this collection documents the two-decades-plus recording career of r&b icon luther vandross. even before he started putting out records under his own name, he was a first-call session singer (hes the one who created and sang the chorus hook on david bowies -young americans,- for just one example). throughout the 80s and the 90s, he was (both commercially and aesthetically) one of the most consistently successful r&b singer/songwriter/producers. this healthy two-disc selection of highlights from the impressive vandross catalogue moves deftly from heartfelt ballads (-a house is not a home-) to percolating, poppy numbers (-never too much-), spotlighting the mans mellifluous voice and tasteful phrasing at each turn. this is quite clearly the definitive career summary for this deeply influential r&b titan.

legendary bournemouth-based trio aquasky return with their 8th studio album raise the devil featuring 16 bass-heavy party tracks which include guest vocals and collaborations from lee mortimer, engine earz experiment, daddy freddy, ragga twins, tenor fly, mr. thing, pyramid, acafool, deja, roisin brophy, didjelirium and bex riley. this album sees the trio take it back to basics and return to what people expect when they hear the name aquasky! having been solid friends since the heady days of rave and acid house, the guys first hit the studio together during the jungle era and in 1995 aquasky was born, signing immediately to moving shadow before going onto release on some of the biggest and best labels including polydor, botchit & scarper, reinforced, good looking records, hospital, southern fried and mr. bongo. in 2001 they took the decision to launch their own imprint passenger as a place where they had free reign to unleash their full creativity and develop both their sound and the sounds of other acts.

neues album des schwedischen singer/songwriters und multiinstrumentalisten loney dear nach releases auf sub pop und polyvinyl und touren mit u.a. andrew bird. die elf neuen songs auf -hall music- leben vom kontrast zwischen orchestraler und synthetischer instrumentierung, aufgenommen mit teils ungewoehnlichen instrumenten. ein spektakulaeres und intensives werk zwischen freude und duesternis!

even while braid kept its name on the tip of peoples tongues, the prospect of hearing new music from the band remained elusive - until now. it took only a few practices to write three tracks and arrange a cover (of jeff hanson s -you are the reason-), all of which the band then recorded with engineer j. robbins (jawbreaker, the promise ring, jets to brazil, frame and canvas).

mysteryland takes place saturday august 27th at the beautiful fields from floriade. with a total of 18 areas mysteryland can be considered as the largest dance festival in the netherlands. the mother of all dance festivals is still leading after more than seventeen years! this mixed double album gives a good reflection of the music and line-up of this year s edition. where cd1 contains the more popular dance styles, big name artists and club hits, cd2 takes you to the more underground and edgy side of the festival. so whatever your taste is , this mixed compilation gives you a little piece of mysteryland 2011 not to forget.

darren cunninghams eagerly awaited new album is an adventurous, ultramodern, thoroughly british affair. determinedly off the map and resistant to pigeonholing, cunningham is an enigmatic and playful figure, citing francis bacon and monet as inspirations alongside theo parrish, anthony shake shakir, daft punk, binary codes and numeral systems, and the avengers. the south londoners acclaimed debut lived up to its name: a series of dreamlike sketches and ideas. for splazsh the fog has lifted, the sounds are less submerged than before, but still sticky and close a signature combination of exuberance and introversion, luminescence and puzzlement. actress has quickly and justly become one of the most respected names in the uks new dance music underground.

dispel dances die meinungsmacher vom britischen fact mag schrieben einmal: -wir wissen nicht viel ueber anstam. niemand tut das. das ist teil des besonderen.- anstam waren einmal ein duo, bestehend aus zwei bruedern. jetzt ist anstam eine one man-show eines medienkunsstudenten aus berlin. noch als duo haben sie eine legendaere underground 12 inch serie veroeffentlicht, die ueber den berliner kultplattenladen hardwax vertrieben wurde. diese vinyltrilogie wurde in hoechsten toenen gelobt und mit den technoiden autechre im post industrial dubstepkleid umschrieben. nach einer zweijaehrigen pause begann anstam in diesem jahr - als solo act - auf 50 weapons mit neuer musik erneut aufmerksamkeit zu erregen. nicht zuletzt auch die von radiohead saenger thom yorke, der kurzerhand anstam tracks chartete, im radio spielte, was kuerzlich auch in einem anstam remix fuer radiohead gipfelte. anstam wei§ auch als live act zu ueberzeugen, wie z.b. hierzulande beim melt! festival. -dispel dances-, das ueberfaellige debuetalbum, wird in den kommenden monaten auf zahlreichen weiteren gigs live praesentiert.

