelvinyl im gatefold inklusive downloadcode.

back with the heat, chicago native dj jana rush kicks off objects limitedÕs 2017 with her debut album ÔpariahÕ. jana rush received attention for her mind-bending drum acrobatics on last year s Ômpc 7635Õ ep also released by objects ltd. jana started djing aged just 13, releasing her first record on dance mania back in 1996 but having a hiatus from music between 2000 to 2013. with ÔpariahÕ she has created an album rooted in chicago s footwork sound, but with a myriad of influences, such as jungle, acid, soul, jazz and house, developing her sound on from Ômpc 7635Õ. by popular demand from a kickstarter, now on vinyl

the next release on the london based snare tapes delivers an insatiable five track solo ep from the currently on fire and incredibly talented duckett. the freerotation regular displays the full palette of his jarring percussive sounds, blissfully melancholic synth work and a sprinkle of his tougher side.

“i’ve said it before, but dancehall and its influence on uk music has been a massive inspiration for me, going way back to hearing chris goldfinger on radio 1 playing music that was like nothing else i’d heard before. i love that fundamental rhythmic pattern, and i love how within the same world you can have some tunes that are built around the sweetest melodies and harmonies, and others that are built around super-tuff minimal drums and crazy squeeks and bleeps.
when it came time to build another ep for critical, i decided to link up with my good friend and long-time collaborator rider shafique, who has a much deeper knowledge of this music than me, and together create something that references both old and new dancehall, while still being playable in the kinds of sets i ve become known for. there’s no halftime and no chopped-up jungle breaks here - we wanted to make something really focussed and even disciplined - and hopefully we’ve succeeded.
big shouts to the vocal collaborators - super hyped to work with stush on a tune, irah came through with the righteous fire, and tiffanie malvo absolutely bodied her beat - but ultimate biggups have to go to rider. this wasn’t a project where i made the beats and rider voiced them - for pretty much every tune, we worked and reworked the riddims together. we’re both stoked on the results, and it seems like people in the dance feel the same way.” - sam binga

turn on the music again is soweto’s third full-length album, a record composed mainly of own compositions, which they recorded just prior to their participation in the one world ska & rocksteady music festival in jamaica. wicked instrumentals and awesome vocal tunes compose the twelve songs of this brand new album.
the vinyl release includes a cd-copy of the full album.

das sechste album der britischen singer/songwriterin nerina pallot mit brit- und ivor novello-award nominierungen, ist zugleich ihr bis dato persönlichstes und emotionalstes werk, das sie mit dem gitarristen bernard butler (suede), den backingsängern markus feehily (westlife) und rod thomas (bright light, bright light) sowie der michael kiwanukas liveband aufnahm. entsprechend entspannt, warm und soulful klingen die 10 neuen songs auf -stay lucky-.
die vinyl-lp erscheint inklusive downloadcode.

the funk runs deep and rich on world wide funk, bootsy collins’ first studio album since 2011’s tha funk capital of the world. populated with musical friends old and new, and recorded in his cincinnati home’s bootzilla re-hab studio, world wide funk marks both a reckoning and significant reboot, if you will, for the rhinestone rock star monster of a doll baby baba! blue-chip rappers like doug e. fresh, big daddy kane, dj quik, dru down, and chuck d, along with guitar shredder buckethead, join a bootsy-curated posse of fresh new artists on a record that embraces everything from the classic p-funk sound bootsy pioneered to the closest collins has ever come to radio-active, boots on the ground, friendly fire in a musical-p-rated-adventure.
the limited splattered double vinyl is housed in a gatefold sleeve in comes with download code and booklet.

