kontakt records returns with two slamming chord driven tunes and a bass heavy urban cut by berlin artist van bonn who produced these tracks while living in copenhagen. ctrls remix answers the question how a trippy and dubbed out version sounds like. limited clear and crisp blue vinyl.

oxford-based emseatee is a kind of special. like a scientist in a secret laboratory in the dawn of the night he is blending atmos, styles and rhythms. organic in flow and open to experiments with natural sounds, he is always up to something new. emseatees experiments take time and go back until 21.06.2014, when minerva visited him and together they laid the foundations for this release.

desolats loco dice joins the roster of martinez brothers cuttin headz label this april with slammer, backed with a remix from detroit techno veteran dj t-1000. du&#776,,sseldorfs loco dice has long been one of the most respected figures in contemporary electronic music with releases over the years on leading labels like cocoon, cadenza, ovum and of course his own desolat as well as a heavy touring schedule taking him across the globe year in year out. here though we see dice offering up his new single courtesy of cuttin’ headz, a platform the martinez brothers and associates to deliver high octane, dance floor focused house and techno. the original mix of title track slammer leads with spiralling brass like bass tones, flute licks, shuffled shakers and resonant synth hooks running alongside a bumpy bass line and an amalgamation of heady, processed vocal lines. following is detroits dj t-1000 stepping up on remix duties, stripping back the aesthetic of the original to lay focus on robust rhythms and various vocal refrains from the original whilst chugging bass and tension building atmospherics gradually unfold throughout.

chris weeks has been building up the kingbastard catalogue for a long time now, generally taking a self-reliant approach in the underground electronica scene where cd-r releases reign supreme. hes been a key figure on ambidextrous since the label launched back in 2008, and now he s committed to wax with a range of crunched up leftfield sonics for the machine-loving crowd. anxiety is a melodic cut with a house-minded structure, but theres a lot of production acrobatics and compositional swerves taking place within this framework. scatterbrain is more overtly out there, tapping up the kind of heavily processed sounds that producers like paradroid have championed in the past. data loss strike a heavy blow somewhere between dubstep and electro, and data ctrl ups the tempo for a rabble-rousing exercise in mind-bending machine music

a virtuoso, known for boundary-pushing production (often fusing traditional hip-hop drum programming with sampling and live music) and thoughtful lyrics, black milk is respected across the industry for his unique sound, consistency and innovation. returning to the scene amidst a turbulent political climate, the detroit-born rapper/producer announces fever, his upcoming studio album. black milk s sixth solo rap album, and his first since 2014 s if there s a hell below, fever combines pointed and topical lyrics and brilliant musicianship, including percussion from all-star musicians chris “daddy” dave (d angelo, adele, justin bieber) and daru jones (jack white), bass by long-time collaborator malik hunter and keys and guitar from newcomers ian fink and sasha kashperko, respectively. black milk evolves his production style of fusing electronic, soul, rock and other soundscapes with electronic programming and live music, a method he began experimenting with on his 2010 release album of the year. a cohesive 12-track project, listening to fever evokes the feeling of scrolling through an endless news feed, finding black milk reporting and commenting on the world s problems with empathy, clarity, and wit. additional vocals from dwele, aaron -ab- abernathy, and sudie (a producer / vocalist signed to black milk’s computer ugly label) serve to juxtapose black’s heavy lyrical content with airy vibes. pressing on red & black coloured vinyl, comes with poster and sticker included.

trora vol. 1 is panda lassow’s interpretation of recent global tropical bass movements like gqom, kuduro and more. she likes bass music from around the world. thus, we can also hear influences from bounce and booty elements. as born and grown up in eastern germany, in trora vol. 1 she combines these with her musical roots she found in techno and rave music.

so you wanna be a star 24 carat disco gold from 1980 right here. mtume, led by legendary jazz percussionist and all-round musical visionary james mtume had a number of massive hits and can count quite a few classics within their repertoire ( juicy fruit anyone?). this flawlessly arranged, funk drenched jam speaks on the dangers of living life too fast and relying on those who can t be trusted. remember, this was the beginning of the 1980s, the disco era had began to fade amidst the drug hazed excesses of the previous decade, while the music continued forging it s path skyward with tremendous records like this one. so you wanna really has a message and that s not surprising considering it has one of the most underrated production teams behind it in the shape of mtume / lucas. a true gem of the post-disco era. essential and rare. this repress of the original epic promo from 1980 is backed with a brand new re-edit from one of nyc s disco kings mr.k aka danny krivit. with almost half a century spent behind the turntables in nyc and beyond he surely understands records like so you wanna be a star intrinsically, he was, after all, there when it all happened! this classic has been legally reissued by above board distribution in conjunction with the legal rights holders sony music entertainment. this high quality repress features original epic label disco 12inch artwork and has been remastered from sonys original sources by optimum mastering, bristol uk.

