after repeatedly being visited by a strange messenger in his dreams while on tour in the islands of greece, toby pazner became consumed with a vision to tell the stories of theolympians through music. chosen by the gods as a messenger for not only his musical gifts, but for his unique position at the center of the daptone family, toby built a home studio from scratch and employed some of the top soul musicians in the world to help him breath life into this album. the result is a dramatic and cinematic journey to the outer limits of instrumental soul music, built on a foundation laid by the same craftsmen who’s bricks built the legacies of sharon jones, lee fields, charles bradley, the budos band, and menahan street band, and painted with lush strings, harpsichord, harp and horns. the olympians is destined to be the instrumental gem of the year.
the vinyl lp includes a download code.

after the success of their first release, emotive returns with a 3 track follow up from label forefathers silk 86. emotive 002 continues the theme of its predecessor, with an evocative blend of house, disco and some much needed soul laying the foundations for all 3 tracks.
the aptly named “vince charming” kicks off the package, drawing you in with a smooth bass hook before the vocal gets to work on embedding itself deep into your mind. on the flip side “whenever you need me” is a driving house workout, featuring cascading strings and horns straight out of disco s heyday. rounding off the package is the not so subtle “vince charming g mix” a thumping club ready rework of the a side.

12 inch with printed deluxe sleeve... limited! first original release from label founders anton klint & edvin e (public possession, folk disk, tiedye, dfa, italians do it better)
tryck & ton is run by edvin e & anton klint. after a couple of amazing edit releases the guys return with the first original work from the newly founded label. conga liver is a percussion driven banger with serious highs and lows. the track gets remix treatment from lisbons finest tiago, who adds a discogroove, horns & an incredibly groovy baseline to the table. final track ‘on the flip’ is a playful groover sounding like robotnik having a loud wine-impregnated argument with tony allen over who to host the afterparty.

gloria glorinha – quirky, upbeat mpb-funk with soaring vocals, jb esque stabs, horns and bubbling piano. originally released as part of a 4-track 7” ep on odeon from 1970.

most excellent unlimiteds series of 45s celebrating the 45th year of danny krivits career continues with a blast of two heavyweight cuts that, to borrow the parlance of the era from which they came, are bonafide sure shots. wood, brass & steels *funkanova* a jazz-funk masterpiece and loft classic that was liberally sampled in the house world (black science orchestra, terrence parker, the bucketheads), is pared down to its most joyous elements. from the intro, a typical krivit maestros detail of an opening bass slide prefacing hands-in-the-air cascades of iconic horns and keys, to the echo of the last notes, its a perfect edit immaculately tailored for dj usage. the flip delves deeper into new york city dance history with a rough and rugged beat- down of a proto-disco, b-boy classic: boobie knight & the universal ladys * sex*. displaying his usual knack of going straight for the jugular, krivit takes the songs siren-call-to-the-dance floor horn riff as his starting point, peeling off another layer to the floor-shaking bass and drums before bringing it all back to the top with a perfectly placed drum roll that will have flash disciples fiending for doubles. solidifying this blazing double-sider is the fact that neither of these essential cuts has ever appeared in seven-inch form. another most excellent unlimited sure shot!

celestial being visited nairobi at the end of august and beginning of september 2012 where he worked with local musicians to create celestial music. kenge kenge brought cow horns and hand made drums and were joined by local folk singers olith, who had come to nairobi through making music with king kong and irungu with his father who has since passed. when asked what the kenge groove sounded like, the receptionist prisca said its like the angel is coming before proceeding to provide additional vocals for all three tracks. nairobi story tells of an ancient village story passed down as a folk song to the present generation. celestial being kept forgetting whether olith was male or female and ending up making a song with him called all woman. this is currently a vinyl only release