loud follows-up rated r (november 2009) and its sequel rated r: remixed (may 2010). previously, the double-platinum good girl gone bad (may 2007) contained the grammy-winning global 1 hit -umbrella- (featuring jay-z), then -shut up and drive,- -hate that i love you- (featuring ne-yo), and -don t stop the music.- the cd+dvd package good girl gone bad: reloaded (january 2009) continued the hits with the 1 -take a bow,- the 1 -disturbia- and top 20 -rehab.- good girl gone bad was the third album release in less than two years by barbados native rihanna, who turned 22 on february 20th. it followed-up 2006 s riaa platinum a girl like me, which contained the back-to-back hits, -s.o.s.- and -unfaithful-: and her riaa gold debut from 2005, music of the sun, featuring the world-wide smash, -pon de replay-.

after his slo-mo disco debut, the >terror island< 12 inch, pizzico records founding father billy bogus returns to nang with an eagerly awaited full length, named >night movie<. as the name suggests, this is one for the night crawlers. >night movie< is an exercise in twilight disco propulsion, rich with fuzz, funk, world sounds and sci-fi tendencies

2011 release, the third album from the british electronic artist (real name: elliot john gleave) who combines beat-driven musical journeys with bits of hip hop, rock, pop, dubstep and house. following on from his breakthrough album, won t go quietly (2010), playing in the shadows offers up exactly what his fans want... and more. a grand time is guaranteed for all.

with the white isle summer coming to an end hed kandis saxophonist and vocalist laura fowles a.k.a the lovely laura and producer extraordinaire tyrrell come together to bring you their debut artist album straight from the sunsets of ibiza, hed kandi: balearica unplugged. they go back to basics, bringing the hed kandi fans a taste of their balearic musical roots. they disconnected the decks, ditched the electronic beats and unplugged the sound system stripping things back creating a medley of deliciously unplugged covers of their favourite dance songs. tyrrell picked up the six string, laid down some sensual acoustic guitar riffs and atmospheric chords, whilst laura added a splash of soft, husky, phenomenal vocals and sexy sax melodies. this all combined with additional production by the legendary steve miller a.ka. afterlife, brings you a wide, laid back collection all reworked with hed kandis own balearic acoustic treatment... always keeping a sunny disposition in mind. this one cd includes their favourite renditions of songs made famous by the likes of groove armada, calvin harris, deadmau5 & kaskade, friendly fires, empire of the sun and martin solvieg to name but a few. this essential eclectic collage of music is destined for ibizas renowned sunset strip for years to come, where legendary balearic hang out hotspots such as cafŽ del mar, savannahs or blue marlin celebrate the setting of the most talked about sunset, and balearica unplugged offers the perfect musical companion.

mighty clouds is a brand new project that finds thomas re-teaming with betty marie barnes, a talented singer who provided vocals for slgtms every night and fill up the room.the result is a collaboration of the sort that can only occur when two musicians connect on a level that goes beyond the songs they are performing. throughout mighty clouds self-titled debut, thomas and barness musical camaraderie generates a gentle electricity that exudes intimacy and beckons the listener to move in for a closer listen.

