hardcore is not a trend but a lifestyle. the genre that once has grown in the netherlands, has also proven to survive in the underground when the hype in the late 90s seemed to be over. the ultimate hardcore collection proves that in this music genre there is still enough development and that the majority of dutch artists are still leading. the ultimate hardcore collection volume 2 compiles the freshest and most important records at the moment on two cd mixes. to make a long story short: for those who find hard not hard enough, this is the cd that you really must have!

fresh off the success of 80s groove, ministry of sound return with 3cds of soul, r&b and club anthems. let us introduce to you the perfect soundtrack to your summer. this is 90s groove. cd1 features the best in soulful grooves from jamiroquai, m people, george michael, soul ii soul, lisa stansfield to des-ree. disc 2 brings together a flawless collection of smooth r&b and hip hop featuring some of the biggest artists of all time r.kelly, jay z, mark morrison, tlc, usher, en vogue and eternal. disc 3 finishes with a journey deep into the underground grooves of the 90s dance floor, featuring huge cross over tracks such as robin s -show me love-, tina moore -never gonna let you go- and ultra nate -free-, along with classic tracks from moloko, groove armada and basement jaxx. the 80s groove series has so far sold nearly a third of a million copies, now get ready for the definitive collection of soulful hits that defined the 90s.

after months of hard work forbidden society can proudly present the new album to the treshold, which is coming out on forbidden society recordings label. album consits of 15 tracks total (6 available on lp, 13 on cd and 15 in digital form). the album is filled with all sorts of different genres from drum and bass, drumstep, crossbreed to electro or dubstep, all precisely fitted together with forbiddens charismatic and solid sound, which will creep under your skin up to the point where it is almost unbearable (that is why the new album is called to the treshold). solid fans of forbidden society were able to hear some of the tracks, remixes and co-operations with other artists on various places in europe, or even in tokyo, japan. the album itself can show off with awesome cover, all done by kikai(jap), well known for his manga-anime desings, in co-operation with kristof from nosqrl graphics. lp album is coming out on the 21st of may, and the cd one week later. you do not want to miss the great experience of the new album!

hailing from perth, australia, this talented and prolific producer is no stranger to the music scene. following his first taste of an akai sampler to drop film samples on the intros of songs in his metal band, the dirty whittler, rregula eventually found himself drawn into the world of drum and bass and formed one half of bad robot in 2003, a monster collaboration with future technique and viper superstar, phetsta.with a number of releases on subsonik sound, black sun empire, and drumsound & bassline smiths popular technique recordings as bad robot, followed by solo projects on vampire records, dsci4, citrus recordings, icarus audio, climate recordings, and too many others to name, rregula has been scaling new heights with his output in the past year. having just released an album project in 2011 on trust in music entitled echoes from the future with dementia and collaborations from the likes of smooth, trei and optiv, one might think of calling it a year.. rregula is not one of those people.now set to unleash his highly anticipated debut lp on climate recordings, rregula presents:the barramundi experiment. an album extraordinaire, with over 30 tunes of deep and dirty rolling drum and bass, halftime and drumstep.

for serious music fans, sxsw in austin is close to heaven on earth. non-stop music of all sorts, plenty of beer & bbq, and for those of us in colder climates, a chance to enjoy some mild weather before spring is fully underway. this year, as a part of our celebration of 27 years of !k7 well be kicking the festivities off with dj sets from two of the recent stars of dj-kicks, photek & apparat.the party will be free and wont require a badge, so come one come all. in addition to the headliners, we also have a several special guests lined up, including artists who appear on photeks mix. were looking forward to starting the week of music off on the right foot with all our friends, and hope to see you there!

whomadewho may lack a question mark after their name but their music will certainly have you asking after them. the copenhagen,denmark trio is difficult to pin down but their music sounds as effortless as it is stylistically and sonically adventurous. having formed in 2003, the genre-bending trio made up of jeppe kjellberg, tomas h¿ffding and tomas barfod honed their skills on stage and in the studio, releasing a series of bestselling records on munich based gomma and topped off by their kompakt released 2011 mini album knee deep.

it s been quite a year so far for x-press 2 not only are the legendary dance floor vanguards at the pinnacle of the international dj fraternity, they remain all round purveyors of the uks finest house music, and with that to start the new year off nicely the eclectic duo are set to release their eagerly anticipated third studio album offering the house of x-press 2.