the original motion picture soundtrack for “fifty shades freed - the final chapter” as double vinyl release, housed in a gatefold sleeve.

knowledge is a tool, and like all tools, its impact is in the hands of the user. arts white was born to give a platform for every single player in the game that has high-level tool skills in techno, the focus is primarily dedicated to useful and chirurgical direct functional material.
all on white label style, black and white 12”.

paramour is a freshly born french music label based between toulouse and berlin. its first release has been produced by various artists we like and we invited to play at our parties. on this record, you will find a talented melting pot of minimal, rhythmic, mental and trippy music. 300 copies // vinyl only

paramour is a freshly born french music label based between toulouse and berlin. its first release has been produced by various artists we like and we invited to play at our parties. on this record, you will find a talented melting pot of minimal, rhythmic, mental and trippy music. 300 copies // vinyl only

a techno king / mixmag. the dj titan is still stepping it up / dj.
steve bicknell is currently having a moment. when you look at his recent releases, his growing number of gigs, his eye-catching collaborations and his new record label 6dimensions, it seems he’s feeling particularly inspired. resident advisor steve bicknell has been an integral and highly-important segment of the underground electronic scene since the early ’90s and has continued to expand his musical horizons through producing, promoting and playing” hyponik “bicknell has shaped a scene from the shadows for decades thanks to the legendary lost parties he co-ran, which brought djs like jeff mills and robert hood to the uk for the first time, as well as his own production work the vinyl factory an underground leader announces his return. his 6dimensions label seems to have reinvigorated him the arts desk.

a uk techno powerhouse returns to bass culture for their 55th release, bringing the ruckus with four deadly cuts that combine killer beats with powerful bass and a high level of production, as you might expect from d julz s respected label. ben sims appears under his ron bacardi alias with a follow up to 2015 s debut release, rock your body/first effort . much like the first ep, sims new release is fired up and ready to deliver its potent energy to the dance floors of the world.on the a side we re met with windy city , which kicks things off in frenetic style, its slamming beats colliding with the layers of analogue to produce a rather chaotic start to proceedings. this is followed by ready for action a tough, bouncing cut featuring a delectable female vocal which really sets things off nicely.the flipside continues in a similar vein as one left in the chamber brings a smooth vibe, though with the emphasis still on the percussive side of things. sims flexes his production muscles across all four tracks here, injecting the music with his years of experience on the road and in the studio. the last track is a beats mix of ready for action , highlighting the focus on beats, beats and more beats, adding an extra touch to an already powerful track. this is music par excellence from an artist who is a consummate professional, enjoy!

best record italy came out with another obscure italian disco production from 1977 containing the fully extended disco versions of vibrations and baobab previosly available on the billy woost album like -one continuous edit-, but this time we have these two strong disco songs fully extended and in the right form!

with totsu , we complete our two-part keita sano album. this one, like kubo before, is a fiery maelstrom of house and disco dance floor destruction that has a dusting of that impossible-to-place keita sano absurdity. a magnetic sprint through mpc-fueled workouts, trance-y space-outs, and loopy hypnotizers. together, kubo and totsu make up oototsu , an eight-track long-player that will be made available as special limited-edition vinyl double-pack.

cute swedish pop from 1984. a gothenburg secret. passed from music for dreams kenneth bager to cantomas phil mison to rogue cat sounds dean and ben. pop that rocks a cool, faux-reggae lilt with bluesman licks and harmonica hooks. cute like other sought after rogue cat favourites. terry crawford s gunfighter. or romie singh sdancing to forget. martin caine s snowbird city. its lyrics asupercalifragilisticexpialidocious-like nursery rhyme front, framing bad girl playground reminiscences.

