lywood has worked alongside some of the most prestigious names in art, fashion, music and film - from led zeppelin to louis vuitton, the venice biennale to the serpentine art gallery, in a career spanning over 20 years. junk sees lywood stepping into the limelight for the first time with these eight epic psychedelic dance-floor and spaced out instrumental visions. junk is inspired by vik muniz’s ground-breaking documentary waste land, which tells the story of the landfill site, jardim gramacho, on the outskirts of rio de janeiro. recycling fragments of german electronica, disco and 80’s synth from his childhood and fusing these with new, found sounds, lywood takes us on a journey through his world of junk re-imagined. five of the tracks are named after some of the largest landfill sites around the world, and trash vortex is named after the swirling mass of plastic waste the size of texas, in the north pacific. lywood stays close to muniz s mission to “change the lives of a group of people with the same material that they deal with everyday”. ** cover artwork by keith coventry, the celebrated fine artist represented by pace gallery** the debut cochabamba album comes courtesy of respected sound designer and fine artist dan lywood!

long awaited repress of this amazing masterpiece as very limited white vinyl edition. what happens when scales and patterns of contradicting emotional imprints combine? when light and darkness, bitter and sweet, frost and blaze collide? those are the questions that johannes heil chooses to address on his upcoming album, opening up a vast grey-scaled area for the listener to traverse with techno as a blindfold. ‘black light’ sees the german techno mainstay return to the album format for an intimate ten track odyssey of close-curtained introspection. heil chooses the words of fellow futurist nikola tesla to set the stage of the black light story >black is the true face of light, only we do not see this<. track names are dropped in favor of a chronology of scenes, better adapted to the seemingly polar opposition of the forces that the figure and cocoon regular conjures throughout the album. everything that we perceive is processed and set into relation with past memories, digested emotions and iron-branded impressions. battling the current, johannes heil chooses to challenge certitudes by forcing us out of our comfort zones into the absence of light. if the pictures painted on >black light< are dark, they are also far from monochromatic. the machine-driven sonic prism acts both as the heavy cloud and the burst of light that shoots through to guide us. its the aggressor and the victim, the clenched teeth and the jubilant, the paranoia and the sanity of the mind. its pure heads-down driving techno with volumes of grandiose. provoking our senses, extending his art onto our personal canvases, the exile boss gives the listener the freedom to interpret the emotional context of each piece, to write the scripts of the individual scenes. the impression that >black light< leaves upon first listen testifies that 20 years down the road, johannes heil shows no sign of slowing down.

italian label out-er celebrates its five years of existence with an incredibly diverse double 12” compilation involving new and old artists who perfectly represent the ample house and techno sounds the label has been spreading: juan atkins, orlando voorn, efdemin, terrence dixon, label owner simone gatto, civilian, the analogue cops, aubrey, haiku, irakli and regen.

last year saw casablanca-based cosmo records launch its most ambitious project todate, celebrating five years of cross-cultural collaboration. the three vinyl releasesfeatured producers such as san proper, radiq, pier bucci and dandy jack working with moroccan musicians to create a true fusion between modern electronics and ancient traditions. the purpose of cosmo has always been to find a natural meeting place between thesedistinct musical forms, bringing out the best strengths of each practice through real time spent together in the studio, where each artist can truly understand the other in a shared quest for sonic harmony. as such, this latest release marks a step forward in exploring this idea through a new series entitled cosmo jam. as the title suggests, the focus here is on live improvisation. in late 2014 parisian producers masomenos and vadim svoboda travelled to morocco and set up their equipment at the coda casablanca music center. they were joined by m’hamed el menjra playing bass, abdessamad boussahfa on violin and sanhaji on darbuka, and the ensuing jam sessions between these musicians now make their way on to vinyl. no editing or post-production took place – the music you hear on the record was created entirely in the moment. each track highlights the magic of a different instrument – on “be” menjra’s double bass comes twisting through effects processing and subtle distortion, meeting with a low-slung broken beat groove from the visiting french producers. sanhaji’s thrilling percussive flair on the darbuka flirts perfectly with the crisp programming of drums and bass on the uptempo “kaled” and the more laid-back “petit”. boussahfa’s violin makes for some of the most arresting moments on the release, meeting with intricate minimalist rhythms on “mon” and shining in the heart-rending ambience of “frere”. presented across two 12”s, this collection of six tracks tells a most honest account of how gifted artists from entirely different disciplines can find a common ground and create something truly unique. without any studio trickery to hide behind, this is the concept of cosmo records laid bare, and the results prove it is a concept worth exploring further.

