toller house sampler! frisch

o celebrate the 25th anniversary of ugkãs first album, get on down goes the extra mile, presenting it for the first time ever on vinyl. and 2-lp clear vinyl at that, giving the strutting, funky grooves the chance to really stretch out on your system. back in 1992, southern hip-hop was still proving to the world that it could sustain a fan base that was chiefly raised on rap from new york and la. the geto boys and 2 live crew had made strong cases by the earliest 90s, and pimp c and bun b were ready to make their own. most of the trunk-bumping bass comes from drum programs and basic sampling on these tunes in later years they would build their sound into something even fuller and deeper. self-produced with additional work from houston locals bernie bismark and shetoro henderson, the tracks here are minimal, slow and menacing, which matched their lyrical approach quite nicely. you can hear the beginnings of the groups true greatness in these early lyrical workouts ¹ several taken from the regional cassette-only ep the southern way that got them signed to jive with tales of street hustles, relationships and self-reliance in a world stacked against them. they may have been done early-on, but that doesnt mean they arent crucial to ugks legacy cases in point being the three singles: something good, a charismatic update to bill withers use me up, and pocket full of stones (the latter featured on the menace ii society soundtrack). beyond the singles, deeper cuts like iãm so bad, feels like iãm the one whos doin dope and cramping my style made it clear to the world that this crew had the attitude and charisma to make even bigger waves in the years to come.

for their tenth release, voodoo down has again chosen to debut a new act to add to their label roster. andy harper and nic ford have been making music together for over a decade but began releasing in earnest under the name maddermodes in 2014 on their own label, shift coordinate points. they have since put out records on the labels millions of moments and night drive music. their handful of releases have already drawn support from top names like move d and nick höppner, and its clear that the duos sound is only getting more refined with each successive record. the ep entitled emprical evidence is a wholly cinematic piece of work, spread across four tracks that unravel slowly, unified by a theme of pumping syncopated rhythms under sprawling pad and string progressions. its easy to get lost in the thick arrangements, and the inventive use of samples and melodic elements invite repeat listening. equally suitable for early morning hours, ultra-deep techno sets, or quiet home listening sessions.

finally owner pirupa (defected, klimaks, desolat) comes up with his ep on d-floor. oldschoolish primetime action flavoured with a tribalistic remix from the italoboyz

limited to 300 copies! francisco is back and dives deep into darkness and moves in out between the atmosphere of an 80s horror movie soundtrack and a modern day take on eclectic disco. with two main theme tracks and three skits this mini-album is the perfect package to turn up the volume and turn down the lights when this bone shaking, gravedigger ep hits the decks. francisco is the italian producer francesco de bellis (known as on half of mat101 and jollymusic) solo project.

this is the last teaser before the release of the kruse & nuernberg album >lets call it a day<, featuring, yet again, the beautiful vocals of stee downes. on remix duties, we have lazy days regular shur-i-kan with two completely different flavors. his 80s vocal mix is a beautiful update of the original, speeding up the tempo for peak time play, while his 90s dub is a straight up stripped down classic house re-work. first time on the label, we welcome nathan g with another fine remix that can be played at just about any time of the night. lastly, we have the original in all its beauty, at its slower original tempo.
support by matthias vogt (motorcitysoul), charles webster, jimpster, giom, lee curtiss, johnny fiasco, quentin harris, lovebirds, laurent garnier, roberto rodriguez, llorca (art of tones), funk d void/françois dubois, agoria…, ...

after a couple of house 12s foto returns to more edit-based territory with its first v/a ep. ooft! kicks things off by paying homage to the reverend and the deacon with love & soulsaving. next up italian newcomer la tuerie keeps things loopy, soulful and slow on filter. on the flip future star luvless from leipzig delivers some loping pitch-down house in the form of motion clapture and everyones favourite la don cole medina rounds out proceedings with the downbeat soul of i like you. job done.

troy pierce, marc houle & magda team up to present their first ever trio release on items & things, >down & out vol 1< - which takes its name from their newly created party series - events that are based around the dark & intimate, off the radar, and under the ground. troy pierce starts things off with >majikal<, introducing the eps dark magic with a climbing bassline, scattering, almost anxious percussion and buoyant sound effects panned throughout. ominous atmospheres and weighted textures produce a cinematic accompaniment to surveyors of uncharted terrain. building a continual tension-and-release cycle, the track is a lucid whirlwind of sonic imagery and trickery, balancing visceral sounds with the otherworldly. magda teams up with suade, a producer & friend from newcastle that we are sure to see more of, together they bring forth a true builder, a creeper, the type of track that reveals itself more with each layering sequence. a masterclass in dynamics, >fixation< is a dark groove thats haunted by a chilling vocal, wavering synth vibrato, unexpected melodies, and juxtaposes of funk. angular drums hit alongside swells of percussive echoes but, the focus of the track revolves around the bassline’s movement. as catchy as it is esoteric. marc houles >slowpe< ends the ep with a slightly slower pace, but in a disconcerting way: taking it down a few notches this one that transports the listener to the strangest dimension yet. filtered melodies start the tracks ascent, sounding like a trumpet thats been bent out of shape and played from the void. with dark textures compactly knit into a condensed wall of sound, a low-slung bassline trades places with eerie chords and sparse percussion