pulsewidthmod,creates tracks that are very epic and driving in nature all of which are recorded as live techno jams using elektrons dark trinity and an ms20 mini. her influences from techno to industrial, ebm, and belgium new beat leaves the listener with some menacing drums and a juxtaposition of both pleasing and disorienting melodies. serpentine servitude explores the idea that perhaps the serpent in the garden of eden was really being humanities servant. who was this creator character to dictate which fruit was ok for us to eat? who was he or they to say that if we ate the fruit we would be tainted and forever separate from divine love? all this did was create the idea in our consciousness that we were tainted. it is of my personal belief that the idea that we are sinful is the original sin. this god character who created beings in his own image and then dictated how they were to live their life kind of sounds like an over controlling father. where is mother in all this? the album started with the track original sin which was originally titled acid. seems somewhat appropriate since the concept of original sin seems to be a violation on humanities consciousness

ghent based pianotrio steiger have earned their place in the ever growing peloton of young belgian jazz innovators. as a result, they won the young jazztalent price at the 2017 gent jazz festival. with their luscious and rigid grooves in minimalistic framing, they cose themselves between schntzl and de beren gieren, likewise minded young beljazzbands that don’t take it so closely with traditions. they play jazz with a rock’n’roll attitude. sdban ultra is very pleased to present a sampler of their debut album ‘and above all’ on a limited 10” vinyl for record store day 2018. this release marks their introduction on sdban ultra, their sophomore album is expected next fall. ‘and above all’ houses both jazz and modern compositions, avant-garde and experimental electronics. steiger takes inspiration from jazz and refers to the traditions but equally pulls those apart, for example in the chaotic miniature bachfag and in the intimate inverse/reverse . with berlin revisited the band clearly chooses electronic instrumentation. it is reminiscent of the electronic jazz of the noughties: bands like triosk, sofa surfers and flanger did not so much work towards jazz but used the genre as a stepping stone to dive into the cosmos. steiger are launching themselves into infinity on this track with a pounding beat, shrill cymbals, overdriven keys and an unwieldy bass.

47015 is vsk s second solo ep on 47, after last year s debut 47011. it s the label s 7th solo release following headless horseman s 47014 earlier this year. the 12- vinyl and digital download drop on 20th april. multiverse wastes no time and states its intentions like a snarled warning of up-tempo complex drumming. the density and rush of first evidence continues the broken-beat dancefloor battery. eternal (chaotic) inflation visits the oceanic and half-time territories of dnb-paced jagged rhythm. and the final drive of occam s razor slows its drums to a stepping hallucination.

with el tunel / proceso , marc pinol and hugo capablanca aced their blend of industrial, acid, techno and new beat in an ep that remains one of the most celebrated moments in the hivern catalogue. now, the evasive duo return to set the bar even higher. four years might seem quite a lot of time, but for c.p.i. it was the necessary period to get rid of expectations and let space for something new to emerge. studio sessions in places like berlin, barcelona, and belgrade brought together an amalgam of voices, spontaneous liasons, mutations and surprising movements that finally crystallised in the four cuts that conform meine hand . masa y poder and sendero luminoso are two sides of the same coin. under all the layers, both ride exactly the same rhythm. two completely different paths that share a common starting point. one builds tension on the dancefloor. the other one tries to fool the threat in the mist. with it s unrelenting acid bassline and lethargic vocals, meine hand feels like some kind of love from above, yet another unexplainable conclusion. ninos de belgrado are, in fact, the children of belgrade. high on drugs. an impending sense of doom. longing for wasted years or perhaps an external threat lurking, who knows. vinyl comes in a standard black cover with insert by designer arnau pi.

with el tunel / proceso, marc pinol and hugo capablanca aced their blend of industrial, acid, techno and new beat in an ep that remains one of the most celebrated moments in the hivern catalogue. now, the evasive duo return to set the bar even higher. four years might seem quite a lot of time, but for c.p.i. it was the necessary period to get rid of expectations and let space for something new to emerge. studio sessions in places like berlin, barcelona, and belgrade brought together an amalgam of voices, spontaneous liasons, mutations and surprising movements that finally crystallised in the four cuts that conform meine hand. masa y poder and sendero luminoso are two sides of the same coin. under all the layers, both ride exactly the same rhythm. two completely different paths that share a common starting point. one builds tension on the dancefloor. the other one tries to fool the threat in the mist. with its unrelenting acid bassline and lethargic vocals, meine hand feels like some kind of love from above, yet another unexplainable conclusion. ninos de belgrado are, in fact, the children of belgrade. high on drugs. an impending sense of doom. longing for wasted years or perhaps an external threat lurking, who knows. silkscrened cover letterpressed at lanacronica. design by arnau pi.

