the incredible san francisco area jazz funk spiritual imani-out of the blue original only 500 copies of this privately pressed record was manufactured in 1983. here is your rare opportunity to own a deluxe reissue of this impossible to find original. privately pressed by preston phillipps and pam byrd has been called the ultimate private press vocal anthem of bay area jazz. if you like john heartsman, aposento alto or minority band, don’t miss a true killer record.

ltd hand stamped

project by san francisco-based artist, producer and dj gonzo manuel.

materia obscura, launches with witchcraft themed three-part techno series entitled “trilogia del aquelarre”, inaugurating with abstract division, cadans, nx1 and lucindo. based on francisco de goya’s black paintings “el aquelarre”, which is exhibited at the museo del prado in madrid.

legwork’s footage series enlists two up-and-comers from the san francisco bay area. sepehr is a regular dj on the sf club and warehouse scene, making waves in early 2018 on the honey soundsystem label. justin lives and works across the bay in oakland, and can be found at many of the same parties. bottom line is you’ll be hearing more from these two in the future. raw detroit-style house is order here, with a remix from legwork hq of justin’s offering.

this is amsterdam based musique exotique’s launch realised in the form of a seducitive solid white, blue & purple 12” record that includes a free digital download (printed on the label) as well as wonderful cover art by the infamous japanese twins, hamadaraka.
dutch artists machinegewehr and ayden vice team up to bring that timeless retro italo vibe with moroder inspired bass arpeggiation, mysterious vocals and epic pads.
on the b side, san francisco based dutch artist, yobkiss, offers up a masterful remix taking the track into darker electro territory. his offering includes beautifully haunting japanese vocals by the producer’s long time collaborator yuko araki for exceptional exotiqueness.

a geniune collection of dubs from dats courtesy of downlink, slow cooked in a dusty drawer since 1997. a1 was originally released on mosaic and stays true to the dub techno sound which defined the label while the other tracks have never seen the light of day until now. if gritty acid workouts are your cup of tea then look no further. the a side features a printed artwork from san francisco based artist klari reis

certain feelings, visions, and sounds recur to us as if in dreams. flashes of recall, hints of remembrance, suggestions of what could have been, or what may yet still be. a spark — a glimpse — a glimmer. we gaze into the abyss, fearless, the abyss gazes back, familiar. cognition — recursion — immanence.
left hand path presents the second full-length lp, idol collapse, from forests &#26862,&#26519,. written by jon du, kuo-hung tseng, and zun long in taipei, taiwan. eight songs in 36 minutes that unfurl like a flower and expand like a mushroom cloud, designed for utter osmosis and total absorption. the helix twists, the loop is closed. the cycle begins anew.
mastered by mark pistel at room 5 studios, san francisco, california. produced in a deluxe gatefold vinyl edition with artwork by wang yu and design, layout by nathan rickard and allen chiu.

gavin hardkiss’ first record under the hawke moniker, released in 1993 and recently found in a nuclear bunker near san francisco are now available in limited quantity of the original pressing. featuring the original version plus remixes by scott hardkiss and robbie hardkiss. includes the b-side pacific coastal highway #1.

apollo welcomes ambient legend bvdub aka san franciscan brock van wey for a new album drowning in daylight .
van wey debuts on apollo with his stunning new album drowning in daylight, exploring cavernous soundscapes on a grand canvas that throb with a delicate intimacy. a stalwart dj and promoter of the halcyon 90s san francisco rave scene, van wey fled to china in the early 2000s to escape the curdling of his musical dreams as the scene became more commercial. since his return he s been incredibly prolific in his creation, etching out peerless ambient works that have captivated listeners with their delicate melody and fascinating textures through releases for the likes of echospace, kompakt and styrax - 2018 s a different definition of love marks his 30th bvdub album to date. classically trained in piano and violin as a child, van wey s symphonic approach to ambience is truly remarkable, epic in it s scale with each of it s 4 tracks clocking in around the 20 minute mark, drowning in daylight envelops the listener in swathes of nostalgic pads and nested layers of distortion, strings and haunted voices. drowning in daylight could well be van wey s crowning achievement to date and a testament to the power of instrumental abstract music to emotionally engulf the listener.