the most in party on the island for all those saturday night clubbers, this cd mixed by danny leblack and fran morin is an amazing example of just what the cafŽ ole fiesta is like. these 20 incredible house tracks will take your breath away. just go ahead and enjoy such sounds as eric morillo and eddie thoneick feat shawnee taylor, hitch, feygin, coco silco & santy lafonte, jairo catelo and many more!

folge 17 der vom label und internetradio rinse initiierten compilationreihe praesentiert einen mix von elijah & skilliam mit den besten grime-tracks aus dem englischen dance-underground 2011. die beiden djs, label-, club- und blogbetreiber (butterz) haben sich in ihrem mix vor allem auf instrumentale tracks konzentriert, darunter -take off- von faze miyake (dem wohl besten instrumentalen grime-track des jahres), wollten aber auf stimmen wie die von p money, blacks sowie trim and wiley nicht ganz verzichten. mit den 27 tracks schaffen die beiden einen reinen grime-mix, aehnlich wie in ihren shows auf rinse fm, mit den angesagtesten tracks aus der britischen grime-szene, darunter einige exklusive dubplates.

mad decent is proud to announce our very own -mad decent volume 1- compilation, featuring 18 tracks hand selected by our leader diplo from his favorite overlooked remixes of past releases plus a variety of new music from our next crop of artists. the compilation presents a selection of mad decent artist who ve helped shape the labels unique personality since inception. featuring huge new remixes of classics such as bosco delreys -wild one- (reset! remix) and malucas -el tigeraso- (sticky k remix) to unreleased gems like boy 8-bit -house on the hill- and dillon francis -beautician 2.0-, to in your face bangers like ruskos -everyday- (netsky remix). mad decent vol. 1 is as much a showcase of the labels biggest names and tracks as it is an illustration of its incessant efforts to bring new genres and cultures to light. the label has come a long way from the underground philly scene where it all started, collecting a diversified group of artists along the way. from blaqstarr, to rusko, to savage skulls and po po, the sound and influences come from all over the world, and somehow work together to form a unified front of weirdos that make music outside the lines.

overview in the 1980s, as hip hop caught fire around new york, sparky d was coming up in the van dyke projects in brownsville brooklyn. she would go on to be one of the first recorded solo female rappers and rise to hip hop stardom. early in her career she was a pivotal player in what came to be known as the roxanne wars. it all kicked off with utfo s roxanne roxxane followed by roxanne shante s debut roxanne s revenge and then a salvo back at shante with utfo and a female mc known as the real roxanne. sparky d then started a trend that ran for what some say was over a hundred assorted answer records and nearly the rest of the decade by jumping into the roxanne trend with sparky s turn (roxanne, you re through). massive spins and sales throughout the city followed. the success of the cut lead to another handful of 12 releases, and this release, her proper full length debut this is sparky ds world,- produced by her boyfriend and old school legend spyder d. though the record didn t take off to the extent that her label mates boogie down productions found with criminal minded....well, what ever did take off like criminal minded. to this day the release serves as a testament to the power of one of hip hop s first female mcs, after all, this is sparky d s world. traffic entertainment group in partnership with b-boy records is proud to release this extended version of the album, out of print in any format for over 14 years. housed in a handsome 6 panel digipak featuring extended artwork and audio including all the 12-cuts, mixes and instrumentals from sparkys classic -throwdown- and -i can t stop- vinyl singles.

40 massive r& b hits inside !!!

the late steve reid, veteran jazz drummer and percussionist, and kieran hebden (four tet), the british electronic musician/producer young enough to be his grandson, present the fifth and final installment of their momentous synergy. the music on this double cd was recorded in concert on 20 june 2009 in the foyer of the queen elizabeth hall at london s southbank centre, as part of the meltdown festival curated by free jazz legend ornette coleman. for this marathon workout, reid and hebden were joined by swedish power saxophonist mats gustafsson, whose fiery blowing style had inspired kieran to seek out a drummer like steve to work with in the first place. live at the south bank stands as a memorial to a thrilling and productive partnership sadly cut off in its prime.

while the tempos may vary from one track to the next, from chillout to dubstep to chilled drum & bass, the uniting thread is the deeply melancholy sounds from the icey synths to the hazy voices of longing. includes their stunning single hide your tears because we are in heaven.