limited 300 unit pressing of this dinked/one nation rsd 2018 exclusive from the king rooster.

after the success of galaxies like grains of sand, warren and greg retreated back to the isle of wight to start work on long discussed concept album based on a fictional children s book the honey bear. each track a chapter of the book, hypnotic folk pieces mixed with ambient field recordings that warren and greg collected around the beaches, cliffs and gardens of the island. they brought everything together at home, organically forming this beautiful ambient folk tale during the island s idyllic summer evenings. after finishing the initial mixes on the island they brought the tapes up to scotland and overdubbed with strings, oboe and flute. whether your 5 or 50, the charm and beauty of the honeybear is undeniable, children fairytale book concept album limited edition pressing

12inch marbled yellow vinyl in heavy clear sleeve, hand stamped labels, vinyl only, limited edition of 300

while attempting and failing to apprehend the shadowy figure known as max abysmal during a frenzied chase through the underground amsterdam arts establishment het skatecafe, we recovered a boxed reel of quarter-inch tape. intelligent assets have confirmed that this contains musical recordings of the type used to pass on coded messages to the safe trip organisation. the first recording we have titled donna, dont stop. we include it with this message so you can perform your own anaylsis. note the use of a rising and falling electronic motif capable of inducing a trance-like state in those untrained in listening to electronic music this potent and emotive. sutekhs mirage, the second coded composition, is bolder and warmer in tone, making use of dazzlingly colourful melodic patterns and passages of percussion that reference polyrhythms. do not be fooled by the surface beauty of this recording: it is capable of inducing hallucinations and irregular heartbeats, and therefore could be very dangerous in the wrong hands.

d marc cantus 2017 lp the lodge was a high point for the ever prolific us producer, not to mention a jewel in altered moods many pronged crown. now the label are revisiting one of the album highlights, s.e.g, giving the punchy chicago house jam another pressing before handing the reins over to a strong cast of remixers. the one and only larry heard plunges -s.e.g- into gorgeous, mystical realms of deep house spirituality like only he can, while altered moods boss malcom moore injects a different kind of spaced out energy to the track. then chicago skyway finishes the package off with a distinctive version that reaches for a light and airy headspace while keeping the drums punchy and effective.

ilija rudman is certainly a prolific artist, regularly appearing on labels like is it balearic? and running his own imogen label to ensure he s always got an outlet for the classically informed grooves he does so well. paradigma is his third studio album, and it finds the croatian producer exploring all manner of moods both day time and nocturnal. at one moment you might be wistfully cruising down the sultry boulevards of temptations trial, only to cosy up with the comely tones of creamfields or the vibrant chords ofelastica. by and large it s a downtempo affair for private reflection, steeped in 80s glamour and produced with a crystalline perfection to add that all-important glint to your life.

real house music created by the founder of house music frankie knuckles for wbmx. real house music created by the founder of house music frankie knuckles for wbmx june 25, 1986. (a & b). back in august 2017, jerome derradji received a call by one of chicagos most renowned record dealer. it went like this: hey jerome, ive got all these reel to reel tapes of chicago house stuff. you want to take a look?” less than 24 hours later, more than 160 reels were purchased and safely hauled back to the still music office and jerome got to work. in fact, these reels - that were lost for more than 20 years - contain some incredible stuff that we’ll be releasing in the years to come but right now it’s time to jack! around 50 of these tapes are dj mixes that were broadcasted on wgci and wbmx in the mid to late eighties mostly with the hot mix 5. so jerome decided to start a series of cassettes titled jack to share the absolute greatness of these mixes (and to raise enough funds to finance the transfer and licensing of the more crazy stuff that’s in the stack of reels) here is our first series with mixes from frankie knuckles, steve “silk” hurley, chicago mystery - devastating daryl and a few unknown mixes that were too essential to skip. these mixes were played on the radio only once and were lost until today. this series is an absolute window back to the heydays of chicago house music. all the mixes were professionally transferred and remastered to the best of our abilities.