since his first release in 2014, gardens of god has been building himself a sterling reputation that many can only dream of. this autumn sees the lithuanian dj and producer launch his own sodai imprint, with his own two track production river/ghost ep forming the debut release.river opens with a captivating force and level of intricacy that’s undeniably a gardens of god signature production. g host is highly emotive and charged, a record that unfolds with such force taking overarching white noise and horns to command the peak of the night. the creation of the sodai label arose as an outlet to release his own music at his own pace. as he explains,sodai will allow me to experiment with my sounds and create an ongoing project that gives me the freedom to style both with art and music. minidaugas lapinskis aka gardens of god has only released a handful of ep s and yet his name is often spoken with great regard among fellow artists, including the illustrious maceo plex. for over a decade gardens of god has been steadily mastering his craft and creating both film and television scores. it is only in recent years that he has decided to unveil his work and open the doors to his studio, as seen over at xlr8r

“i’m okay” is a twist of melancholic melodies and soothing beats. a dreamy, tranquilizing journey providing a soft soundtrack to a lazy late-night forest wander. euphoric horns drift over tight snares and undulating low end, taking you on an elevated trip to the spiritual side of the cosmos.

katastrofa ep is an ex-yu edits release which transforms forgotten gems from the former yugoslavia. russian valique and serbian veteran selector funky junkie are behind this project. opener katastrofa offers a delicious blend of heavy, synth-laden 80s boogie, punchy afrobeat horns and bold, chant a-long vocals, while the slower, more chugging frka is an adriatic delight all lazy, sun-kissed synths, sugary sweet vocals and sloppy kisses. as for closer yugoslavia, it sounds like a disco-house anthem in waiting, as the duo adds bumpin beats to a rising, horn-heavy chunk of starlight disco

dj shadow, widely acknowledged as a crucial figure in the development of experimental, instrumental hip-hop, will return with the mountain will fall worldwide on june 24 via mass appeal records, his first full length release since 2011. the 12-track album finds dj shadow exploring new realms in addition to the deep samples and kinetic soundscapes that helped to launch his career 20 years ago. on the mountain will fall hes shifted further toward original composition, a vast experimentation of beats and textures, synthesizers and live instruments including horns and woodwinds. the album features run the jewels, nils frahm, matthew halsall, ernie fresh and more.
the double vinyl release comes in a gatefold sleeve with download code included.

1800haightstreet stacking up some serious mountainous techno heat from the depths of vancouver. an insect army marching upon the world, with no hope and only apocalyptic horns and terror-inducing drones emanating from the heavens.

colognes well-liked party imprint feines tier kicks off its in-house label with johannes klingebiels latewood ep. johannes provides four original tracks with a capital o! on the a-side the title track with its steaming pads and melancholic synth lines is almost too sweet to be true, while kontakt gets the house party started, serious drum machine work-out and synth horns all inclusive! the flipside delivers the trippy cyprian, revealing that piano sampling still can feel fresh and inventive, and trancy fancy, where nomen est omen.

nice price deal !!! including laurent wery >nagasaki<, sandy rivera feat. rae >persuasion (c. castel mix)<, steffano azati >horns< and dim chris feat. angie >love can t get u wrong<

the official mr bongo reissue.
‘os orixas’ is rich in layered percussion, horns and guitars. singer eloah’s lead vocals are reminiscent of the likes of ellen mcilwaine, elza soares and joyce. samba, funk, folk, jazz and mpb over ijexa and african grooves, that combine beautifully across the moods. os orixas refers to one of the manifestations of the ’supreme god’ in the yoruba faith.

dj support : groove armada, psychemagik, greg wilson, horse meat disco & rahaan
on his previous midnight riot releases, joutro mundo has always included a number of scorching reworks of brazilian disco and boogie faves. now from his debut album the fast-rising producer is serving a 12 inch feast of authentic brazilian fare. a ride through uncharted brazilian boogie territory, strictly for the late nite tuff guy contingent where new productions are smoothly wrapped around golden sun-kissed loops, jaunty horns with additional added acid b-lines, funky beats & percussion

limited edition of 300 copies, housed in a screen printed sleeve. includes a download code.
the flawed wonders that yair elazar glotman puts forth on his latest opus i know no weekend are the coldest dreams you would ever wish to immerse yourself in. they recall echoes of echoes, forced into slowly struggling shapes, ghosts of memories, whispers of life from another dimension. shamanic-repetitive beats shift slowly beneath echoing bells and fragments of past transmissions. overwhelmingly, one is taken into upon a winding mental path, with no clear resolution in sight, although the journey is ever-evolving and new.