everybody on the west coast knew bubbles bubblesynski. we were going to make a record with him before he was murdered. we made it anyway with audio from his facebook posts and well be donating all profits to lgbtq friendly organisations in san francisco. hypnotic, repetitive, pounding acid house for djs & dancers.. 1 per customer

incl. love is a stranger !!!! cold beat is a san francisco-based quartet fronted by hannah lew (synths, vocals) with kyle king (synths, guitar), luciano talpini aita (synths) and sean monaghan (guitar).

h1 displays an idea of pop music that came together through years of living, long rounds of editing, re-amping, sending files to friends, a vista of san francisco and walks on the outskirts of cologne. the songs could appear in blazing sunlight, empty rooms or city nights. on the sleeves of the 330 records, acrylic colors flow together and congeal in a clear plastic mass.

here it is ! the long-awaited new lp from former dubtribe soundsystem shaman sunshine jones far from basking in bay area bliss, sunshine has been busy redefining his organic approach to music making and sound synthesis into a rich and textured fresh take on the house blueprint - best realised in his elaborate & ever-evolving live shows. assembling these improvised pieces into a cohesive whole, that might well just be the best vinyl based representation off a full night out you re likely to hear this year. from the emotive opener to last year s anthemic fall in love, not in line closer, home represents the fluid but refined garden of sound that s grown from dubtribe s rich 90 s foundation. the artwork on this splendidly presented gatefold lp is a photograph of sunshine performing live at the garden party in san francisco by the holy mountain, the collage is done by sunshine and the design is by fernando_graphicos. accompanied by detailed track notes, with all equipment used to make the record alongside sonic schematic. man and machine aligned for total transcendence ! single gatefold lp

as the title suggests, joakim recorded this new album last year at studio venezia, the installation/sculptural ensemble/recording studio created by xavier veilhan for the prestigious 2017 venice art biennale. built inside the french pavilion & inspired by the grotto-like merzbau by kurt schwitters, studio venezia had dozens of artists create and record there over the 6 months of the biennale (from chassol to brian eno, from joakim to sebastien tellier), invited by xavier veilhan himself with the help of co-curator christian marclay. with an impressive collection of rare instruments from medieval horns to rare modular synths (baschet crystals and percussions, a buchla, a clavinet...), studio venezia was an amazing creative playground for the adventurous musician. those instruments were captured by a team of sound engineers in the best possible way thanks to nigel godrich’s (beck, radiohead...) mobile studio loaded with state of the art vintage recording gear.

the debut release of new artist in san francisco on endless flight.
after we received his debut 7inch release on lips&rhythm records, we contacted him immediately….
summer feeling barealic tropical tunes.

jordan transformed his life this past year. it was a time of transition from one state of mind to another and falling in love. this record encapsulates this mental transition as well as a physical transition from his longtime home of new york to his new one in san francisco.

dark entries is proud to release ‘commerce’, the third ep from san francisco-based trio inhalt, german for “content”. the group was founded in 2009, and for the purposes of this recording are matia simovich, philip winiger and steven campodonico. inhalt’s core operative strategy is of sonic fidelity and integrity rather than nostalgia. their first release was a split 12- on world unknown in 2011 followed by two eps on dark entries, a remix ep on emotional especial and a part time punks session on cleopatra. ‘commerce’ is a close examination of the self destructive tendency of the ego in relation to the allure of negativity and mass tragedy. the ep details the psychopathy of relentless thirst mandated by neo-liberalism and traverses through the adoption of social and economic technologies that strengthen domination vis a vis self enslavement to disempowerment. employing the best of both modern and vintage techniques, the four songs on the ep utilize dense production, big snares, and powerful german vocals from philip. inhalt are informed by the brooding soundtracks of john carpenter as much as the vastness and sheen of trevor horn, and set out to explore the borders between the vocal-driven pop song and the expansive dancefloor 12&#8243,,,, arrangement. the record was produced over four years at the bands own black sun loft recording studio and different fur studios. paul lavigne mastered the ep in london, england at kontrast mastering and george horn handled the vinyl eq curve at fantasy studios, berkeley. each ep is housed in a specially designed jacket by leo merz and includes a lyric sheet with english translations.