on his 2011 album field songs, iowa troubadour william elliott whitmore documents a vanishing american landscape with all the heartfelt soul and quiet fury one could hope for. -heartland firebrand blows fuse, fights for truth- heralded spin magazine when describing whitmore, who utilizes a powerful singing voice beyond his years and a stark dramatic sound rooted in bluegrass, blues and folk protest music. these songs vividly evoke a life of struggle, humble resilience and family bond inspired by life on his familys farm along the mississippi river. whitmore has made a name for himself both within the punk movement, where his populism and sincerity resonate with alienated urban kids, and the roots community, where writers like andy downing in the chicago tribune have placed him within the -new pastoralism- of bon iver and the fleet foxes.

it might sound like an empty phrase, but when oliver koletzki founded stil vor talent in 2005, he certainly didnt anticipate where his label would be today. now - six years and over sixty releases later - stil vor talent can look back at many magnificent moments in the labels history. originally started to give other musicians the chance to showcase their music, stil vor talent has preserved this very down-to-earth attitude until today and has helped foster the careers of producers such as channel x, niko schwind, juli holz or david august to name just a few. while there have never been any musical or stylistic limitations, an open philosophy dominated by quality and individualism prevails at olivers label, from delicately designed record sleeves to their own fashion line and to music that varies from house to pop to jacking dancefloor cuts. now it is time to congratulate everyone involved and the fans of stil vor talent with a special birthday present: a six-year anniversary compilation that celebrates past, present and future of the label on two cds

wretch 32, real name jermaine scott, is one of the uks most loved mcs - from the underground up. from his early years in londons flourishing grime scene back in the early 00s, the tottenham-raised lyricist has always stood out from the crowd. his conscious and reflective bars, along with an extremely relaxed flow, made him a firm favourite on the uk hip hop circuit. much like tinie tempah, wretch 32 has proved that british mcs can reach the mainstream without selling their soul to pop. the first fruits of this crossover success were tasted in january 2011, when his single traktor broke into the domestic top five following an appearance on the bbc sound ofÉ list. and his second official single, unorthodox, fared even better, peaking at number two in april. so its clear that much has changed since his debut lp of 2008, wretchrospective - but has public recognition come at the expense of what marked wretch 32 out as such a talent in the first place? not at all - on the opening title-track, the rapper lets the listener know that its the same old wretch at work. over a drum-heavy hip hop beat he sets up the rest of the album well, advising everyone to fasten their seatbelts as he prepares to take them on a ride that they wont forget in a hurry. never be me finds wretch delving into his past, opening up about making certain decisions in life that got him to where he is today. featuring rnb newcomer angel on the hook, the track has an inspirational feel to it - all over another impressive, but this time more grime-influenced, beat. a true standout is anniversary, with alex mills on singing duties - its a love song, minus any cheese. then the album lurches into the electro-infused sanes the new mad - a glimpse into wretchs party lifestyle, with ladies and alcohol at the forefront of his attentions. and closer dont go just might be one of the tracks of the year.

last year, we here at mexican summer came under the spell of the starry kaplan sisters: piper and skylar, and their band pearl harbor, who graced the land with their beautific something about the chapparrals ep. funny how time flies for the beyond their year siblings, as its suddenly 2011 and pearl harbor now goes by the name of puro instinct. now piper and sky find themselves bolstered by four other bandmates: cody porter, jessie clavin, mike baum, and crazy murray to make their hazy, swirling pop even more realized and sumptuous.

finn enlisted burke reid to co-produce fomo after recognising him as a kindred spirit, and reid certainly challenged finns perceptions about what constituted a great record. the often confrontational collaborative process pushed finn to develop his sound and the resulting lp exudes raw energy.

dub police are proud to announce the release of their first artist album courtesy of birmingham-based producer emalkay, who is set to release his hotly anticipated debut lp eclipse this spring. first making a name for himself with early releases on his own morphic sounds imprint, emalkay has continued to push the boundaries of underground bass music ever since, delivering a slew of huge releases on the way. having been an integral part of the dub police stable ever since his >explicit / heroics< 12 inch for the label in 2009, emalkay has gone from strength to strength with a series of heavyweight tracks that includes the phenomenal >when i look at you< and recent smash >crusader<. comprised of 11 tracks, >eclipse< is a bold and powerful album encapsulating perfectly everything that makes emalkay such a prodigious talent, effortlessly showcasing the depth and diversity of his sound while always remaining true to his inimitable style. as addictive as it is hard-hitting, the album doesnt just provide a collection of dancefloor tracks, but a confident and coherent artistic statement.