2011 album from the anticon founder and instrumental rap innovator. fever dream is alias s most inspired and dynamic record in years. spurred by the psychedelic sound and off-kilter groove of electronic experimentalists like flying lotus, modeselektor and bibio, he ditches quantized beats, embraces warmth and sets the whole thing wobbling to a warped dance pulse. incorporating generous amounts of chopped, pitch-bent r&b vocals, plus sprinklings of live instrumentation and loads of left turns, fever dream is a stylistic whirlwind of hallucinatory house, homespun big beat, swinging downtempo and melodic break music.

incl bonus disc of covers, instrumentals & rarities

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.

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.

2011 release, the follow up to 2010s successful first volume of bangs & works. the carefully curated compilation showcases chicago footwork, one of the most forward-looking, innovative new styles of electronic music on the planet. footwork is beginning to spread outside of chicago, influencing productions around the world. bangs & works vol. 2 brings the focus back onto chicagos own producers, showing where the real innovation still lies. while its predecessor sticks mainly to the more hallucinatory and left-field elements, this one has a wider remit, ranging from mad techno-style tracks to those that sound like musique concrete gone footwork.

five classic artist albums in wallets housed in a new slipcase. nice and simple, no frills just great music! includes circle of love (1975), together (1977), we are family (1979), love somebody today (1980) and all american girls (1981).

5 cd set includes the albums, chic (1977), c est chic (1978), risque (1979), real people (1980) and take it off (1981).

with over 10 years worth of experience and a number of releases on labels such as emi, p-vine, and freestyle, uk funk & soul titans the baker brothers land at record kicks with their seventh, and latest musical opus -time to testify-. in the new album the baker brothers pick things up where top singles -once i had a friend- and -patience- left off. the result is -time to testify-, a brand new album that sees the baker brothers hitting their stride as they mix elements of modern soul, jazz, funk and everything in between.

long-awaited sophomore lp defies expectation executive produced by boys noize, guests include big freedia and santigold

in keb darges own words: i ve done many a compilation in my day, mostly based around the tunes i played at my long running deep funk nights in madame jo jos. that night is no longer on the go, possibly due to a growing lack of interest on my part, (sorry). in the last few years the lost & found: nights at the club have been my real passion, and indeed little ediths and andy smiths passion too. what a marvelous era this is for good music. we may still have pure stuff like dub step: pulling in large numbers of sheep, but an equal number of youngsters are being attracted to retro, or at least retro sounding music. people tell me it is because the youth are fed up with computerized music, or men with drug problems angrily shouting at them over a dull repetitive beat, but i know lots of teenagers who have bypassed this muck all together. must be the internet that is helping kill off the demand for empty music. you no longer need to go to a retro club night, or indeed search out rare records to be exposed to good music, the internet is full of the stuff. my fifteen year old daughter is a marc bolan fan who while researching the poor fellows influences discovered chuck berry, sun records, etc, etc. i dont really know or understand why so many are at last getting into the good stuff, but they are, and it is wonderful for the likes of me.

cocker kicks off a collectable series of bargain-priced finders keepers compilations made to support the label in light of the recent warehouse fire at pias north london depot. a long time fan of the label and their doings, he was granted full access to rifle their catalogue and hes picked some absolute treats for ya, including, if were not mistaken, some which have never appeared on cd before. to start theres the perspicacious poetics of carol battens beeing, besides the legendary pseudo j-pop of yamasuki (made by none other than thomas -daft punk- bangalters dad!), besides a first cd appearance for jacky chalards super man, super cool from the cache cache 12-. youll also find a nugget from the stone soundtrack, one of the labels finest moments from amrals trinidad cavaliers steel drum orchestra, the glam prog of gongs rational anthem, balearic prog from fusioon, tender folk from jane weaver with wendy flower, and a bonus moment in jean claude vanniers au desepoir des singles. top picks, well recommended!

drawing from a rich sonic palette, man without country splice glacial guitar ripples with an eerie synth pulse to create music both complex and all embracing. their debut ep kicks off with king complex, taken from forthcoming album foe and indicative of mwcs ability to morph their source material into anthems when you least expect it, the tracks tinkling keyboard led intro exploding into a euphoric dancefloor chorus. the melody belies a darker sentiment behind the lyrics on king complex -you are a true parasite / and youre the bane of my life- ryan concedes that -they are personal and bitter-. this contrast between melody and lyric is a common theme across their debut long player. the six track ep features a further 3 tracks from foe Ð inflammable heart, ebb & flow and iceberg plus the sei a remix of king complex. xi is exclusive to this ep.