poker flat welcomes new artist show-b to the ranks! mathias schober is the talent behind this new and exciting production project - having already released on the respected compost black label - and now announces a whole new batch of funk laden, truly deep electronic jams. >far down< is a swirling and all-encompassing tech-house journey. characterized by pitching synths and focused percussion, the building track really ignites as its slow burning themes come to the fore and a remarkable moment is created. the technical and dubbed-out >time comes< is a superb example of a modern electronic hybrid. crossing heavy dub stabs and delay-washed fx with thick, room filling synths and exceptional detailing, this inventive and textural track is pure home-grown and highly recommended! a dub version is also included which focuses on show-bs stylish drum fills and great feel for tension in the arrangement

charlton ravenberg is the dutch artist who signs the 4th great m_rec ltds vinyl. in this ep he has 4 tracks where he shows his full potential. in tracks such as >basterd< and >slow down< creates trip slow and hypnotic. in tracks like >backwards< and >forwards< trips are a little more techno with detroit school influences. its a release that will sure know more about the label and the artist for its modernity and its substance. big!
played and supported by: marcel dettmann, len faki, surgeon, laurent garnier, bas mooy, jeroen search, perc,samuli kemppi, tom hades, inigo kennedy, sebastian roya, dave ellesmere, roland m.dill and more ...

support by: in flagranti, toby tobias, andy black, munk, bottin, babyg, massimiliano pagliara, dicodromo, rayko, clap rules, love supreme, club silencioà after record, slow motions follow up û wrong era ep is set to catapult this small italian label into the big time. this time around and its all about the charms of italys very own motorcycle boy who delivers two stunning original tracks backed up with white hot remixes from the heels of love and old school disco legend fabrizio mammarella. try begins as a sleazy electro disco cut, thats swaggers along until breaking out with melodic strings that lighten the mood, before things drop back down to a perfect 4am groove that john carpenter would have been proud to call his own.

keeping it low on eskimo this time is low motion disco – a new artist album from secretive producer(s) who knows how to keep things on the down low. following recent singles love love love parts 1 and 2 featuring remixes from the likes of lsb, aeroplane, dfas still going and soft rocks keep it low fuses found sounds, field recordings and live instruments with lap top trickery providing us with 13 tracks of perfect horizontal dancing. from klf style sample skulduggery to blissed out electronics, dubbed up beats and uplifting melody hooks low motion disco open the door into their unique world of super slow house and funk induced chill out grooves.

truffle music returns with andrew allsgood at the helm again. the up and coming producer and longtime toronto dj shows his promise once again with this slow grooving funk masterpiece that stretches over 7 minutes. the song travels through many sections and passes, carried the entire time by a driving dub bassline and vocal. for the lovers of deep, dubby and funky house and disco. nycs drrtyhaze (tirk, gomma) are commissioned on the remix and deliver the goods with an up tempo hypnotic stormer that sizzles with its surreal energy and simplicity. drrtyhaze use few elements from the original other than the vocal, taking it into deeper territory with a faster tempo and groove and much more electronic feel to the originals organic vibe.

it s been nearly 15 years since this originally hit the shelves, which literally took the immersive atmospheric sound of echospace and brought it right to the floor. with cv313 s -sailingstars- the spirit continues as they go on to preach the gospel of deep with a rippling exercise in space and bass. a sort of slow motion movement in tone and 38 hz sub frequency which nearly verges on the disturbing, a sonic threshold quite hard to achieve in a vinyl cut. the power of repetition and subtle atmosphere are clearly demonstrated here by bringing the listener to an almost hypnotic state within its melodic spatial grooves. the b side offers two immense reductions, equally effective providing a low end throb, analog spirit and organic textures captured in zero gravity, it s like truly sailing among the stars. lovingly remastered and mixed down from the original analog 1/4- reel to reel tape, strictly limited to 300 copies for the world.

old school at its best, including sugar hill gang, afrika bambaataa, grandmaster flash and many more on 3lp in a collectors box!