-the techno wave- was the first single released in 1990 by this famous project created by jens lissat and ramon zenker (hardfloor). one of the most well-known tracks of the so called frankfurt tekkno scene that invaded germany during the early 90s. this r

aketi ray are an all-acoustic dub-jazz group, playing original compositions grounded in the instrumental music of post-independence jamaica -ska, rocksteady, reggae, rockers, dub -but drawing inspiration and influence from ethiopian and us jazz, west african percussion traditions, all with the mind set of uk steppas. an outernational sound: kingston to chicago to addis ababa to dakar to london.
the sound of -from ever since- draws on the vibes and heritage of pre-electr(on)ic music, but gives that traditional sound new power through the use of dub techniques of reverb, delay and eq manipulation.

undersound recordings is back with a new electro infused ep called “backyard alchemy”, this time courtesy of the trio eoism. the a side showcases two classic fast tempo electro dancefloor killers, “xontics” and “transmutation scheme”, plus a special bonus idm track on a3, “volatile conjunction”. the b side is dedicated to dreamy and melodic synth driven tracks like “cold fire equation” and “anima dissolution”.

proving he knows how to work a dancefloor, rising star latmun makes his debut on hot creations with the mighty footsteps, featuring vocalist amy douglas. in equal measure, the b side piquant delivers another heavy hitter.
a certified tech house bomb, footsteps is full fire from of the off. new york based vocalist, amy douglas, brings extra heat, adding a distinct intensity in the build up. with a current track out on soul clap records and an upcoming ep with juan maclean as part of their peach melba project, amy is one to keep an eye on. one the flip piquant offers another peak time killer for the dancefloor.
latmun shot into the limelight in 2016 with 3 great of ep’s. his def ep on viva received support from heavyweights like skream, claptone, claude vonstroke, matthias tanzmann, steve lawler and many more. the following releases on wow! recordings and leftwing & kody’s lost records had similar success. in 2017 he released his biggest to date, the everybody’s dancin’ ep on relief.

beloved dj, compiler and incurable vinyl junkie, kev beadle returns to bbe with a 3rd volume of his much lauded æprivate collectionÆ album series. taking in a wide range of obscure jazz with a distinct nod to the dance-foor, the frst two æprivate collectionsÆ are already considered classics by the jazz-dance community. once again presenting a wealth of ultrarare sounds previously only available to record collectors with very deep pockets, vol.3 sees kev inviting us to travel even deeper into the vinyl vaults.

mit seiner gabe zum songwriting sprengt er die grenzen von r&b, pop und soul, seine texte präsentieren einen faszinierenden blick auf die welt – kaum verwunderlich, dass rationale ein gefragter mann ist. rag’n’bone man (»wolves«, »guilty« und »life in her yet«), katy perry (»act my age«) und nause (»dynamite«) zählten bereits auf sein talent, dazu wurde ihm prominente unterstützung von kollegen zuteil, u. a. von ellie goulding, die seinen track »tethered« regelmäßig covert, und bastille, die rationale einluden, sie auf ihrer europatour zu begleiten.
nun präsentiert rationale seine eigene künstlerische vision mit seinem selbstbetitelten debütalbum. neben einer fülle von neuem material enthält es ausgewählte highlights seiner bisherigen karriere – darunter das 14 millionen mal gestreamte »fast lane«, die überragende live-hymne »deliverance« und das emotionale intensive »prodigal son«.
der großteil des albums wurde von rationale produziert, der kanadische producer stint (u. a. gallant, nao) arbeitete an »tumbling down«.

another 1960s 7inch soul gem, unearthed and held up to the light courtesy of rocafort records. the heroine of this story is atlanta born delia dee dee gartrell, schooled in the art of gospel and jazz, but banned by her mother to sing any r n b that is until delia met the mighty hannibal, a powerhouse bluesy soul producer and future husband who put her up where she belonged and got her singing about stuff that her mother wouldn t have approved of. mid-tempo stomper, i must be doing something right, is an irresistible sassy classic, originally the b side of the single if you got what it takes (they can t take what you got) released on maverick records. the horns and drums tease the toe-tapping rhythm along while delia belts out with raw fire about not being a great looker, cook or housecleaner for her man, but when its time for sleeping, he thinks i m something outtasight. i must be doing something right. cheeky in spirit, chunky in swing. full of all the urgency and feistiness you d expect from a repressed southern soul vocalist. written by delia and hannibal, fight fire with fire boasts a similar production style but this time with a prominent electric guitar riff, emotive strings and heavenly backing vocals. describing the cheating man who s gonna get exactly what he dishes out, delia reads out the riot act with more punchy promise than threat. a must for all 7inch soul collectors, a thing of rare beauty.