jerome derradji received a call by one of chicago’s most renowned record dealer. it went like this: hey jerome, ive got all these reel to reel tapes of chicago house stuff. you want to take a look? less than 24 hours later, more than 160 reels were purchased and safely hauled back to the still music office and jerome got to work. in fact, these reels - that were lost for more than 20 years - contain some incredible stuff that we’ll be releasing in the years to come but right now it’s time to jack! around 50 of these tapes are dj mixes that were broadcasted on wgci and wbmx in the mid to late eighties mostly with the hot mix 5. so jerome decided to start a series of cassettes titled jack to share the absolute greatness of these mixes (and to raise enough funds to finance the transfer and licensing of the more crazy stuff that’s in the stack of reels) here is our first series with mixes from frankie knuckles, steve “silk” hurley, chicago mystery - devastating daryl and a few unknown mixes that were too essential to skip. these mixes were played on the radio only once and were lost until today. this series is an absolute window back to the heydays of chicago house music. all the mixes were professionally transferred and remastered to the best of our abilities.

jerome derradji received a call by one of chicagos most renowned record dealer. it went like this: hey jerome, ive got all these reel to reel tapes of chicago house stuff. you want to take a look? less than 24 hours later, more than 160 reels were purchased and safely hauled back to the still music office and jerome got to work. in fact, these reels - that were lost for more than 20 years - contain some incredible stuff that we’ll be releasing in the years to come but right now its time to jack! around 50 of these tapes are dj mixes that were broadcasted on wgci and wbmx in the mid to late eighties mostly with the hot mix 5. so jerome decided to start a series of cassettes titled jack to share the absolute greatness of these mixes (and to raise enough funds to finance the transfer and licensing of the more crazy stuff thats in the stack of reels) here is our first series with mixes from frankie knuckles, steve silk hurley, chicago mystery - devastating daryl and a few unknown mixes that were too essential to skip. these mixes were played on the radio only once and were lost until today. this series is an absolute window back to the heydays of chicago house music. all the mixes were professionally transferred and remastered to the best of our abilities

jerome derradji received a call by one of chicago’s most renowned record dealer. it went like this: hey jerome, i’ve got all these reel to reel tapes of chicago house stuff. you want to take a look? less than 24 hours later, more than 160 reels were purchased and safely hauled back to the still music office and jerome got to work. in fact, these reels - that were lost for more than 20 years - contain some incredible stuff that we’ll be releasing in the years to come but right now its time to jack! around 50 of these tapes are dj mixes that were broadcasted on wgci and wbmx in the mid to late eighties mostly with the hot mix 5. so jerome decided to start a series of cassettes titled jack to share the absolute greatness of these mixes (and to raise enough funds to finance the transfer and licensing of the more crazy stuff thats in the stack of reels) here is our first series with mixes from frankie knuckles, steve silk hurley, chicago mystery - devastating daryl and a few unknown mixes that were too essential to skip. these mixes were played on the radio only once and were lost until today. this series is an absolute window back to the heydays of chicago house music. all the mixes were professionally transferred and remastered to the best of our abilities.

a compilation of classic elvis presley songs on 180 gram vinyl.

diese lp enthält eines der besten alben des bb king: the blues (1958), die ursprünglich zu beginn seiner karriere veröffentlicht wurde. ergänzt mit vier bonustracks aus der gleichen zeit. limitierte pressung auf 180 gramm vinyl.

the soundtrack as heard in the 2-part documentary, featuring 18 definitive hits, powerful performances and rare alternate versions. comes as double vinyl in gatefold with download code included.

2023 repress - pablos eye is the science of studio pressure, when engineer becomes artist. appropriating left and right as well as front and back, pablos eye uses the mixing desk to examine and exhaust the possibilities of moments. pablos eye is a record of that examination and exhaustion, but it is also a record of its own inner space. by means of depth placement, psychoacoustics and spatial fug, pablo’s eye is experienced in the deeper reaches of the body, bypassing the conscious part of the mind entirely. . pablos eye is the turning of recorded music inside out to show its seams. it interrogates a song, stripping down the body of the song to reveal its bones. pablo’s eye is in the interstices of music, it plugs the gaps, fills the holes. pablo’s eye seeks out the concealed mechanisms, it is a songs hidden agenda. for this compilation, it was decided to present the softer air-beatings of pablos eye. more than anything, pablos eye is a temporary atmosphere, like a taste or a dream.