delivering some fresh flavours from the west coast, we welcome seattle’s finest quadrant & iris back to dispatch, with the “calculated risk ep”. showcasing some exceptional us talents, additional production comes from seattle neighbours dstruct and kid hops, plus a debut from san francisco’s own jamal. the “calculated risk ep” is meticulously constructed but shrewdly balanced, as quadrant & iris bring hard hitting technicality, crafted with composed progression. dauntless & ant tc1 also join forces on opposite sides of the globe for the superb remix of “microsleep”, naturally closing an ep which demonstrates the shared passion and direction amongst quadrant, iris, their closest friends and dispatch today.

memories — places, vacancies, allusions — are fundamental characters in mary lattimore’s evocative craft. inside her music, wordless narratives, indefinite travelogues, and braided events skew into something enchantingly new. the los angeles-based harpist recorded her breakout 2016 album, at the dam, during stops along a road trip across america, letting the serene landscapes of joshua tree and marfa, texas color her compositions. in 2017, she presented collected pieces, a tape compiling sounds from her past life in philadelphia: odes to the east coast, burning motels, and beach town convenience stores. in 2018, from a restorative station — a redwood barn, nestled in the hills above san francisco s golden gate bridge — emanates hundreds of days, her second full-length lp with ghostly international. the record sojourns between silences and speech, between microcosmic daily scenes and macrocosmic universal understandings, between being alien in promising new places and feeling torn from old native havens. it’s an expansive new chapter in lattimore’s story, and an expression of mystified gratitude. a study in how ordinary components helix together to create an extraordinary world.

prophet ist ein funk-musiker aus dem underground der san francisco bay area. bis zu diesem jahr stand sein name lediglich auf einem obskuren album namens „right on time“, das 1984 als privatpressung bei treasure records erschien. peanut butter wolf, der gründer von stones throw, war sofort angetan. „es klang ein bisschen wie prince oder the time, aber dabei sehr lo-fi, wie in einer kammer aufgenommen“, jetzt kehrt prophet zurück. sein neues album „wanna be your man“ wurde von mndsgn produziert und klingt gleichzeitig nach retro-hit und zukunftsmusik. prophet wurde 2013 der tour-opener für snoop dogg & dam-funk.

excise is a vinyl-focused label based out of san francisco, california. each release pairs a regional californian techno artist and a local visual artist, thus serving as a platform to fuse the two local creative scenes. its first release features label co-owner muon with 3 hypnotic raw analog tracks. many of these tracks received heavy play time in the san francisco underground, and now are seeing a broader release for the first time.

aria rostami and daniel blomquist are from san francisco, ca, though rostami has recently moved to brooklyn, ny. rostami and blomquist s work occurs in two stages: the gathering/preparation of source material and the live performance.

back in 90s san francisco scott, gavin and robbie hardkiss helped pioneer the american underground scene with their club nights, warehouse parties and groundbreaking record label. they forged a new direction for dance music with a string of vinyl releases by hawke, god within, little wing and rabbit in the moon, culminating in the seminal compilation delusions of grandeur released in 1995. delusions of grandeur made the billboard dance charts, went to no.1 on the rolling stone alternative album chart and launched the international dj/production careers of the hardkiss brothers. in 2018 to celebrate the 20th anniversary, the album was remastered and re-released with this new vinyl.

transcendentally beautiful, the space ladys music is returning to earth. transmitting messages of peace and harmony, the space lady began her odyssey on the streets of boston in the late 70s, then san francisco ten years later, playing versions of contemporary pop music with an accordion and dressed flamboyantly. following the theft and destruction of her accordion , the space lady invested in a then-new casio keyboard, complete with a phase shifter and headset mic, birthing an otherworldly new dimension to popular song that has captured the imaginations of the underground and its leading exponents ever since.