dub-stuy welcomes up and coming producer blind prophet for a conscious dub release in collaboration with russia’s tenor youthman and italy’s numa crew. long island, new york s blind prophet makes his debut on dub-stuy records alongside the vocal talents of tenor youthman , one of the founders of russia’s lion posse sound system. ‘ marijuana burns capitalism ’ is a deep and meditative social statement sure to move the dance and stimulate the heads. on ‘marijuana burns capitalism’, blind prophet lays down a solid riddim, with a deep driving bassline and a bubbly harpsichord skank, for tenor youthman to sing about the liberating properties of hemp in fighting the evils of mass production and capitalism. the result is a simple and effective cut backed by a sparse dub that lets the drums and bass roll out to full effect. the flip side sees florence’s numa crew deliver their own fire for the dance with another straight to the chest dub version that focuses on the bassline and tenor’s unique vocal style. a 12” for the massive that continues the uplifting sound system music dub-stuy is known for.

you see, vin and hny have history and to make this marriage official we needed it to be just right. big daddy vincente might be known around the world for his sure-fire dance-floor bombs, but not as commonly known for his queer ally reputation in san francisco. using his production prowess and dj knowledge to help bring up the bay area gay dance scene has built him a fanbase of all walks of life. we think this might be his most accomplished musical work to date, not just because it is for our label, but because it s a labor of love. the ep reads like a metaphor for the two sides of the city where it was made. moonchild and electrical storms reminisce the mystical and spiritual love affair san francisco has had since the 60s while patronize and bondage taped reference the sexually adventurous side the city indoctrinates to all its visitors. this record feels big to us and mostly because it reps our home and a hometown hero so hard. enjoy.

“rocks foe returns to black acre with new, eight-track project ‘fight the good? fight’ — a dark and conceptual record built around the notion of, according to rocks himself, “everything being an internal and external battle”. a powerful lyricist and complex story-teller, rocks’ sound combines hyper-fierce spitting with his own, abstract beat sketches. having released his impressive debut ep, ‘legion’, back in 2015 — a raw, self-produced grime-rap hybrid — he has since remained dormant to the outside world, bar a quick-fire feature on commodo’s ‘how what time’ lp in 2016.

just jack are back with more fire, this time from brooklyns tape hiss. synth heavy, acid led grooves are the order of the day on the 3 originals, with panoramabar s massimilliano pagliara providing some serious dance floor heat on the remix.

play !t loud turn sinister with a ruff and tough various artist compilation forged from the depths of the techno underbelly. the first in the series of p!l’s new black series, these comps contain certified techno firepower - a bilateral flip of play !t loud’s white series.
the newly created aussie power couple that make up hot wavs (sonderr & will rigney) kick things off, committing their first recording to wax after setting techno dungeons worldwide alight with their live show. analogue, modular freak from the deep south of poland, hengsle closes the a. canadian analogue team minimal violence and budapest’s s. olbricht team up for thunder duties on the b.
guaranteed fire for any dj bag, presented in four parts, right here.

excise records 2nd vinyl release is a celebration of both northern and southern californian techno. oaklands milkplant has been making heady dancefloor bombs for 2 decades, and los angeles icon developer jumps in with a beautiful retro-hypnotic remix of far star. milkplants dust cloud is a 10 minute epic build with dreamy synth work shattered complex metallic percussion and anchored by a shockingly weighty bassline. the original far star is a wild romp with psyched out synth arps and relentless spit-fire hi hats.