mihigh steps up for tlr006 and in mihighs true fashion brings his usual dark flavour to trapped ldn. mihigh is known for his head bending, dark, trippy erie minimal style and he has once again delivered with this evil 2 track ep. mirrors is a mix of driving minimal and dark atmospheric sounds which gives you a great after party style of track but could also be blended into a maintime set. mutual contemplation is our personal favourite which can be used as both a tool, a warm up track or an after party track. its crazy trippy leading synth keeps you entertained throughout the whole track and sounds like it was created to mess up anyones mind while at a party. we are super happy to have mihigh in the trapped family as he has been one of our favourites at various festivals we have seen him

kris baha is fast becoming one of the most essential operators in the deviant disco underbelly of berlin s scene, despite having landed in the city relatively recently. baha s credentials with labels like power station and parties in melbourne are all that you need to know, and now this release on the ever mighty cocktail d amore seals the deal. baha has never sounded more confident, pinging deviant synths around nasty drum bite and channeling the gods of industrial darkness to make some rugged body music for the darker kind of dancefloor. the experimental, non-party tracks are just as wild, dealing in all manner of uncompromising noise to further bahas journey to the upper realms of sonic mud slingers

chris schwarzwalder strikes again for denature records, this time with a 5 tracks ep: catjammer. the track of the same name as well as -slow down- produced with feathered sun lead singer jo.ke have this unique slow and melancholic groove. on the other side setup and the list will take you to darker and hypnotic places. the ep ends with leaves which sounds like an invitation to an endless ballad into the sunset.

dutty audio releases #31, 26 & 12 allbundled up for one special price!

180gr pressing , the now legendary abbey road version of “the isness” was the originally conceived version before last minute wholesale changes resulted in new tracks, different mixes and/or edits appearing in a wholly different order for the commercial release of “the isness” in 2002. the abbey road version had been initially promo’d to ecstatic reviews, receiving an unprecedented 6/5 stars from mixmag “it’s like a beam of white light from heaven”.

ns-20 features two of our favourite cuts from levons recent album. please note like ns-18 & ns-19, this a limited pressing.

the „sweet memories ep” is the first release of a three-ep-series coming up in 2018. christophe salin is taking us on his musical journey and paves the way for cooperation with future artists on his very own imprint „salin records” that he runs with his wife daria salin as a platform for electronic music and art. „sweet memories” is just setting up the right mood for this ep that will unlock some forgotten moments and will take you back to that feelings. „paradise” is an homage to the early 2000s and their happy go lucky attitude while „covered with pain” takes you on a modern ambient trip. the flip side is a statement, „house music is like a call, it is a religion to them…” as well as „love is unfair” are coming deep from the heart.

double-gatefold lp with detailed liner notes, label scans & unseen photographs. all but one song appear on vinyl-lp for the very first time.

2018 reissue / smooth and sensual disco cuts. rebellious lover of an ageless disco, l’impératrice returns from a long journey. with her rhythmic voice and soft, wave-like, inflections, she has come back to tell us the tale of a sonata. in a sensual and continuous glide, the sonate pacifique ep offers a smooth transition from the first tracks, candid and young, towards more cinematographic grounds.

the two versatile record labels banlieue and peur bleue are joining forces for a very special occasion: psyop, the outstanding debut album by watching airplanes, a production duo breaking through in 2018. psyop opens up an alternate reality where dance music is freed from the yoke of genre-based distinctions and is no longer tied to any dancefloor norms. by exploring different moods with smooth sailing and rough patches, psyop is an intense journey in the murky world of psychological mass conspiracy. this lp could very well be the soundtrack for an cutting-edge orwellian sci-fi movie or an imagined futuristic venue where music and dance of a new kind are performed. forward-thinking dance music from the future seems like the most accurate description for this album devoid of any tropes or nostalgia.