the allergies are back with another slice of 45 action. love s supposed to be takes you back to the glory days of northern soul, with an upbeat rhythm section driving the track, and a sing-along vocal that cuts through perfectly. on the flip is the crowd pleasing title track taken from their album, as we do our thing . brandishing punchy horns, motown-esque drums and unapologetic samples, this track is the embodiment of what they re all about.this is without a doubt a must have piece of wax that would be at home in anyone s 45 collection. as we do our thing was album of the day on bbc 6 music and hit top 3 in the itunes chart and 1 on juno download. the first single rock rock featuring andy cooper of ugly duckling fame was tune of the month in mixmag and was accompanied by a killer video that was featured on channel 4 sunday brunch

fresh off the heels of the success of their ‘waiting ground’ ep, the boys in black, frank & tony, are skating back onto the scene with another four track summer stomper, ‘under the jaguar sun’. the a-side starts things off with the titular track, a rollicking deep house number primed for sunset raves. a bouncing and lush bass line is the back bone of the track, as crisp hi-hats, distant, yearning pads, and shimmering bells propel dancers forward into eyes closed euphoria. things ramp up quickly into peak-time ecstasy on the breakaway edit of solo andata’s “a ballet of hands.” a whirling dervish of delicate music boxes, bowed guitars, delicate music boxes, and distant horns swirl around and weave in and out between a skipping drum pattern, pushing and pulling alongside a gruff and stuttering bass, perfect for those late night rooftop ventures.

all good things take time, aussteiger said once. and indeed, it took a serious amount of time to get everything set for what soon will be known as dub disco s first release! we’ve been digging deep inside his tune collection. not only to make sure that the first three-tracker is a belter, but that it also showcases exactly the kind of musical approach we wanted as our personal imprint: to hell with a boring and homogeneous release that only represents one genre! we were looking for something that stands for itself, something that tells a story, something that is representative for what the artist stands for in a musical sense. and after a tedious quest, we carefully curated something we think is dope! kicking off the number one is a track disclosing the joint forces of berlin-based collective of musicians los wawis and aussteiger s capabilities as a remixer. here appears a psychedelic version of the track, which is carried by gentle guitars, a dubby bassline as well as the funky-trippy synthesizers that usher a tropical vibe onto the dancefloors. the starter on the flip is entitled “heimat” and comes around as a melancholic interpretation of aussteiger’s time in exile, a period that enabled him to craft his very own style. there is not much to say about this bomb that the ear doesn t catch instantly: this one is an honest earworm, with it s irresistibly arranged horns and a pervasive and driving bassline. to finish everything off, we went for a nasty banger, that carefully blends different aspects of the raving side of dance music. the electrifying broken beat and it’s haunting bassline are blended with an intense influence of acid.

just in time for summer, sol power sound is proud to present its 4th release, the djidjo vide ep, a 1-2 punch of afro house by label heads, the sol power all-stars. djidjo vide, the title track on the a-side, features dc (via togo) afrobeat band, elikeh. it s a vibey slice of propulsive afro house about finding joy in the face of hardship. massama dogo s commanding vocals (sung in mina) combined with the driving bassline, and aggressive horns (performed by dc s sticky bear) make djidjo vide a summer sure shot for a roof-top jam, beachside dance floor, or nightclub near you. the b-side, tell me why is darker and deeper, chock full of percussion, a chopped vocal sample, and in-your-face afrobeat horns (performed by matt rippetoe and joe herrera of dc s the harry bells). it s a late-night beatdown that will set things off proper in a dark room!