vulcan venti is the sound of a blacksmithÆs hammer flying through the sky. fire that passes passed your ears. hot air com-ing out of the pursed lips of windy melbourne. we aim to discover, seek or create music that offers something unique and exciting, strange or beautiful. tamboÆs house artist bio tamboÆs house is built by two friends. inside this house there are rooms to explore. many different rooms with many different sounds. in the centre of the house is a large, open space. in the middle of the space you can hear every room at once. this is the sound of tamboÆs house

bad penny from nyc with her magnificent debut. bright melody lines undercut by harsh and heavy bass analog synths and minimal rhythms. low vocal timbre with punk-influenced growls. lyrics fueled by the anxiety and harshness of american city life. on 7 inch vinyl

does the world need more acid? yes it does! the r-a-g trio aka dutch producers ma spaventi, g-string & aroy dee deliver three raw acid-jams with aroy on the couch working the mic. the lyrics of dreadfully nervous are based on a edgar allan poe story. . dreadfully nervous (aryd s acid mix) is a gurgling brew of squelchy acid with dark vocals and pinging cowbells pulling you in all directions. coarse claps and ever more wild synths encourage you to cut loose and make for another timeless cut. dreadfully stoned is more stripped back, with a rubbery arpeggiated synth the main hook over subtle, supple drums. those dark spoken word vocals are back again and the whole thing is freaky and unsettling as a result. last of all is the bright and glistening no soul with metal hits and claps and prickly acid all bursting out of dusty chicago drums. it s raw and sure to fire the synapses just like r-a-g productions always do.

best of ... woowwww

almost a year has passed since the ghost of serena butler made its appearance on the realms of eerie - techno oddball marco shuttle’s label. now s/he and other beings gave birth to a new continuum, bene tleilax, where serena’s second ep, “from the cloud to our bodies”, has been conceived.
dub visions and found sound sculptures float over a maelstrom of skeletal techno remains, together with delicate melodies and vocal swarms from a realm where nothing is so sacred that it cannot be reengineered and transformed. this is a release which seizes alienation as impetus to generate new worlds while remaining still counter-trend to certain dark souls in modern electronic music. another biomechanical effort which sounds like the perfect nexus of fluid hopes and unparalleled roles.

jerome derradjis past due records is proud to announce the first part in a reissue series of lee moore’s rarest and meanest boogie funk tracks, originally produced for his labels score records and lm records, circa 1981-85. alien changing times was produced by lee moore and paul zaleski for score records out of memphis. double sided 12inch, it is one of these future funk instrumentals that will light a fire on any dance floor. never reissued before today remastered. rarer than rare and so good!

influencing the electronic landscape since 2010, hot creations has gained notoriety through pioneering a new and unique sound. also recognised for tirelessly pushing boundaries of house, techno and disco across it’s ever growing and innovative catalogue. one hundred releases later, the label is stronger than ever, celebrating with a mammoth ep from co-founder jamie jones. an ultimate summer jam with elevating synth lines, sound of music is a cover version, originally released by nookie and features chart topping artist katy b on vocals. kooky chords is a dance floor bomb, with melodic breakdowns sure to set any dancefloor on fire. next, positive pressure features label favourite kevin knapp, deep and gritty, the bassline swings with spacey layers. last up, parallel universe is a deeply infectious chugger with vocal cuts. “i m so honoured to be releasing the 100th record on hot creations. it’s been an incredible journey to reach this point and i can t wait for the next 100. as i opened up with the first release on the label, i thought why not start the next 100 on the same foot.” - jamie jones co-founded with lee foss, hot creations was the start of an empire, which went on to include sister labels hot trax and emerald city. jamie also runs paradise at dc10 in ibiza, standing today as one of the most popular nights on the island, it enjoys a close connection to the label. remaining at the forefront of the dance world, hot creations continues to break new talent and play host to well established producers. releases have come from artists such as patrick topping, richy ahmed, route 94, waff and roisin murphy amongst many others including pop group hot natured. critically acclaimed albums by miguel campbell, digitaria, popof and phil kieran have all been highlights on the label. reaching this impressive milestone, it seems only right that jamie jones is the one to deliver the 100th release.