mechatronica launches their new white series, dedicated to limited edition white label records across synth, wave, ebm and italo with a va release featuring inhalt, violet poison, sneaker and daniel holt.
mechatronica white 1 opens with sneaker’s gloomy remix of german synth-pop band opus leopard, followed by the electrifying instrumental version of “alles” - a relentlessly progressing piece of body music from san francisco trio, inhalt. on the flip, violet poison summons a fat, trippy ebm-leaning groove, before daniel holt finishes off the record with anthemic synths and a ticket to the cosmos on “floating mansions”.

san francisco in the late 1960. the hotbed of psychedelic and rock culture. the dead, joplin, jefferson airplane and a host of others all gaining mainstream acceptance for their acid tinged work. but the city and the surrounding bay area had so much more going for them. a liberal political outlook and a large african american and latino population, meant that musical and cultural reference points were wider and more easily assimilated there than (almost) anywhere else in the united states. two of the biggest groups to emerge from this scene were santana and sly and the family stone, with their melting pots of sound that took in jazz, soul, rock and latin influence. for a while they were two of the biggest acts in the united states and scores of local bands tried to follow in their footsteps. they were hard acts to follow and very few got to the stage of making a 45, never mind a whole lp. one of the best to do just that were leon’s creation, whose debut lp “this is the beginning” acid jazz are reissuing here. a native of san francisco leon patillo led the group, whose multi racial line-up echoed that of his heroes on the local scene. self contained and gigging locally they made their debut album at the tiny studio 10 who also custom pressed the album in extremely limited numbers the music is a perfect blend of acid soul, mixed with hippie sentiments that will get you dancing on the uptempo numbers such as the title track, ‘back roads’ – with its glorious harmonies and the soaring ‘power’. more thoughtful numbers such as ‘until you were gone’ or ‘love’ will touch your soul. so impressed was carlos santana that he eventually asked leon to join his band.

hell yeah recordings are pleased to announce they have been tempted into the reissue market. as such, the label starts a new off shoot, perdio (roughly meaning lost in portuguese) which will focus on putting out re-issues and new remixes of classic or forgotten gems. the first one is a newly remastered instrumental version and new francisco dub of giorgia morandi s children of the sky, a cover of the italo-classic -figli delle stelle- by alan sorrenti which just happened to be released 40 years ago.

black friday secret studio ft. kink recorded in san francisco, the impromptu incarnation of analog sounds and human voices with kink and friends in studio. alarm call secret studio building at pace, a fury of crashing hats and sirens sound out against the empty backdrop of space.

omerta inc will be bringing bodega bamz to vinyl for the first time ever, with a high quality pressing of this classic tape. limited edition pressing onto 180gm double transparent tan vinyl, each copy will come individually hand numbered and housed in a high quality matte sleeve with full original artwork. the pressing will feature all 15 tracks from the tapes original release, plus two bonus tracks navy and the don francisco remix featuring french montana.

dark entries is proud to release the debut album from bézier titled ‘parler musique’. bézier is taiwanese-american musician robert yang who is also part of the honey soundsystem crew. a multi-instrumentalist, robert grew up in southern california then planted his roots in san francisco in 2005. over the years in sf he has built an impressive analog synth-based studio, which also serves as the creative hub for his riveting live performances. parler musique clocks in at over 52 minutes with 8 tracks are spread across four sides for maximum loudness.

fuzzed out and psychedelic covers of rare and classic tracks performed by san francisco’s monophonics. monophonics are back with a six-song ep that fuses the complimentary and explosive soul, rock and funk influences, proving themselves to be the rightful inheritors of the bay area’s impressive psychedelic soul sound. mirrors is comprised entirely of cover tunes, except that i doubt you’ve ever heard of half the deeply funky and soulful originals that inspired these soulful, tastefully produced, and timeless monophonics treatments. “we wanted to do a couple songs that were more familiar to people and then shine some light on groups we’re big into,” lead singer, keyboardist and co-producer kelly finnigan explains. it takes a lot of guts to cover your favorite songs, your van jams, that song you play as a shot of inspiration to break-up a marathon studio session. “not only are these great songs, but these are artists that we listen to and are influenced by.”