frank booker is back down in the basement for the 3rd release on his hot new vinyl only imprint. the main man himself delivers the a side cut, which is a classic booker style disco jam. by now standard booker ingredients are served - super tight drums, funky bass, big strings, joyous horns, a wild piano riff - and the whole affair climaxes with a joyous vocal hook. irresistible stuff! on the flip side, frank s compadre dicky trisco drops another serious disco weapon that is guaranteed to kick-start any party with its chunky, funk-inspired sound. absolutely ready to tear up the dance floor at any moment, it is again the keys that really seal the deal here. both tracks have 100% got the funk and have been lovingly mastered for this limited edition 10 inch vinyl release. making this yet another stellar release on the down in the basement label - as you would expect!

something special from camp critical as two of electronic music’s leading lights lock horns for a vs battle of epic proportions. taking the jungle fleck of “mind & spirit” from sam’s “wasted days” lp of last year and one of breakage’s most memorable cuts from way back when (2005), the results are as you’d expect from these two. utterly essential listening.

london 2016, the rebirth of underground soulful disco keeps unfolding with more power than ever before, and los charly s orchestra stay firm and loyal to their authenticity after almost a decade its beginning. lco gets together with old friend, lead singer, vocal arranger andre espeut in order to produce their latest soulful-disco conveyor which is due to drop on the online shops as well as record stores under the name of -sunshine- beginning of june. following the earth wind & fire vibe from lco s previous single: -all around the world- and also paying tribute to disco/soul legend: maurice white who unfortunately joined the list of -departed music legends- quite recently, here it comes this brand new release. credits: vocals: andre espeut keys: milt mavrakakis guitar: raphael dephino bass: matheus nova drums: juan laya percussion: alejandro martinez strings: mr martin smith horns: eikel venegas production: juan laya & jorge montiel

yoruba records is pleased to bring you a taste of the upcoming who am i remix album featuring a floor filling remix from none other than louie vega. weekend love takes you back to place when love made you smile, featuring the voices of melbournes own motty & siobhan, the perfect vocal duo bringing it all together. louie keeps the soul of the original while delivering a level of house music flair that only he can. vegas roots nyc mix is reminiscent of his classic material, this one is certain to have you vibing to the bassline and is an absolute floor filler. the flip side brings you two deep cuts of pelagonia, the first of which is from up- and-comer at one. his chunky drums and spaced out horns will take you on a hypnotic journey. as the vocal chants come in they seem to remove all doubt, this deep, late night cut is a must have. closing out this ep is yoruba honcho osunlades yoruba soul mix. a heavy, percussion-driven jam that boasts floor-ready bass and clever use of the original horn section, as it builds into a climax this tune is sure to heat up your summer. stay tuned for the full who am i remix album due out late 2016.

australia’s deep street soul, since signing to freestyle records in 2008, have earned a reputation as being right at the grittiest end of the hard funk scene who made a big impact from the outset - with even the mc5’s wayne kramer saying that their version of kick out the jams “... is the greatest version of the song ever recorded!”. from their debut self titled instrumental long player, to the 2011 follow up look out, watch out (and the addition of vocalist mighty may johnston) this band have grown, matured and honed thier songwriting skills, as well as maintaining their rare ability to really capture the essence of the original raw funk & soul artists that inspire them. 2016 sees them return with this quite spectacular new collection. whilst the diamond hard, driving grooves remain undiminished, there is also no doubt that the bands song writing has developed to an equally assured level. case in point is souls come alive - from monique boggia’s wurlitzer electric piano intro, the blistering horns and may johnson’s simply exemplary singing - the songs instant appeal will be lost on no one with an ear for genuine organic soul music. come alive also features guest vocalists joshua tavares and kylie auldist - come alive is deep street souls finest work - no if’s, but’s or maybe’s. it s a done deal.