rysunku is proud to present it’s newest signing, esteemed producer noble drew ali aka morell maison. the artist will be launching the new signing with his debut ep ’natasha’. though the artists own music production has hardly yet revealed itself, his presence within the industry has been far from unnoticeable. nts radio monthly resident and renowned as a substantial contributor to the artistic development of contemporary electronic music. with his debut ep, ‘natasha’ , audiences will finally be able to experience the more personal outcomes of noble’s musical approach so far. here we hear noble drew ali exploring a sonic architecture of sweeping yet poignant baselines and fragmented percussion. the first listening experience to have evolved from noble’s cultivating musical journey. lovingly pressed on an extremely limited run of 300. five stunning tracks on 180g black vinyl featuring artwork by gareth horner. rysunku is truly honoured to be releasing this music.

"for almost two decades dave paton has been dredging the recesses of his mind for electronic inspiration. the findings have been fantastical, freakish and formidable; all ways of describing his latest outing. -the great pretender- straddles electro and techno, staggers between ambient and idm and swaggers to its own bawdy beat. rasping rhythm patterns are rinsed in ragged roars, charcoal chords are conjured before being crunched as the wee djs has his fun across five tracks."

nice 12 inch vinyl from balearic to dub house

lighthearted and aqua-marine house grooves from canadian producer jayda g with a fun 12 inch comprised of two originals and two reworkings of the track + girl music + from montreal duo cafe lanai. created during the spring/summertime of 2016, sixth spirit is infused with a sense of warmth and carefreeness based on current experiences, looped back into nostalgias of her first field season as a young scientist in ontario. the canadian forests breathe through these songs. the movement and groove emulate the sense of curiosity and learning that she experienced during that earlier time. “that field season was an adventure i’ll never forget.”

an emotionally drenched and flaming hot release from the brand new lobster theremin and meda fury tag team, lobster fury. dj seinfeld delivers five chunks of ratcheting techno, squelching acid and dance floor euphoria that’s guaranteed to deliver until the end of time.

2016 re:issue , a groundbreaking classic album , must have !!!!!!

u is a producer and dj currently living in london. previous records for man make music have proven suitable for the club as well as home listening, while a collaboration with babe, terror as btu for erol alkan’s phantasy label was varyingly described as “pleasure with a sense of dread” (the line of best fit) and “akin to having five songs playing simultaneously on your computer” (the guardian). 2014 saw u’s debut ‘haven in a heartfelt world’ ep described as -giddy electronic fuzz that packs the subtlest of punches descends into dense glitch noise then returns triumphant gritty and melodic” (crack magazine) and “distorted dreamstates” (ransom note). after the deranged chamber­edits of vienna for where to now?, u returns to the well­trodden path between flattery and irreverence in dance music with a special edition 2-­track 12- for phantasy sound. friendly ghost enters with a splay of combat­bongos, a thin synthetic aura draws over the fluctuating rhythms before a strangely negative bassline sets the pace in nu­wave perpetual motion, inevitably spiraling back on itself into a clattering reversal. on the flip ascension hymn rushes headlong into a mechanical shunter, abruptly dragged back by a frail and singular voice reciting an uncertain mantra of self­fulfilment over this blunted hardcore epic spanning 13 minutes. pressed to heavyweight vinyl, designed and printed by the artist in an edition of 300ish.