for fans of: scorn, autechre, insect ark, download, front line assembly following up on their accomplished first collaboration “fever dream” and its accompanying remix album “parasomnia”, snowbeasts & solypsis head out on wax for the fantastic “firelands” lp. the dependable industrial beats and synths of snowbeasts programmer robert galbraith (also known to many as a superior mastering engineer), the haunting voice of elizabeth virosa, and the nefarious bass and electronics of the prolific solypsis come together once again to produce a ride through a fiery terrain of slowed tempo, half-remembered nightmares, and cavernous low end. with vocals ranging from ethereal to evil, spooky grooves charting a pathway to inferno, and distortions applied at the perfect moments, firelands is a memorable journey. heavy on synthesizer funk, and intricate percussions to drive the beat, the album erupts with the black lava of downtempo destruction. slow, driving horror and collaborative interplay make this a sophomore album worth taking home.

non volevo ma volavo strikes back for yet another trip down memory lane. four timelessly ecstatic cuts that survived the slow passing of time, retraced and restored from the archives of italian dance legends (visnadi, gambarelli), specially crafted to make you fly over the dancefloor today, just as they did back then.

2022 repress - invisible city returns with the hotly anticipated reissue of amajovi jovi by durban’s o.g. kwaito giant, sandy b. originally self-released on cassette and a white label 12”, rumour has it sandy had to remake the tracks from memory because even he couldn’t find a copy. . in its original post-apartheid context, amajovi jovi was a sign of youthful subversiveness, rebellious creativity and a neck snapping rejection to the fascist groove of a silenced nation. while the pantsulla hustler nods to house legends like jamie principle and pal joey, its hip hop breaks and interludes show a clear affection for snoop dogg’s doggystyle. at its slowed down tempo however, this low-fi kwaito masterpiece turns away from its american influence and looks towards baldelli and his cosmos. best of all are sandy’s vocals— deep, melodic zulu rap, sung flippantly—the way that only a true gangster could. it now stands as one of the finest glimpses of 90s party music to ever be blasted at the underground parties of the south african townships. a huge fave of jamie tiller, tako and ice, we are proud to present a limited vinyl and cassette reissue from one of the godfathers of kwaito. remastered and restored from the original cassette tape. designed by zeitype.

various artists balearic/downtempo ep

repress , strong contender for dance record of the year- red rack’em’s incredibly wonderful and fantastically wonky, disco banger, was rereleased on classic this year. after a few months of slowly embedding itself in people subconscious, it returns with new mixes. first up in the marvellously talented kink - strahil is no stranger to classic, having made a stamp on the label many years ago with his remix 3rd face. he s gone from strength to strength with his productions which have been accompanied by his glorious live performances. kink goes in, heads down with some proper techno wonk. this is indeed a beast. on the flip luke solomon joins forces with bristol’s very own eats everything and lord leopard, creating a bristol “circle of three.” the luke eats leopard edit adds a slight bit of conformity to the drums and the arrangement, without taking out too much of the wonk but taking it ever so slightly into “house “ territory. overall this is a monstrously wonky package - and just in time for xmas too.

2 x 12 inch, picture sleeve + printed insert

limited and numbered edition - eight 180 gram vinyl eps, faithfully reproduced from original artwork and audio masters. housed in a collectors slipcase with poster and download code included. singles, remixes, b-sides & live tracks.

2 lp without artwork & poster. the debut album of toy tonics labelboss kapote. and its kind of a manifesto of the labels sound: a perfect blend of jazzfunk and slow house

great jungle lp. tip!

uk rudeness !

part 3 of >spirits<

2019 repress - slo-mo house at its best deep shape, including the rare, sought after maurice fulton remix for alice smith love endeavour. compiled by rainer trueby. we live in hectic, turbulent times. it seems season- and reasonable to slow things bit down. in fact: slow house down to what we calling now: slouse. implying down to earth club music, with a tapping foot under 116 beats per minute.