the fourth in the successful compilation series, chilled r&b summer 2011, this triple album contains current laid back r&b hits alongside a wealth of huge classics from the 70s, 80s, 90s and 00s. the new 60 track collection is led by tracks that perfectly encapsulate this vibe including aloe blacc -i need a dollar-, rihanna -russian roulette-, mariah carey -my all-, nelly -just a dream-, michael jackson -human nature-, sade -no ordinary love- and bobby brown -rock wit cha-. also featured are huge laid back hits such as jennifer lopez -if you had my love-, jason derulo -ridin solo acoustic version-, usher -you make me wanna- and alicia keys -you don t know my name-. plus, other superstars appearing on the compilation with chilled classics include al green, whitney houston, justin timberlake, kelly rowland, lemar, r.kelly, tlc, craig david and ne-yo.

in june 2011 dj phono will release his first album on hamburgÕs record label diynamic. Òwelcome to wherever youÕre notÓ is a work of heart, of emotions of awakened, flourishing, and unrequited feelings. itÕs something of a kind that could neither be accomplished within a nights work nor even in a cycle of nights, but only in good time. dj phono and his producer jimi siebels (a different jimi / egoexpress / its records) allowed themselves to take this time, two years, to be precise

ministry of sound continue explore the softer side of music by releasing the latest edition in the chilled series. afterhours is an alternative take on previous albums combining a mixture of genres & introducing new artists to create a brand new laidback listening experience.its on a chillout dance tip, showcasing fresh new talent in the form of jamie xx (including his hugely hyped remix of adele) plus brand new exclusives from skream & yasmin (both radio 1 playlisted). cd2 features the best of the bands including radiohead, hurts, beach house & mgmt to name but a few.

in the impressive flow of new talent in 2011 on fokuz recordings we already had the pleasure to present the sound of brother, command strange and intelligent manners among others. the next flavour of the funky liquid melting pot called fokuz recordings goes by the name donnie dubson. berlin based irishman donnie o sullivan aka donnie dubson started releasing his funky rollers on have a break and influenza media and already featured on fokuz on the chronicles of the deep lp together with stunna back in 2007. the grapefruit / battlecat release on influenza media in 2009 got him a lot of attention and is still heard in dj sets today. now its 2011 and fokuz presents the beautiful debut album of donnie dubson! his sound can be described as refreshing and original liquid drum n bass with a touch of the well known atmospheric drum n bass vibes from the mid 0s. his basslines are the unique sellingpoint as well as his ability to create an organic feel in the music thats only done by the few who truly understand what liquid drum n bass is all about. pleasuring both critical listeners and the dancefloor audience this album is a perfect overview of the sound fokuz stands for. a great example of how music can be time-less in this decade of fast moving consumer goods.

incl. david guetta, rihanna, lady gaga, taio cruz, ne-yo..

holy ghost! is the eponymous debut album from electro duo and remixers extraordinaire nick millhiser and alex franka label. hailing from new york, the twosome made their mark with remixes of tunes from the likes of moby, mgmt and cut copy, and the album includes the single -do it again-.

incl. tracks from j dilla, dj jazzy jeff, larry gold, dj spinna and will.i.am and from legends such as pete rock and marley marl. in addition there were albums leftfield heavyweights king britt and madlib. last but not least the set included a session of unreleased poetry from american literary giants - allen ginsberg, peter orlovsky and greg corso whose well documented movement lent its name to the series.