the second lp from grup has finally arrived, five years after his first release, which is today is totally sold out and very hard to find. 19 tracks in the pure grup ses style, a perfect blend of instrumental hip-hop and bass music, spiced by turkish-psych samples. the album s conception took three years in beyoglu, istanbul, where grup ses invited the best of the turkish beat-making scene, but also called for his european connections : gantz, fulgeance, coco bryce, nodul, biblo, elektro hafiz and many more contributed to make this release unique

1 per customer / third of a three part ep series leading up to a five 12inch vinyl box mandar album!

eshone (donnie valdez) is a 31 year-old graphic designer, music producer and dubstep dj from albuquerque, new mexico now living in poland. eshone has performed in twenty states and several countries, including: canada, denmark, poland, the netherlands, and slovenia. donnie s earliest musical memories were his electric guitar playing days and listening to heavy-metal bands from twenty-five years ago. learning this instrument and listening to heavy-metal expanded donnie s musical horizons to signal processing and sound manipulation. armed with technical knowledge, donnie shifted his focus to music production in 2004, specifically, drum and bass. eshone makes tunes quickly because of his innovative production techniques and instant application of his craft. his frenetic production pace is closely related to his high-energy live three deck sets. donnie learned how to mix in 2003 and had plans on becoming a turntablist. currently, donnie prefers to mix and blend his productions, which focus on heavy basslines and anthemic grooves while keeping a dark vibe and gritty texture. donnie s love of nature and music gave him incentive to create his record label, elk beats. the elk is very similar to donnie s music, internet presence, and online persona: peaceful, present, and powerful. donnie enjoys spontaneous activities, such as: fly fishing, skateboarding, and snowboarding. his other passion is music, and eshone s productions are custom-made for large rooms with low-lights, loud sound systems, and an intense emotional experience.

presenting hieles soundtrack to the film saints, by dieter deswarte. eleven tracks on this 10 inch vinyl. specks of land in the vast infinite sea, islands have long fascinated the human imagination. distant and isolated worlds offer possibilities of escape and create fears of entrapment. the tiny island of saint helena is so remote, it lies a five-day boat journey from the nearest mainland.

kuedo returns to planet mu with his long awaited second album ’slow knife’. it’s been five years since his acclaimed debut ‘severant’ and time has proved it prescient, its futuristic trap influence is now ubiquitous. ‘slow knife‘ seems to return to where ‘severant’ left off, but with the intricate sound design of last year’s haunting ep ‘assertion of a surrounding presence’ subsumed into the compositions, making them more exacting and beautifully crafted.

madrid s analogical force reaches number five and are proud to present the v/a series called voiceless. x is the first chapter of x, y, z and features exclusive and unreleased tracks from the usual talents involved with af as reid dunn (dwaallicht / wisp) and reimer eising (kettel), next to new additions likes stian gjevik s stunning eod, london based james shinra and the young underground malta s producer microlith. the overall sound can be described as timeless uncompromising electronics, acid braindance at its finest, an exquisite piece of intrincate electronica...blah blah blah... we prefer to call it: the guiding light. no further words are needed. just enjoy as always, made with love from our brain to yours.

impulsive and intuitive hardware house & techno from vancouver duo minimal violence aka ashlee luk & lida p. the five tracks on night gym soundtrack urban landscapes, textured synths, heavy kicks, and dense polyrhythms come together to form the duo s own brand of outsider house. citing influence from both minimal synth and chicago house, night gym arrives hot off the heels of the duo s self titled ep on dublin based first second label which closely examined the intersections that lay between punk and techno. recorded in february/march 2016 in the duo s home studio, the instinctual nature of live work flow plays an important role in the duo s creative process. utilizing hardware (sh-101, tr-606/505/707, waldorf blofeld, juno-60, dx-21, mpc1000) in addition to sourced samples with final compositions compiled and manipulated in ableton, night gym is an example of the duo s diverse interests and collaborative nature. the duo recruited visual support from chicago based graphic designer kevin mccaughey of nonporous for the distinct imagery of night gym. as well he designed the poster that comes in the 12- and screen printed a limited run of long sleeve t-shirts available through boot boys biz.