jami bassols has been a close member of hivern since its beginnings as one half of aster. now, following the release of noche/ templo, his two acclaimed edits for nvh, he returns to the label with his solo debut as jmii. in thrills, the barcelonian producer displays a sound that s equally raw and lively, with a very personal sense of quirkiness. the title track is jmii s most expansive production to date. an uplifting house number built around an elastic bassline and sprinkled with a bubbly arpeggiated melody, echoed vocal snips and ravey pads. bailar is a sort of lunatic take on chi-house, with a crude bassline, psychotic organ chords and feverish percussion coming together to form an ultra-infectious groove. tightbrass follows a similar path, but conducted by frenzied synthetic horns that bring to mind a marching band of manic robots. in his remix, comeme s christian s. brings the track to a darker territory, reducing it to it s core elements and focusing in a nasty bassline that will for sure cause serious damage in the dancefloors in the upcoming months.

another extremely rare underground disco track coming out of the peter brown & patrick adams (p&p) camp - check!! this 1979 floor packer comes in long and short version, originally released on lonnie which was a division of famed queen constance records. the first bit of the track has a loose funk groove with horns that turns into this incredible 4/4 percussive disco track with cool keywork at about halfway down the track. tip!

luke hess and dj richard remix sides a and b of drone 005 for the sixth release from drone. luke hess takes overview effect, richard fearless dubbed out, detroit techno fused title track, and transposes its mood, breaking out the 303 and sampling the original strings to add an element of dazed hallucination for this peak time acid track. dj richard brings crafted electro rhythms and swelling, dubbed out horns to his remix of metal dub, completely reimagining the stripped-down, metallic techno of the original

good things come to those who wait. the long-anticipated land of light debut, a masterpiece of an album and pillar of the esp institute, was unveiled in late 2012, slowly followed by the gorgeous remixed ii. since then, many have longed for the missing first half of this two-part package, the universe is kind and has finally delivered remixed i. on side a, kuniyuki takahashi (mastering engineer behind seminal esp releases, and legend in his own right) took the bull by the horns remixing flares—a piece of music so entrenched in melancholy, with such fluid performance and production, its hard to imagine anyone taking it deeper—he has unarguably triumphed. on side b, esp institute veterans tambien rose to the same challenge with flares, the bavarians taking a refreshing uptempo approach, a contrast to the swells of guitar and synth. closing the release is the seahawks blissful re-imagination of bell rock outpost, slowly and steadily setting sail into a dusky vision of the scottish lighthouse after which the song was named.

james duncan - producer of a flawless string of ep s for labels such as real soon and his own le systeme imprint, horns man for metro area, morgan geist and lem springsteen (mood ii swing) and currently on trumpet duties for sal principato (liquid liquid) - invites us to join him on a whistle stop tour through some of the subway stations in his neighbourhood for the first in a series of “brooklyn beats”.

very nice patrick adams & billy nichols produced boogie tune. original copies are very rare! huge record!
while being a rare patrick adams and billy nichols production, mary clark’s “take me i’m yours” has in recent years become one of the most celebrated disco tracks by contemporary deejays. this borderline gospel-disco gem has all the elements of a timeless disco cut, a driving bass line, powefully arranged strings and horns, but most importantly, a very soulful performance by mary clark. like many of peter brown’s “affliate” labels, little is known about them or the artists recorded. originaly released in 1980 on ‘la shawn’, it is rumored to have been no more than 200 records originally pressed, making this one of the most sought 12 inches among collectors.

kings and queens marks the return of john brown s body with their finest album yet. featuring 12 songs by lead singer elliot martin and the usual amazing drum and bass anchor from tommy benedetti and nate edgar, along with intense horn work from the jbb horns, kings and queens is a deep record sure to please jbb fans new and old. the vinyl lp includes a download code.