the new album, liquorice, from martin stimming wasnt initially planned to be an album. there was an intrinsic need for him to express what was going on in this period of life. relationship problems led to a very punk, off-whack attitude to his producing. with seven tracks done and dusted, he figured the work was more than just a collection of weird shit, it was a whole new music experienceÉ add another 5 months of studio work, he named it liquorice. definitely hard to pigeonhole - call it minimal, stripped back, dub, experimentalÉ we think >electronic free jazz< comes the closestÉ no sign of a typical 4/4 bass drum at all and stimming has incorporated his trademark use of field recordings, from a marble run, a pizza slicer, a trashcan, a coffee machine, and an ice train shuttling past to name a few. the stimming esque percussion, which is even more radical this time, has been thrown in with all these facets in his massive melting pot, coupled with some dark emotions to create this liquorice. >this time i didnt use all the main events a groove normally has<, recalls martin

space invadas is a project of two well-known artists: katalyst and steve spacek. space invadaÕs album soul-fi is receiving rave reviews and airplay from tastemakers around the globe as well as having 4 singles smashed on national radio in australia where the record has been released earlier this year. the album is being championed abroad by likes of gilles peterson on bbc1, garth trinidad on kcrw in la, tyler askew in nyc, andrew jervis (ubiquity) in san fran to name just a few. getting much love in the us and throughout europe where the record is yet to be released via bbe records. looks like its going to be a big year ahead for space invadas.

2 cd with finest hardstyle

hercules and love affair Ð the name itself combines images of strength and vulnerability, masculinity and femininity, as well as a classic disco troupe. their music on their self-titled album debut followed suit. strident beats but sweetness at the core. music with a plan of attack but an identity as fluid as that of its creators. a gloriously burnished fusion of three decades of dance, from disco to house, acid to synth-pop, derrick may to giorgio moroder (and lets not forget yazoo), but sounding like no other dance record before Ð or since. and now theyve gone and done it again. the troupes second album blue songs represents the best that dance music can get Ð still bursting with freshness while in touch with its roots. as mainman andy butler says, >its a softer record in some ways, and at other moments a more aggressive record too.< the album also reveals more about his world and his songwriting, resulting in a more honest, and yet more universal, record

from ben watts >buzzin fly< the debut album from mille cargo & franck garcia >pain disappears<

get ready for a musical journey so deep you may not be able to dig yourself out. nor may you want to. blazingly hot on the smoking heels of the 19 predecessors of the highest ranks of house dj/producers whove blessed this series before him, like joe claussell, ron trent, grammy award winners louie vega & david morales, teddy douglas & dj spen (aka basement boys & muthafunkaz), danny krivit, tony humphries, and a ton of others who superbly compiled and mixed these compilations in the past, hip house producer/dj & sole channel/vega records recording artist mr. v joins this exclusive club and doesnt disappoint. using 18 of the latest and greatest tunes culled from the catalog such as the k&n dub of johnnydangerous >mr vs revenge<, alex kenjis remix of david harness >shake< the original rough mix of ananda projects >aura protection< ivan iacobuccis unreleased original mix of his recent >ritual< release, the deep & magnetic unreleased moodymanc extended mix of tomoki tamuras >the rough< and tomo inoues phenomenal unreleased swingin dub of siren-ic house singer stephanie cookes >sweetest thing<, to name very few, make this 20th anniversary edition of the series one for the musical books. all aboard!

perfectly nails an unashamedly eighties vibe with flair & intelligence 8/10

benefitting from a market-leading front-line r&b output, this xmas rhino shift direction from their traditional sony-led r&b yearbook album to a release a brand new r&b super brand that looks set to become a true industry heavyweight

for volume 1 of breakin bread s new mix series, para and baila dig deep into the label s 12 year catalog and select the finest tunes and blend them to perfection. expect a breaks-heavy mix that includes cuts from para, natural self, rob life, quantic, color climax, ghost, tom caruana plus many more, spanning all styles represented by breakin bread from new school soul, funk, breaks, and beats.