mono junk’s cult label dum records is back with a new five track various artists ep that again packs a vital punch. he appears himself along with some fellow legends of the scene. first up, morpholgy is a consistent performer who has continued to serve up quality electro since 2009 and here serves up a hot new piece. ‘vector plant’ is busy and industrial, slick and metallic as it unfolds and burrows deep into your veins. then comes the a2, irwin berg featuring freestyle man (aka finnish moodmusic boss sasse aka klas lindblad) with a track made in 1995 and never released before. this pair worked together and made a cult electro record for sähkö recordigs in 1998 and this one is just as impactful. it is frosty and frazzled, slow motion but high impact and full of distorted lines and heavy drums. next is mr velcro fastener who were the first kings of electro to come out of finland and between 1999 and 2006 were famous all over the world. their brand new cut ‘almost there’ is a deep one that is riddled with bleeping melodies and has smeared chords bringing a sci-fi feel. then it is mono junk’s turn to dive into the vaults with an unreleased track from 2005. ‘feeling or destroy’ is a physical number with crashing hits and snaking, gurgling bass that is dark and dystopian. last of all comes irwin berg with mono junk as new york city survivors. says the dum boss, “our unreleased track here was made after the new york city survivors – static light cd 2002” and it is a turbo charged track with screwed up grinding bass, icy hi hat rhythms and menace in its grooves.

meandyou returns with the sixth instalment of the collective s record label, this time presenting geometry of disorder , a solo ep by eszaid - co-founder of paris based label collapsing market and one half of mura oka (latency). the five-track ep features ezsaid s signature atmospheric and broken techno.

steffen laschinskis project rising sun, make a welcome return to fauxpas musik after the album release the lamentations of rising sun. here we have the final single in the series of 3 including five brand new full-length tracks from the ep serie trilogy. vinyl tastes better

like the proverbial bus, you wait five years for a cottam release and two turn up within 6 months. ‘consciousness’ on the a re-works the soundtrack to a classic japanese film into a devastating club track, ghostly vocals combine with dub effects and acid riffs for an unnerving slice of headfunk. on the flip ‘rivers of blood’ starts with a deep bassline and keeps on cranking up and piling on the pressure, until the synths wash in after four minutes and the track becomes a tempestuous torrent of detroitian hi-tech jazz

celebrating his five years anniversary with a twelfth release, the french imprint clft decided to introduce a new artist on its roster. argentinian producer luis ruiz delivers here a 303% acid ep for his debut on the label. dah-dah-dah, gwon-gwon-gwon, ga-gyown-gyown… this sounds very caustic, don’t sleep on it!

five track vinyl with great soundscapes

this is selected - four tracks - five artists.

persian ahu karimi is a berlin resident. he began his musical exploits in a punk band in tehran but time and space and inertia have distilled his music into a rare spiritual essence, with a delicacy and evanescence like memory. the five tracks here have a gauze like quality.

deep driving tracks on this stunning debut 12- distances on electronic emergencies. the five tracks by the french-born artist, now based in portland, usa, stand out for their crystal-clear production, trancey basslines, hypnotic rhythms and complex, dramatic melodies - reminiscent of synthesizer gods from the seventies like klaus schulze, combined with the orb-like feel of the nineties, launched into the future.

u know me records in collaboration with polish juke proudly presents the very first polish footwork vinyl record rhythm baboons the lizard king ep. rb: the lizard king is an outcome of my fascination with chicago footwork/juke. most of the tracks were created during a couple of spontaneous home studio sessions earlier this year. it was a raw play with the sounds and sampling with no particular plan that made the material more fun and dance-friendly than any of my previous records. the record features five original tracks and one remix by the legendary dj fulltono (japan). mastered by miko&#322,,aj bugajak, album artwork created by stach szumski.