fresh from their remix of jinx *car full of herbs*, bristol/london bass specialists vinyl junkie & sanxion return to asbo records alongside legendary reggae singer bushman with *talk too much*. things get busy from the start on the original dnb version, a tightly packed and weighty amen break welcomes in bushmans thoughtful melodic vocals with dubwise horns and instrumentation recreating that timeless reggae vibe at 170bpm with snatches of bleeps and pads that hint at vinyl junkie & sanxions oldskool hardcore/jungle history. dj westy on the remix fattens things up bringing the bass to the front for a real sound system smasher. the 140 remix retains the main elements of the original with added dirty bass and half time drops perfect for festival season, guaranteed to be a crowd pleaser for fans of breaks reggae and that early rave sound.

karim sahraoui has been producing gems for many years under various names such as djinxx, soul monkey and electronique resistance. after a break 2014 saw his return to the business under his real name and producing music that is closer to him than ever. releases included the future classic eternal life ep pt 1 on derrick mays transmat and appearances on labels such as cocoon. the a-side features the epic 10-minute original version of horns of glory on which karim takes his time to unfold the story of the track: a journey filled with beautiful melodies and rhythms that paint a lush landscape of sound. side b features the earth from above which again has a fairy-tale feeling to it. the b2 is vince watsons pumping and powerful remix of horns of glory which gives the track an energetic hypnotic quality and rounds off the package well.

side a
* 4 u (kick back mix):
warm and bouncy emax samples with screwed g lyrics – laid back evolution of drums – unexpected break announced by air raid siren and followed with euphoric disco theme.
side b
dedicated to late night club session.
* station wave (club mix):
heavy nonchalant slap bass – progression of house stabs and altered drums – final stage with infected juno voice.
* sneakers 91 (intuitive mix):
efficient wooden piano bass line – 90s digital horny horns – fatal female beat-box voices.

** repress 2016 ** two of the black madonnas most sought after early tracks return to circulation alongside one burning new jam on goodbye to all this, the latest release from stripped & chewed. drawn from the chicago labels 2012 compilation livin for the city ep, the piano dappled joy of *exodus* luxuriates across side a, spreading the good word with a pounding beat. *we dont need no music (thank you, rahaan)* from scrs004 takes another whirl around the dancefloor, its pinwheeling horns and infectious vocals pulling even wallflowers into the fray. and in case two remastered sure-shots arent enough, the brand new *who do you need* closes the record with a soulful thwack: half uplifting house, half blistering techno – all peak-time fodder. a fine addition to the black madonnas discography alongside records for argot, the nite owl diner, hometaping is killing music, and of course stripped & chewed.

its always been tricky predicting what firecracker recordings will release next, though few would have expected an ep of freestyle, darkside drum machine jazz and percussive drone from berceuse heroique, nous and bedouin regular healing force project. sounding like early 23 skidoo replayed on drum machines and samplers, theres much to admire about the hectic rhythms, foreboding textures and dusty samples at the heart of gravitational lensing. its unclassifiable and completely out there, paranoid, dense and intense, with the fizzing drums, mangled horns and metallic percussion hits of random walks just edging out the experimental jungle-jazz madness of apophenia in the top tracks stakes.

following on from last years 1 sided white label ‘home’ which subsequently sold out in a flash, 2 more tracks from e. myers have been commited to plastic. a side ‘hate’ is a dreamy house track with a rounded bassline with horns and strings that lift it into the stratosphere. b side ‘love’ things take a somewhat darker, more ebm driven turn. 1 time press, act fast.

ruff daft returns, and after a various artist ep for number 7, number 8 on the label goes back to the founder, with three new tracks from cottam washed out kicks things off, at the cross roads between mood hut & basic channel where dub techno sensibilities meet dreamy chords for a delectable deep house track. horns harks back to cottam s earliest releases, with an afro-ish horn loop teased out over four minutes until the full loop and bass kick in to devastating effect. a ruff draft sees cottam look back towards his techno roots, with a killer kick drum and raw acid lending an abrasive edge to a well rounded ep of varied styles.