>in touch with ibiza< spreads on 2 discs pure hands-up and party feeling. both discs were mixed by kid chris, who is a true ibiza expert and has travelled the globe with his energetic sound. besides his busy dj schedule kid chris is also known to be a great remixer and producer. he remixed acts like armand van helden, barbara tucker, geo da silva, lenny fontana and rosenstolz (gib mir sonne recieved gold status in germany, austria & switzerland), just to name a few..

sit back & relax as dj mfr takes you on another west coast excursion, containing music from some of the most respected west coast record labels and producers such as miguel migs, jask, jay j, vincent kwok and dj mfr himself just to name a few, all flawlessly blended together in dj mfr s smooth mixing style.

the name says it all. dettmann is the debut long player of berghains resident dj, producer and remixer marcel dettmann Ð and what an album it is. intrinsically tied to the myth that is berghain by now, the attached label ostgut ton and at the same time with the regeneration of no-frill, cleansed and powerful electronic music, marcel dettmann managed a daring feat: the production of a truly absorbing and veritable techno album.

valgeir sigurdsson, former producer of bjšrk, has made his name as an exponent of musical subtlety. as an engineer and producer, hes often focused on the intimate, the miniature. draumalandid (dreamland), a documentary about the exploitation of icelands natural resources, tells a story about huge things-the fortunes of a whole nation, the destruction of vast landscapes, and the global economic forces, greater still than any nation, that fuel it all-and for his soundtrack to the film, valgeir has brought out a heavier set of tools. exciting music for fans of max richter, deaf center, bjšrk.

phil kieran has been in the upper echelons of the electronic music game for more than a decade, but is only now releasing his debut album under his own name.

the seventh album from producer geoff wilkinsonÕs hip-hop-jazz crew us3 sees the introduction of 2 new young mcs hot off the streets of new york. underground hip-hop fans will already know the name of 23 year-old sene, and spoken word aficionados will certainly be aware of 20 year-old brook yung who is already a rising star on the us spoken word circuit. last year he won 1st place in laÕs adult poetry slam and 1st place in the nyc urban word youth slam. he is currently a member of nycÕs urban word team, and performed alongside wyclef at the 2009 sundance film festival.

motorcitysoul are frankfurt veterans and deep house pioneers matthias vogt and christian rindermann (aka c-rock). a feast of lush melodies and harmonies, lovingly crafted beats and percussion, ambient excellence and smart vocal numbers. on the albums title c- rock explains: >its an elegant word that refers to the way we work and hopefully how our music sounds. were very technically focused yet we aim for our music to have genuine soul and warmth. we also do everything in the studio so technique is the key to that.< .the start/deliver me kicks off the journey into the motorcitysoul sound, enlisting the vocal talents of swedish vocalist ernesto to complement the soulful, summer-tinged house grooves. as the lush chords build and the vocals progress, its clear this uplifting opener is one thatll have you rolling down your car window with a smile on your face. >maybe its a risk to start a house based concept album with such a soulful track but we dont have to justify it, because of the soul in our name<, says c-rock wryly. >space kŠtzle< was originally a hit last year on aus music, >space cats< (as it translates) sees matthias and c- rock use their studio expertise to layer together lavish arpeggios and harmonies that treat you to an almost cosmic house voyage. solar is the first >ode to the cinema soundtrack< offering on the album and sees the guys get experimental in the studio with deep trippy keys layered with mad aquatic sounds. .c

the new album by janet jackson! incl. the new single: feedback

italic would like to announce antonellis new album soulkiller. it is stefan schwanders aka antonellis 6th album and was produced using analogue drummachines, synthesizers and sequencers only and recorded live without any overdubs onto an old-school tape recorder. the result is amazing: antonellis house music on soulkiller is so incredibly rough and emotional that it reminds of the garage rock from the stooges. and the tracks sound as if esg was doing cover versions of moodymann. moreover, you will find flamboyant pop references, from bohannon to te r ry hall. the first single release taken from this album is the track hamilton and comes in the original version and in a remix version