get on down proudly presents another top-notch vinyl reissue, from their long-running series of collaborations with james brown’s famed 70s funk label people records. as the 1970s wore on, the classic funk sounds that had defined james brown’s backing band, the j.b.’s, gave way to the rise of disco music. fred wesley and his collective of musicians couldn’t resist the chance to make their mark, releasing “hustle with speed” in 1975, with charles bobbit and don love producing, and the godfather himself, james brown co-writing and providing arrangements. “hustle with speed” didn’t cross over like the band had hoped it would, but it was nonetheless remarkable album, featuring the j.b.’s signature funky style married with disco to exciting effect. all the while there’s still plenty to be had for the funk die-hard, from the brass blow-out jam “here we come, here we go, here we are”, to the trombone-heavy “all aboard the funky soul train”, to the powerhouse opening salvo that is “(it’s not the express) it’s the jbs monaurail”. songs from “hustle with speed” would take on lives of their own decades after the album’s release, through sampled appearances in tracks by jay-z, nas, eric b. & rakim, ultramagnetic mcs, epmd, and many more.

the pendletons return with their latest ep, funk forever, a jazz flavored boogie affair with soul inspired song-writing that evokes old school vibes while still staying fresh and current. horn lines, yamaha dx7 keys and snapping hip hop inspired drum programming topped by sweet singing with heartfelt themes, the group carves out a bold new sound on these 5 solid tracks. featuring elive, potatohead people and ishtar. the pendletons are a long-standing boogie-funk and modern soul project of e da boss (of myron and e on stone s throw) and trailer limon. the group emerged with their very first release in 2010, a 7inch inch of coming down/waiting on you on the slept on record label, which set the tone for the group to emerge it instantly became a cult classic receiving constant play at nights like sweater funk and funkmosphere, and fetching for serious sums among collectors. most recently, in 2016, they released the ep gotta get out. the title track caught the ear of renowned dj gilles peterson, who liked it enough to release it on his brownswood bubbler compilation. in 2018 the group is hitting the ground running with a brand new ep out this spring, and a full-length album to follow later later in the year on the renowned bastard jazz label. now armed with a horn section, a vast array of accomplished jazz and funk contributors, and a knack for quality song-writing, the pendletons sound has shaped into something fresh and unique, setting it apart from the legions of imitators.

“yuxtaposición” is a recently unearthed treasure recorded by a tight italian trio in miami during the early seventies. until now, this music has only been heard in office backgrounds, tv commercials and movie soundtracks. but the perseverance of an admirer brought about its first-ever release on the italian schema label. imagine hearing a 1972-era cal tjader quartet without cal tjader and you get an idea of what to expect. it’s slightly latin, lightly funky and truly enjoyable. “yuxtaposición” offers enough to interest a jazz listener. but the sounds heard in these 35 minutes are really better appreciated as mood music. lead man, cabildo, composer of all ten tunes here, has a knack for writing jazzy little hooks that launch his tasty, well-crafted keyboard solos. often alternating fender rhodes and piano within the same song, his playing maintains a hypnotic command that recalls bob james’ cti style. electric bassist bobby fares and percussionist max ronnie make subtle, supportive contributions that serve only to enhance cabildo’s sound. there’s a funny thing about yuxtaposición too. it’s kind of like developing an addiction. you may not pay much attention to it at first. but before you know it, you’re hooked. you need to hear it to be satisfied. a very nice surprise.

jonah sharp & dj spun pair up as the loose control band to drop a punk-inspired single on rekids with remixes from label founder radio slave and shut boss ryan james ford. having released a large body of work as spacetime continuum (astralwerks) or alongside david moufang as reagenz (workshop), not to mention significant collaborations with the likes of terence mckenna, haruomi hosono and bill laswell, jonah sharp is unquestionably a highly respected producer. his seminal label reflective played an important role in the experimental ambient and techno scene during the ‘90s, whilst as a remixer he’s worked with music by nine inch nails, meat beat manifesto and matthew herbert. meanwhile, jason drummond has long been a commanding force within new yorks electronic music scene, such as running his prestigious warm up music series or his all night rong parties with regulars like dj harvey. hes also been djing and producing as dj spun for two decades, appearing on golf channel recordings as well as his own illustrious imprint rong music, which used to release music collaboratively with dfa. i dont understand sees a raw and uncompromising side to both artists as they layer a cacophony of murky bass, twisted melodies and mind-bending bleeps whilst drummonds turbulent vocals bellow throughout the mix. staying faithful to the original, radio slaves remix incorporates a heady rhythm with its rolling beat as screeching effects join a moody bassline. moving into techno territory, ryan james fords akihabara remix features rattling percussion and crystalline synths whilst his hope remix is built on an intricate drum sequence as soaring pads and echoing keys contrast with the originals piercing vocal.