being at an albion gig is like entering a bedouin tent and smelling the scent of an exotic spice for the first time, at that point you can t imagine living without it for the rest of your life.- the psychedelic disco viking is back. master crate digger albion is a dj who doesn t merely take you on another drum journey, but adds an extra dimension where preconceptions don t apply. it can take a while to get used to it, but sophistication never went out of style, it just took more than three decades to catch up. when the coin finally dropped, albion was there to pick it up. when it comes to the mixtura series albion always opens up new ground. he only selects the finest cuts for our table like -burning disco- we here sexy sultry voice from a man who probably has a very large moustache dont you know i m dancing like an eagle in sky, people always ask me why? onto flamingo synths play in tandem with guitar and flute glides though a delay without a care in the world, add the horns and sexy porno voice and you got a winner. mustang is about letting the good times roll, freaky disco biscuits with dash of rock? yes please. comes correct on 180g white vinyl with no repress

philadelphia s michael the lion has been making waves recently with his original productions and edits for soul clap records and razor-n-tape. michael s most known edits ep brings the philly flavour with big strings, hot percussion and uplifting vibes. he adapts the trademark sound he d developed for over a decade under the pseudonyms dj apt one and rcmp - live instruments sit seamlessly with sampled grooves to create organic, classic textures. the lion sound is always funky, always strong and always ready for the floor. a1. the hangover - a reslung take on one of the great dancefloor classics. a long-time staple of michael s tour sets. a2. know this - rock solid philly funk grooves complete with live bass and organ right in the pocket. b1. fly robert - strings and percussion rule the day on this uplifting take on a most known cut. b2. bo knows - bo knows afro-latin percussion, bo knows horns. bo knows feel-good vibes! michael s recent releases have had dj support from bicep, faze action, mark farina, the reflex, kraak & smaak, greg wilson, jacques renault, cosmo baker, mousse t, ron basejam, yam who?, razor-n-tape, nicholas, dj bruce, soul clap, sleazy mcqueen, hot toddy, pete herbert, dj rocca, inkswel, recloose and more.

the recognition is a new alias from johan antoni who works in stockholm’s finest synth shop jam syntotek. all the tracks are produced in his home...dope stuff!

the first vinyl release on abandoned audio, the new sub-label from 31337 records, ezekiel honig‘s ‘a film of string & wood‘ continues his form of refracted, geographically oriented, electroacoustics. sitting in a background of field recordings and incidental real-world objects, textured piano and horns act as cement for chunky, yet subdued rhythms that fall over themselves and snap back into place. warm, looming tonal progressions remain incredibly intimate and focused while retaining an expansiveness of space, a perfect metaphor for honig’s music on the whole – personal and specific while intersecting with something more universal. throughout its five tracks, ‘a film of string & wood‘ stretches and pulls its melodies, weaving them through each blocky snare, each bassy kick drum phrase, with a heart and mind that hearkens to a different time, memory-tinged with a nostalgia for a moment that is yet to pass. pressed on sturdy 180 gram vinyl and featuring artwork/design by ezekiel honig.

welcome back to the movielike resonating sound world of the 23s. already in 2008 the mysterious one-man band proofed with the album “bolivia” that they are trying to do another kind of music – something that isn’t entertainment, something that isn’t show, something that goes gently straight to your soul. now the producer from nord-rhine-westphalia did it again and tuned in the longplayer “flamingo”. anew he delivers a special kind of cinematic journey music that grooves opposite to his other, more rhythm based hypnotic dance productions. also as the 23s he produces pattern-based music, but it pursues a different intention: each listener should dive into a hallucinatory world of seen and unseen films that his inner eye creates unprejudiced. all ten tracks are romantic smooth operators. they put themselves in service of an artistic vision, in which the listener should get lost in music. the album can be seen as a love-letter to the movie scores of the french 70s cinema or the impressionistic sound arrangements you can hear in the early cinema of peter greenaway. with double bass heat, discreet piano melodies, levitating guitar chords, some gentle horns here and there and beats that recollect the warm jazz influenced soul of oldschool hip-hop the 23s generate a sublime get-down-deep instrumental journey. you can listen to it attentive. or you can just play it in the back while doing whatever you like to do. it is recommended to play “flamingo” in a decent amount of volume as all loungey tracks begin to live bigger and brighter with sound intensity. if you play it flashy you will experience an atmospheric sometimes light-flooded, sometimes foggy 40-minute electronic journey that offers open-minded souls to fill the room between the notes with their very own milky fancy. soon the album will be accompanied by a bunch of remixes tuned in and twisted by producers like giegling and white artists edward, christian s of the cómeme tribe, canadian producer the mole and the german post rock and electronic music band to rococo rot.