excise is thrilled to host san francisco underground xture max gardner on the label’s 3rd vinyl release. max runs the legendary californian party crew direct to earth and he’s equally a hypnotic dj selector and highly skilled synthesist. as you’ll see on this release max’s tracks are not only excellent dj tools but also deeply interesting for close-listening: truly unique electronic music dif culty to pigeonhole into a genre. “mona loops” is an immersive experience on club speakers as an eerie high-pitched synth line twists in unexpected ways over powerful waves of bass. next max remixes label co-owner muon’s track “kmc” redefining its raw elements into a blitzing four and half minute romp held together by a jagged low-mid frequency lead line. “broken pinkies” is hard to de ne. all we can say is it embodies the feeling of the san francisco all night underground world more than any single song in recent memory. it begs for repeat listening. yan cook joins the excise family for a banging remix of “broken pinkies”almost shocking in its spin off the original. we’re huge fans of yan over here and this track embodies what we love most about his productions - groovy but with serious bite.

sorceror s dream season defines the dreamtime sound even further with it s journeys through psyched out space surf sounds with disco grooves.5 tracks dreamed from a moody moment in time and space, to the tape head in the berkley arena in san francisco.

freshly launched vinyl label exploring the gradients of techno with a direction to move. 3 raw cuts from producer jamaica suk, san francisco native now based in berlin, featuring a remix from cassegrain.

music written and performed by jonas reinhardt with additional percussion by warren huegel, glissando bass by diego gonzalez, guitar by phil manley, and electronics by matthew patterson curry.
recorded and mixed by jonas reinhardt at the equinox, by matthew patterson curry at transmitter park studio, brooklyn, and by phil manley at el studio, san francisco.
album artwork by leo mayberry
mastered by rashad becker at dubplates & mastering, berlin
produced by jesse reiner

the squirrels from san francisco are back and they re wearing white after labor day pressing up a limited white-label 12inch, full of the throbbing electro, altered-states body music, and head-in-the-clouds techno you ve come to expect from squirrels on film.

the superb forbidden planet is a shiny early electro cut with a great funk bass line, a real instrumental groove and fantastic melodies that shimmer like a hot sun. it s filled with joy and sounds as fresh today as ever, the way it ducks and dives and offers real warmth. the francisco remix keeps the funk vibe but changes the groove to be a more chicago house style cut. as such it has a rasping bassline, big drums and coarse percussion that make you want to jack. the masterful ali renault—a go-to disco and synth specialist who runs cyber dance records, human shield record company and most recently his own vivod imprint—then turns out a hypnotic version that is more driven and direct for the dance floor, with robotic bass and epic reflective synth lines. it s a cinematic track with great analogue textures that goes back to the future. the last original is the excellent stay with me , a cosmic love song with breezy trumpets and dreamy disco vibes as well as soulful vocals. italo melodies and infectious percussion finish it off and make it an instant crowd pleaser.

van morrison scheint 2017 kreativer denn je zu sein: mit »versatile« präsentiert der nordirische musiker, sänger und komponist keine drei monate nach seinem letzten album »roll with the punches« schon wieder ein neues werk.
dieses mal kombiniert van morrison jazzstandards wie »i get a kick out of you«, »makin’ whoopee«, »unchained melody« und »a foggy day« mit überarbeiteten versionen eigener originale, darunter »i forgot that love existed«, »only a dream«, »take it easy baby« und »start all over again«. ein highlight der platte ist auch eine neu arrangierte version des traditionellen schottischen volksliedes »skye boat song«.
weiterhin wartet auf »versatile« noch ein brandneuer van-morrison-song, nämlich »broken record«.
das doppel-vinyl erscheint im klappcover inklusive downloadcode.

san francisco label left hand path’s latest record is a contemporary techno opus, featuring four tracks, each with a distinct sound and feel, designed to set off a dancefloor and invigorate your stereo.

nice price deal !!! since sepalcures debut ep, love pressure dropped last summer, the new york based act otherwise known as travis stewart (machinedrum) and praveen sharma (braille) have made a lasting impression on the electronic sphere over the last year with unforgettable live performances across the usa and europe, as well as a stunning follow-up ep, fleur. their unique chemistry as a duo is undeniable and has resulted in a soulful, emotive, and energetic style that is entirely their own. on this remix ep, five of the usa’s most exciting dance music producers of late have offered their unique takes on the original tracks, all bringing their own signature elements into the fore: xi (orca, toronto), faltydl (planet mu, new york), jimmy edgar (!k7, detroit), daedelus (ninja tune, los angeles), and recent hotflush signing lando kal (lazer sword, berlin via san francisco).