dj diamond is 24 year old karlis griffin from the west side of chicago. he has been producing music since the age of 13 and djing since 20, heading the -flight muzik- clique of footwork producers. you might recall his two tracks from our -bangs & works vol.1- footwork compilation of last year. in addition hes also released several mix cds in chicago, but this, his first international album showcases his unique style of footwork music. dj diamond is a unique producer with his own distinct style and an unusual ear for unexpected sonic and rhythmic combinations within the footwork template. often he thoroughly edits samples into tiny trance-inducing, techno-like stabs. combining this with a penchant for neon synths and loose, broken drums (that are often more effect-laden and freeform than those of of his peers) and you have a sound which has an intriguing, deeper, dreamlike feel. the breadth and quality of his production is clear when you listen to this album. take opener -rep yo clique-s woozy drawling synths and tribal tom patterns next to -speakerz n tonguez- with it-s snapping snares, minimal, repetitive voice samples and martial, detailed drum work. then a track like -torture rack- which is like grime in outer space: a minimal bassline and some samples from a computer game, while a bass kick stumbles at half time, swarms of percussive detail giving it drama. its a brilliant exercise in wonky tension. the extraordinary -decoded- comes across like a kind of amalgam of trance and prog rock bombast at 160bpm while -wreckageÕs- high pitch saw noise is like a strange metallic bird-call, over light cymbals, gabba-like kicks and metallic claps. -digimons- harmonic microedits could even be an snd track transported to chicago. finally the albums closer -i choose you- rolls out over a heavily edited and processed soul sample, its drums rolling off at odd angles to almost seasick effect.

stylishly darker d&b steppers off the linden & blocks lorry. highlights have to be the hardstepper -lights over io- and the dramatic tech-step agility of -queen of my empire-.

sing (if you want it) is the sixth release from the british soul icon, omar. this eagerly awaited re-issue definitely puts omar back in the spotlight and will become an essential album for any music collection. omar is often referred to as the founding father of nu-classic soul and has been acclaimed by artists such as erykah badu and mobo award winner kele le roc. omar can also count stevie wonder as a fan, who most famously said, -when i grow up, i wanna be omar-. on this album, omar collaborates with stevie wonder and a host of great artists including estelle, common, zed bias, and many more. the album also comes with two brand new bonus tracks, including the single -dancing- and -its so-.

the darkside of hardcore is back, even more heavy, even more experimental! this time the curse is casted by meccano twins and the subtitle confirm it: the wrath of god! dont expect cheap melodies or mainstream tracks, the sound is fat, extreme, harder than ever. many unreleased tracks from top producers like tommyknocker, tieum, meccano twins, promo, armageddon project, nosferatu, angel of darkness and many others. darkside: hardcore to his exteme level!

dave.i.d likes to think for himself. always has done. its the reason why his debut album didnt go quite according to his initial plan. he was going to make, to use his own words, >something pretty simple and straightforward<. but then he noticed lots of his friends were discovering new beliefs. some even tried to convert him. >im very open-minded to different beliefs, but i question and see things slightly differently,< he says. without necessarily wanting to, he found himself reflecting on existential questions. >the album is a record of the time that it was made, and thats what was going on in my life at the time. i didnt necessarily want to make the debut album like that. i felt i had to make it<. the cerebral inspiration catapulted him into musics outer rim. he beamed back a dark, dense sometimes confrontational sound, but ultimately compelling sound. but, in the end, it turned out to be a happy accident because the resulting record, called >response< appropriately enough, is mind-bendingly inventive, brilliantly off-kilter and constantly surprising. crucially, the tough sonics are paired with killer melodies: this is deep, heavy music you can hum. the records he was listening to while making >response< help make sense of his singular sound