can we melt the ice is one of those mystery records that collectors love so dearly. very little is known about it, other than that it appeared on plush records sometime around 1982 or 83. it was written and produced by chicago producer morris j williams, whose sweet vocal provides a vocal point for the track s sensual boogie vibes - all lilting horns, subtle synthesizers and shuffling grooves. brilliantly, this reissue from finlands constantly on-point traveller records also boasts a previously unreleased longer version, which naturally extends the tracks wonderful instrumentation in all the right places. recommended.

a music maniac since his first drum lessons at the age of ten, gabriel placentra aka gab oswin has now made his dream come true and released his first vinyl, named soul ep. you will experience deep house grooves that show gabriels long-term experience as a dj in various frankfurt based clubs. as a member of the producer team molisans brothers he performed at sven väths cocoon club and the monza club and on an international scale at the rashomon club in rome. the molisans brothers also appeared on the compilation album * defected in the house*. melodically pulsating at 123 bpms track a1: new soul, represents the perfect opener for the night to come. gab has created some tunes here that inspired dj portable aka bodycode to a warm and at the same time impelling remix (track 02). b1: soul horns rounds off gabs soulful and groovy debut ep.

continuing on their stellar run of form sees villem & mcleod drop another release of top drawer drum & bass. aint no way is pure dance floor goodness. rolling drums, deep bassline stabs & vocal snippets all wrapped up perfectly. make tomorrow features the boys alongside friend totem delivering a blissful, summery roller to please anyone. twinkles of piano, female coos, distant horns shimmering along steppy drums. saved you is a digital exclusive & sees the men going more for a head down, minimal affair. something for everything on this one!

the second installment of uzuri’s “the wilderness sessions” delivers 3 tracks geared towards the refined dancers and listeners of the world. the idea here is slow burning broken beat tracks infused with the soul of jazz and funk. the ep opens with fox ‘n hound, a slightly menacing and equally sexy jam which ebbs and flows with a delightfully funky bass line and enough melodic accents to keep full attention. the secret here is in the details which are craft-fully manipulated by this talented duo. futonjam continues the trend of beautifully unfolding composition with its shuffled percussion and gracefully evolving melodies. a perfect track for home listening and for those deep sultry moments on the dance floor. the crown jewel of this release is certainly the near 9 minute odyssey that is zukunft/ silber. a track which entertains and pushes towards a sophisticated style which is undeniably unique in approach. using broken patterns as a back drop for beautifully orchestrated strings, micro flutes and longing horns it transforms from a sweet and delicate sound to something more demanding of our bodies movement. this release will be sure to mark the beginning of what we can expect from these two producers who clearly aim to set themselves apart from the crowd.

evan caminitis slow but steady progression towards electronic music from sand-swept guitar drone mirrors the pace of the music he makes. it has been measured, each move well-considered and clearly intentional. caminiti has immersed himself in electronic production on meridian, creating organic sounds through his machines, patching sounds that recall the brassy resonance of horns and hazy choral clusters. synthesizers hiss and crackle under layers of reverb and fog. sounds undulate and implode in upon themselves, with bursts of noise dropping in and out to create shadows of rhythm. caminitis electronic systems do not run autonomously - the sounds heard on meridian required real-time human interaction to bring them to life, and that human touch is essential to the mysterious atmosphere he produces on this new album.