(part 2 of 2) tribal rites is a musical autobiography of sorts from one of dance musics most dedicated historians, bill brewster.

der gefeierte produzent und remixer giraffage veröffentlicht sein debütalbum auf counter records!
zwei jahre lang hat der in san francisco beheimatete produzent giraffage in seinem schlafzimmer an seinem debütalbum gewerkelt, das von seiner persönlichen reise der selbstheilung erzählt, bei dem jeder song eine andere periode in seinem leben repräsentiert. kaleidoskopische beats und verträumte synth-pop- und r&b-melodien umrahmen das neue werk, bei dem japanese breakfast, body language’s angelica bess und viele andere mitgewirkt haben. der sohn zweier taiwanesischer einwanderer ist schon früh zur musik gekommen - einer deutlichen abweichung der sonstigen kulturellen erwartungen innerhalb seiner familie. doch schnell schaffte er mit ganz speziellen remixen seiner r&b-lieblingslieder, die im internet regelrecht explodierten, den aufstieg vom regional bekannten act, der bloß in kleinen auskennerblogs beachtung fand, hin auf die bühnen der weltweit größten festivals.
schwarzes 180g vinyl inklusive downloadcode.

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.

dark entries and honey soundsystem records have teamed up once more to release the final volume of gay porn soundtracks by san francisco-based musician and producer, patrick cowley.

after making waves a few years back via his potatohead people project (with astrological) and co-producing illa j s critically acclaimed self titled lp, vancouver based playboy & producer nick wisdom steps out from behind the boards to deliver his first solo release for bastard jazz. the -intimate strangers- ep mines deep into nick s proclivities for disco, hip-hop, and house flavours. -good times- kicks things off with a snapping four on the floor, deep rhodes chords and a rollicking bassline and vocals courtesy of mr. wisdom himself. -feelin alright- heads into outerspace disco territory with cosmic synths, walking bass, and sultry vocals courtesy of reva devito (hw&w, kaytranada). on the flipside -don t tell- brings in some 80s boogie vibes with downlow vocals from san francisco s k-maxx, while -rock the cash bar- is an instrumental party rocking hip-hop jam sounding like a modern day showbiz & ag.

this june session victim returned to delusions of grandeur imprint with their third studio album. listen to your heart is the result of a year of cross-continental scripting, started in their hamburg studio and wrapped up stateside in san francisco’s room g studios where the duo had worked on their 2014 lp see you when you get there. here we present the third of three lp samplers containing four tracks each, cut nice and loud for the vinyl crew.
we kick things off with almost midnight, another uplifting summer jam loaded with trademark session victim energy and positive vibrations. next up we have castle for sale which drops the bpm’s for a dub influenced, spaced out jam session sounding like king tubby and nightmares on wax getting stuck in the proverbial lift with a large bong for company.
flipping over we have a head over heels, which goes heavy on the lush orchestral strings and a brilliant bouncing moog bassline bringing a deft touch. finally we’re treated to thermal explorer, which incorporates some wonderful larry heard-esque keyboards for a perfect wind-down track to close the release.
an impeccable demonstration of retro-inspired yet forward thinking house and downtempo music, listen to your heart sees session victim at the top of their game.

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.

brooklyns pimps of joytime new album third wall chronicles is a fresh collection of 10 funk anthems ready to put a smile on faces across the globe. an intersection of brooklyn’s indie music scene, new orleans funk and san francisco soul, the pimps new studio release unites us around a common bond of peace, love and music. the apex of positivity and a solace from the daily grind shines bright as the pimps of joytime throw the dance party of the year on third wall chronicles and everyone is invited! tophatlounge.com