does the world need more acid? yes it does! the r-a-g trio aka dutch producers ma spaventi, g-string & aroy dee deliver three raw acid-jams with aroy on the couch working the mic. the lyrics of dreadfully nervous are based on a edgar allan poe story. dreadfully nervous (aryd s acid mix) is a gurgling brew of squelchy acid with dark vocals and pinging cowbells pulling you in all directions. coarse claps and ever more wild synths encourage you to cut loose and make for another timeless cut. dreadfully stoned is more stripped back, with a rubbery arpeggiated synth the main hook over subtle, supple drums. those dark spoken word vocals are back again and the whole thing is freaky and unsettling as a result. last of all is the bright and glistening no soul with metal hits and claps and prickly acid all bursting out of dusty chicago drums. it s raw and sure to fire the synapses just like r-a-g productions always do.

nach drei eps gibt es 2017 das mit spannung erwartete debütalbum von rag’n’bone man. »human« heißt der erste longplayer des britischen sängers, genauso wie die single, mit der er gleich mehrfach platz eins der charts belegte, unter anderem auch in deutschland.
der song handelt von den menschlichen schwächen und zeigt eindrucksvoll, was wir von dem erstling des newcomers erwarten dürfen: südstaatenbluessounds treffen auf groovenden soul und eine unglaubliche reibeisenstimme, die einem sofort eine gänsehaut verpasst.
insgesamt haben es 19 tracks auf »human« geschafft. um die produktion kümmerten sich abwechselnd two inch punch (damon albarn, brian eno), jonny coffer (beyoncé, all saints, weezer) und mark crew (bastille, the wombats).

banging percussive techno

dmx krew returns for volume 4 of the popular synth funk series with another bumper pack of electro funk jams. pure fire!!!

very industrial and heavy, certainly no manierism of techno music anymore, but rather transcended into phenomenai of the fearful kosmos , tragic ouranos pankration , all that seems to manifest both wave and particle properties, as apparantly the right block of parian marble had been provided, already containing the very statue itself inside it, for the old, yet merciless tape and tube mastering machines that simply generate xaos , this elusive and inscrutable quantum-engineering process of natura ex machina , and that, guided by providence herself, chiseled away like old praxiteles the soft flesh of the kouros until the bare shapes, ideai of things finally came discovered and exposed to the human ear and body, simply allowing the sound to fall right into its proper natural space form or, perhaps, like in la divina commedia our sad poet laureate in purgatory did wonder: poi s ascose nel foco che li affina , then hid him in the fire that purifies them .

the 2017 album from tony allen on double vinyl, housed in a gatefold sleeve.

getting harder, without loosing the vibe, thatÆs what tfbm005 is all about!

whilst not the first uk dance scene the mods had that covered – northern soul is the longest running. those northern clubbers who eschewed late 60s psychedelic fripperies for obscure old soul records with the requisite beat, couldnt have known what they started. after using up all the uk released sides they began digging in the united states and after nearly 50 years the northern soul scene has probably unearthed more great music than any other. all night long is our tribute to those pioneers and includes current in-demanders such as the sensations demanding man, classics by the chandlers and ernest mosley and a host of other dancefloor friendly masterpieces. all night long, can you feel that beat and extra added soul will be available on cd & double vinyl and are compiled by dj and award winning compiler dean rudland, with stunning artwork from his long-time collaborators the unknown. across the three volumes there are 60 tracks of soul, funk and boogie.

das album wurde von mike mccarthy produziert, der in der vergangenheit den alben von trail of dead oder spoon den letzten feinschliff verpasste. milk famous ist das dritte album-release der band und der nachfolger zu ihrem mute-debüt its frightening von 2009. die englische presse lobte es damals sehr, wie z.b. the fly (an album that deserves attention from start to finish) oder das mojo magazin (their knack for addictive melody and honed songcraft delivers a beguiling, coherent and memorable whole). das neue album ist ein mehr als würdiger nachfolger ihrer letzten platte. der opener heavy metal, geprägt von einem rückwärtslaufenden piano-loop, steht ab sofort zum download auf der bandwebsite bereit.

fire in the hole! is a warning that an explosive detonation in a confined space is imminent.