having repeatedly proven himself to be one of the uk s most innovative rising producers, impey returns with his debut ep, midnight in little havana , on the critically acclaimed astral black imprint. the release follows his bangclap single which comes off the back of two prolific years that have seen the 20 year old producer crafting soundscapes for viral campaigns for converse, securing a residency on nts, tearing up radio sets alongside the likes of faze miyake, and having the likes of skepta, trim, capo lee and rocks foe bless his instrumentals on sets from slimzee, dj maximum, kahn & neek, murlo and plastician. midnight in little havana sees impey serving up a diverse five track collection that showcase his versatile production skills drawing influence from grime, jersey club and vangelis-esque synthscapes. the ep is as much for the dance floor as it is the after hours bus home. at its centre is long time crowd favourite bleepz which finally sees its official release, having been a go-to track exclusively for djs such as boofy & hi5ghost and kromestar. the track is framed by 130bpm dance floor melters pep talk and pong song as well as showing impey s more intricate side through its title track and inner , both of which resemble astral black releases by the likes of drae da skimask and jaisu moreso than its club-focussed vinyl releases. midnight in little havana is presented visually with another stellar effort from astral black in-house designer oscar whale, the 12- being housed in a full colour sleeve depicting an illustration of miami s little havana strip, as detailed & nuanced as impey s productions. midnight in little havana is set for release on october 14th on 12- vinyl & digital via astral black.

over the course of five galvanic, techno-esque slabs of sound fetnat delineates his vision, paying exquisite attention to detail in the almost imperceptible smithereens of vocal noise on tracks like kaoti and closing out the ep with a magnificent curve ball in the shape of the relentless rotel, a dazzling, synthetic drama of ebb and flow.

the first installment of cacao, cwhirring loops. don t mess gets a treatment from italo-german pair black loops. amping up the groove and adding distorted eerie vocals, the remix keeps the initial disco appeal with an added dose of deep tech grit, destined for late night dancentral american rooted label with a knack for refreshing house & techno flavours, showcases five tracks that ooze exotic dopeness. the duo k.e.e.n.e. strut their noted production skills, kicking off with the disco house hybrid don t mess. with a permeating vocal hook and scintillating synths, a relentless groove shapes the deeply immersive arrangement. who stole the soul offers up an exhilarating tech house exploration, pairing spacious percussion with undulating synths. resulting in a playful and versatile melody with a wandering vocal, the cut comes as is as well as purely instrumental. and.id jumps on the remix, increasing the deepness factor and instilling an almost underwater-like ambiance through whizzing synths and e floor antics.

tough techno versions, derived from stefan goldmanns synth-heavy a1 film soundtrack. five cuts remixed into the mighty 4/4 grid (mostly). free wheeling hardware synthesis and heavy-handed beats line up for concrete-blasting impact on constructor and a-drive. the b2s spikes is a more loose affair around a scintillating analogue synth riff. contrastingly, inward slope features a warped beat layout and wavetable splashes, sounding like a weeping robot fighting with a cat. roadside lot is a soothing ambient fm tech tool. thats it. on to the next fifty.

after his first appearance on row records earlier this year zine is back with his five track debut ep on a fresh conceptual imprint which focusses on releasing mini albums. m-e is a journey from repetitive ambient textures to chord driven house excursions and saturated sampler jams. the release comes in a black screenprinted sleeve with an embossed photographic fine art print. early support by xdb, qnete, ...

for over five years, all day i dream has been where deep and emotive meet house music. propelled by a community of forward thinking artists drawn around the scion of master curator and sunset/sunrise set specialist, lee burridge. all day i dream formally welcomes lost desert to the label with the release of lingala, a two-track collaborative effort with burridge himself, that also features junior on vocals. lost desert was picked out of obscurity after burridge discovered his music while trekking in a remote area of a long lost land. a fast forged friendship inevitably lead to the studio, and lingala’s the enrapturing sophomore result. the duo’s first project together debuted on lee’s night time imprint, get weird, earlier this year to widespread support. lingala, is a beautifully composed ten-minute sonic journey. built around a mystical lead vocal sung by newcomer junior in his native linagles the raw emotion slowly builds in intensity over propulsive basslines and deep melodic grooves . gorje hewek & izhevski’s interpretation of lingala is a markedly different affair. focussing on musical layers rather than the vocal the duo’s signature spacey atmospheres and minimal rhythmic percussion add extra strings creating uplifting moments that contrast the original’s mood.