since his first two personal album releases on kilk records, serafim tsotsonis has been developing into a talented musician. with the release of his brand new album. beautiful people, the greek artist takes a step further, presenting even more facets of his diverse talent with a work of exceptional polyphonic delights.in the albums opening track red, green, blue, a unique postmodern lullaby, the serene atmosphere of a childs room, is pierced with the sounds of an urban environment. an imposing performance by zach soars together with a chorus comprised by mikael delta, kid moxie, kiki, antoneta kotsi, fay depasta and serafim himself. at the same time, dimitri vassilakis, one of the foremost recognized greek wind musicians, adds further brushstrokes of sensitivity with his saxophone. with relaxed beats, unequivocal references to 80s melancholic electronica and the vocals of kiki and kid moxie, my own sea invites the listener to dive into the waters of his own dream world. in a way, it constitutes a continuation of serafims past creations, as heard in his earlier works, a fact that is sure to satisfy the most loyal of the artists fans. the dubstep references in the intro of so good, are intertwined with the modern electronic sound of berlin and the saxophone of dimitri vassilakis comes in at the end, marking a shift that leads to an exploration of new sound structures, in which european metronomy meets neo-jazz. the most radio-friendly track of the album comes with far away, a mutated balearic rhythm interpreted unpredictably by the rock-tinged voice of norwegian sverre olav r¿dseth. catch the cloud is where the album really takes off. a deep tech anthem for clubbers around the world, one can imagine it featured on the soundtracks of films such as berlin calling, had it been released sooner

die erfolgreiche dubstep compilation von ministry of sound >adventures in dubstep & beyond< geht in die 2. runde!34 tracks und remixes auf 2 cds u.a. von joker, zed bias, el-b, afrika hitech, lv, quarta 330, evol intent, kromestar, jazzsteppa u. v.m.!

incl. groove armada (m3 & bachelors of science remix of history), wagon cookin (music is not far), and shiny objects (set it off marcus mescaline mix). along with other choice cuts & remixes by hot toddy, mike monday, fred everything, lance de sardi, ron basejam and shiny objects.plus 55+ minute continuous mix by al velilla.

best of summer tunes!

this release is a reissue of two of german producer udo heitfields albums for tresor, from 2000 and 2002 respectively. the passage of time has done little to tarnish the productions and of the two albums, the three untitled tracks from the ways of the bodies have some bearing with dub techno,unfolding in a dreamy, jazzed out manner over the course of 20-30 minutes each. timeless meanwhile is a more ambient work, but heitfield manages to keep the listeners attention with the hour-long all and you, two dreamy, abstract works. that they sound all the more relevant given technos shift towards off-beat sounds is testament to heitfields timeless sound.

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

damn!30 anniversary edition! 2 cds incl. ben saunders, krystl, taio cruz, ali b..

the legendary dj maxxi disco energia and energia buia tapes, highly coveted by his obsessive fans and thought lost for several years, have been re-discovered, re-mastered and made commercially available for the first time ever. only previously the ownership of a select few enthusiasts these tapes held legendary status amongst certain individuals, only ever spoken of in hushed tones, these two volumes (this being volume one) serve as a quintessential guide to the italio disco phenomenon. once heard, never forgotten these are some of the finest dj mixes that youll ever have the privilege to hear. peppered with classics and underground gems, the composure and construction of spaghetti disco classics are truly outstanding. the mixes have been dusted off and cleaned up for new millennium heads to enjoy. so bathe your ears in their magnificence as you transported away to northern italy in the early 1980s enjoy disco energia Ð spaghetti disco classics volume one, volume two to follow shortlyÉ. please note this is a very limited release available for one time only

it was 1975 and a mere 24 years since ike turner lit the blue touch paper on rock n roll with the incendiary rocket 88 , when a small independent record company emerged from a couple of second-hand record stores in london. it was just before the fuse was lit on another stage in the rock n roll story with the emergence of punk rock and chiswick records helped strike the match - commencing with the release of the count bishops speedball ep. with the same people at its head, the label evolved into ace records and they are proud to be celebrating their 30th anniversary in 2005. ace has become the leading in-depth catalogue company in the world and has issued a vast amount of the best and most important music released in the us from the time of that first ike turner recording to the launch of their own company. that crucial period forms the core of the extensive ace catalogue. they have often wandered off this central path, with excursions into world music, some home-made recordings of local acts and have investigated beat music from belfast to tokyo. but it is at the heart and soul of rock n roll that you will find ace putting out that wild and frantic, deep and romantic, funky and punky music that will sure nuff turn you on!