u-roy was a true reggae pioneer, dubbed the originator for good reason. bursting onto the jamaican scene in the early 1970s, he pioneered the vocal approach called “toasting,” which in addition to bringing jamaican music into a new era, was also heavily influential on an american vocal style also in its infancy: rapping. following up the record store day 2017 release of u-roy’s classic dread in a babylon, traffic entertainment group now brings us a very welcome reissue of the vocalist’s 1976 full-length (and fourth) album, natty rebel, which has been out of print for more than 30 years. produced by tony robinson (known for his work with big youth, lloyd parks, the gladiators and many more), the album’s 11 cuts range from bouncier and sometimes even disco-tinged grooves – “have mercy,” “go there natty” and the album lead-off, “babylon burning” – to the classic roots stepping that drew fans to the legendary jamaican vocalist over his long career – including “so jay jah say” and “natty kung fu.” at its core, this is a deep journey into the heart of rasta living, spoken by one of jamaica’s most underrated dub and roots legends, and it’s one of the strongest full-lengths in his expansive catalog. whether you are experiencing u-roy for the first time, or replacing your decades-old original lp, diving into this reissue of natty rebel is one hell of a way to spend an afternoon. or, if you’re not careful, a week or two.

hidden fire from the ra archives! a double 10” set featuring sun ra recordings from the outer limits and the underground. initially released on2 seperate 10-s back in 2010/13 respectively and both quickly became collectors items. don t miss them this time around...tip! . volume 1 features ‘along came ra’, was a previously unissued live track recorded in paris in 1983. with june tyson in full voice, the arkestra announce sun ra’s arrival on a sleeping planet. the flip features two previously unreleased cuts from the legendary disco 3000 concert tapes, a mind-blowing quartet session that releases the full power of sun ra’s crumar mainman synth. volume 2 lifts three fine selections from the ultra-deep sub-underground series of saturn lps. the transcendent ballad ‘love is for always’ and the driving, rootsy ‘the world of africa’ come from 1974’s live at temple u, while the myth-science poetics of ‘space is the place/we roam the cosmos’ is beamed down to earth from the 1975 what’s new set.

stephen mahoney contagion ( lee holman remix ) , in his typical but distinctive way, lee holman re works contagion with futuristic and forward thinking outlook. it swerves and modulates for its entirety, it s a peak time affair that grooves in lee s distinctive flair. stephen mahoney contagion, unstoppable broken beat with intense hi hats that give way to acidic lines, a sure fire peak time track. stephen mahoney craft, a groover that combines hovering hi hats with an unstoppable groove. its simplistic as it is effective. modulation and claps combine to deliver a heavy hitting cut. stephen mahoney rosettes, acidic lines deliver a trancey cut. its minimalistic form hovers and glides to deliver a suspenseful track that ignites and modulates across its duration. a slow burner, hypnotic in approach.

lt fire is back with a massive pair of lobster summer anthems from spanish newcomer diy 1990. cascading from the epic synth-soaked house of room 202 to the industrial-tinged synth-disco of la nuit. sneaker-scorching jams on wax only :)

the original motion picture soundtrack from “atomic blonde” on black 180 gram double vinyl, housed in a gatefold sleeve.

official re-issue of bermudian disco record! 1000 copies initial pressing. big tip! in 1981, bermudian band paradise recorded sizzlin hot, a flawless album of original material in the disco, boogie and aor style. producer, writer and pianist grant williams formed several bands before becoming the fourth member of paradise, alongside bassist wincy woolridge, drummer ronnie lopes and singer june ventzos whose voice commands the album. for five years, the group regularly performed in hotels before hitting the local z.b.m. studios to record their sole album. sizzlin hot is inspired by the sound of earth, wind & fire. the album delivers several blistering tracks that could have been huge club anthems if the record had been promoted outside of bermuda. since bermuda is a fairly remote island, its no wonder that paradise remains virtually unknown to this day. it is all the more reason why this album stands-out and has universal appeal though it was only ever intended as a local thing as grant williams says.

dj windows xp s highway route from the strange deserts to the over-the-top underground clubs somewhere deep in your imaginative 18 karat gold vinyl players. straight debut fire on who s susan. wait, who is susan?