vinyl only. french duo dixia sirong make their vinyl debut on inner balance, the daughter-label of chez damier’s genre-defining balance imprint. this offshoot is proving to be a rich source of diverse, updated classic house sounds, and its third release is no exception. ‘winnie’ kicks the ep off with a laid-back vibe perfect for afternoon grooving. the techier edge to ’berry white’ makes it well-suited for later in the evening when the dancefloor starts moving, while broken beats and liquid ambience take ‘haqan fen’ into post-peak deepness – make sure to wait for the enveloping bass that arrives five and a half minutes in. ‘winnie’s cut’, finally, is an irresistible precision groove of the sort you might hear in the late late hours at club der visionaere, its soft pads, ricocheting percussion and rolling bass unfurling into the morning sun.

dear friends, it s been five years already since i started this adventure. thanks to all the artists involved so far: myk derill, gonzalo md, opuswerk, myles sergé, terrence dixon, invite, hydergine, julixo, dying & barakat, bleak, benales and the fallen. most important of all, thank you for your support! here is to another 5 years.

ali renaults vivod label continues to bring the goods, as recent missives from skatebard and monkeyshop (their first release of any sort for 11 years) emphatically prove. the imprints latest release comes from newcomer paul withey, who follows up a fine contribution to a recent split e.o on ruby hills & diamond mountain, with a debut solo e.p of his own. the five tracks featured are nicely varied stylistically, but all boast the distinctive shimmer of analogue synthesizers and dusty drum machines. highlights include the surging italo-disco revivalism of -pallas-, cheerily positive synth-pop flex of -yes master-, and the curious, radiophonic workshop style weirdness of -beneath the surface-.

third release of dancing like quagmire, italian white label (vinyl only) born to make you dance shouting “giggity giggity go”!!! mini-album with five tracks deeply rooted in 20th century russian culture in which neotnas is showing his poetic music style wandering between rough drum patterns, old dusty samples (hard to dig for sure) and hypnotics saxophone melodies. a-side starts with dreamy downtempo intro elin, followed by crispy broken rhythms of colourful tension and closes with breezy and fluffy don’t rush with dubjazz. b-side contains mighty deep house trip morning way, and outro come, where the main character is undoubtedly ivan pona’s magic sax which created an illusory atmosphere over neotnas’s soul beat.

five years after the excursion to san francisco schabel now returns with his combo to the haven of his hometown. “the night & the city” is an album tailor-made for sonar kollektiv: a melange of genres which deploys live instruments on an equal footing with samples and herewith becomes a highly explosive mixture of latin percussion, funk, poppy dub, moody, folky soul, afrobeat, ethno-jazz, bossa nova, hiphop und blaxploitation soundtracks.

politics of dancing records first various artists sampler brings together five great producers who always delivers quality house music. lopaskis common grounds is a very classy floor filler, heavy on rhythm and atmospheres with the perfect breakdown. rhythm&soul s late night city is a deep spacy house track with a powerful bassline and heady vocals.reda dare s woman in gold is a great deep house groover with a chunky bassline and sweet tasting stabs. and carlos sanchez & alex kaddours caramba is a late night break beat stomper with a groovy acid bassline and soft atmospheres that will blow dancers mind.

five years after his last album release luke slater returns to ostgut ton with a new planetary assault systems longplayer, titled arc angel.

• 180 gram audiophile vinyl
• pvc protective sleeve
• featuring tracks from grandmaster melle mel & the furious five, arthur baker, afrika bambaataa & the soulsonic force + shango and many more!
beat street is an american 1984 drama film featuring new york city hip hop culture of the early 1980s, breakdancing, djing and graffiti.
there are several performances in the movie, notably from established early hip hop groups, grandmaster melle mel & the furious five, doug e. fresh, afrika bambaataa & soulsonic force and the treacherous three. as a member of the treacherous three, kool moe dee also appeared in the film.
beat street’s impact was felt internationally as well as throughout the united states. in germany, for example, beat street is credited with introducing the hip hop movement to the country.

light in the attic reissues their impossible to find 1969 album, originally out on third world recordings ! 5 on kurt cobains top 50 favorite albums. philosophy of the world is a collection of garage rock tunes that balanced charm and discordance in equal measure. in 1968, three sisters from fremont, new hampshire strapped on their instruments and declared themselves the shaggs. at that moment begun a peculiar tale that would last far beyond the groups five-year run. dot, betty and helen (and occasionally rachel, the fourth sister) played in the group on the insistence of their father, austin wiggin jr., who was convinced they were going to be big. years earlier, austins mother gave him a palm reading, predicting that her son would marry a strawberry blonde woman, that he would have two sons after his mother died, and that his daughters would form a popular music outfit. the first two became reality, so austin was certain the third would follow suit.

five crispy cuts of dusty acid house and uk techno on the a-side featuring idm leaning bass and ambient on the b-side.

jürgen karg’s career in music began in the 1960s as bass player for german jazz legend wolfgang dauner. it was not until the 1970’s that he switched his attention to electronic music, launching himself wholeheartedly into exploring the genre and building up an extensive collection of synthesizers over a five year period. his efforts culminated in “elektronische mythen”, a mighty opus of experimental music which reveals new aspects every time it is played. jürgen karg’s music is deeply serious, as vexing as a jamais vu, yet absolutely beautiful. “elektronische mythen” is an album which fits like a puzzle piece between the first and second soundtracks for a clockwork orange. it’s worth to check it out!

adult contemporary have always focused on meticulous production and manufacturing throughout the catalog history. this time no different in that regard, but the approach seems to have crossed over to the visual aspect of their ninth release, a glorious offering introducing artist invisibleland, as well as, a dazzling cover illustration synchronizing the entire package. the headlining lead track is astonishing itself. -six months of no rain- is a way of life in l.a. come every september which is when this multi-dimensional masterpiece lands.

the formula was simple: marry bubblegum and soul to the absolute sincerity of an enthusiastic child, cross your fingers and pray for airplay. but while the youthful sums of that formula may have grown up and walked away from their illusions of stardom, their permanent records remain. by 1973, michael, tito, jermaine, marlon and jackie were as hip as kids could get—household names, with lunchboxes, coloring books, a saturday morning cartoon, and an alpha-bits cereal commercial pushing the j5 brand onto any kid with television reception. their impressive run of four consecutive #1 singles playing on both pop and r&b stations cemented their appeal to both whites and blacks, prompting mgm to launch the osmonds as the safer (read: white) alternative. and parents? well michael had that wrapped up with his impossible-not-to-love mini-james brown thing. even their song selection straddled both sides, with “zip a dee do dah” and “abc” for kids, and contemporary standards “standing in the shadows of love” and “my cherie amour” for the older crowd. this extreme marketing and merchandising juggernaut created the kid soul explosion. a decade removed from our acclaimed home schooled compilation comes a fresh batch of talent show titans. with enterprising parents, neighbors, and teachers turning play dates into recording dates, groups like magical connection, little man and the inquires, and five ounces of soul emulated the jacksons, who’d made grade-school stardom appear easy as abc. afterschool special: the 123s of kid soul contains 19 tiny tunes ranging from bilingual d.a.r.e. anthem, to james brown bio, to young love and life beyond the playground.

if we put armando, gene hunt and steve pointdexter together in a room with a few synthesizers, some rhythm boxes, a roland 606 and a few cans of beer, what we would get is shrimp traxx. this very young, practically unknown austrian artist has just made his recording debut on bons records with five tracks that range in style from classic to trippy, psychotic acid house. these five jam sessions, made 100% using hardware, are now appearing on the catalan label. after an ep with a markedly 90s house sound, bons records is now turning towards more ghetto vibes with a record to be spun and danced to exclusively in a house club. this is not warm-up stuff!