2 lp, poster the first album on toy tonics. the debut album of toy tonics labelboss kapote. and its kind of a manifesto of the labels sound: a perfect blend of jazzfunk and slow house

on this third release, deviant disco keeps on digging up lesser known gems of various origins and delivers a hot batch of four brand new edits. the french label sticks to its peculiar aesthetics and welcomes you once again to an enthralling musical trip — starting with tchamy patterson’s groovy & percussive afrobeat only to spiral into barnes and ygalove s hypnotic the mongol raid slow-mo trance edit, and steering from la decadanse s tropical and sensual rework of yves simon vintage hit amazoniaque all the way down to eric vincent s obscure 80s french erotica.

slow things down into a full balearic groove with this latest ep on dekmantel by the dutch production duo. barely breaking a sweat over 100bpm, these smooth sunset synth rhythms, full of muted 80s italo funk, and breezy drum machines, syncopated with the warm, exotic blend of retro keys and ambience, set the eps five tracks coastal, vibrant dynamic.

matéria exótica, exotic matter in english, in physics, is described as special because it can bend spacetime in a way that time slows down. this is the energy the label wants people to have with its music. for the first record, el_txef_a delivers a 2 track side full of emotion and -martian- sounds as he often calls it. a basque producer who stands for a specific and complex sound signature, in his discography we find releases on labels like “permanent vacation”, “mule electronic” or “hypercolour”,he has as well released two long play albums “slow dancing in a burning room ( 2012 )” and “we walked home together ( 2014 )” aitor etxebarria is the man behind this mystic artist from bilbao “el_txef_a” american born, berlin based snad, who has labels like smallville or minibar in his repertoire was the chosen one to remix the main track, blue boat, and give it a dancefloor touch-

vinyl only.ltd to 300. the inhale exhale posse bringing it back with the 5th strike of the germany based house label. its v/a time again. this six track collage brings you from funky disco edits, over strong baselines and pitched vocals with atmospheric synths to old school jackin house with a bliss of slower deep house in the end. this diversified vinyl keeps the inex style like the guys started. hands down ! this one is a bomb !

lithuanian based label sodai started its journey in 2016, making it a label still in it’s infancy but making a big impression. owned by artist gardens of god, who started the label to create his own ‘no limits’ plat-form for his experimental sounds and projects. while at the same time a platform to give other artists the chance to also have freedom with art and music. with releases from raxon, few nolder and third son under their belt, the label shows no sign of slowing down, next in line is italian producer alex schaufel (suara, diynamic) who is welcomed to the label with a his heavy hitting four track ep entitled ‘roots’.

&#8203,,&#8203,,introducing paris-based contemporary sculptor and music maker erwan sene joining the exponential unknown precept roster. gathering pieces thought of as little narratives for his debut release, not without a bit french irony around the concept of work, i heard you laughing wavers towards mechanical repetition and something more outdated at times. purposely slowing down the tempo to fit the apparent redundancy of an industrial environment and its steadily running engines. an eroded atmosphere of sorts, analogous to the smokestacks emanating from factory chimneys. accentuating the ambiguity of a wild thought which is hard to grasp. despite its machine-driven aspect, sene primary questions the difficulty to manage one s life stuck in a primitive mindset, making intuitive associations in a grid pattern. carbon copy music for the tangled minds out there, leaving room for nothing but sedated feelings.

classic presents re-interpretations 1, the exquisite remix package of tracks from folamours blissed-out umami album, available on 12inch vinyl. session victim introduce a fiercer beat to their devoted to u remix preserving the delicate strings and its progressive style. next up, fellow classic contributor thatmanmonkz pumps up the tempo and lays down heavy percussion in his 8 minutes of funk remix. afrobeat producer austin ato weaves in his influences on ivoire with soft drumming, slow saxophones and a disco-inflected bassline amid echoes of vocal from nigerian singer kio amachree. alabaman byron the aquarius sprinkles a little of his jazz-house sound on look at me or ill steal your eyes ending a truly mesmeric release.

too smooth christ returns to supergenius records and widens his singular approach to introspective dance music to new musical horizons. infinite fall dmz is a slow house jam built around a hypnotic and endless fm pattern and a strong chorus bass, emphasized by a myriad of shiny bittersweet 101 sparks. pheqs125, originally made for tsc current live act, triggered such keen reactions in clubs that we decided to cut it down. its an acidish banger, elaborated around a 303 pattern, a rave detuned bassline and a b-more breakbeat, tickled by synthetic voices. with its rainforest chords and melodies and its muffled breakbeat, the eponymous track with you in mind is a love declaration between balearic house and old-school jungle / idm. etoile closes the ep with its uk bass vibe, a combination of tribal drum patterns and a grime beat and narrative bassline which will attract you in some mysterious caverns where the magic monsters hide.

support from: ben ufo (hessle), oli_n (phonica), ander b (robsoul), eltron john (uncanny valley), simon caldwell (fbi radio), herzel (hivern disc), nori (posivision), sascha funke, nathan g, dmitry (neo violence) acid influenced many of us. in fact, for a huge proportion of us, acid kicked off this sweaty, painful, yet incredibly fulfilling journey. the 2 originals by dircsen utilize the 303 in different ways - the opener ‘beyond collapsing silence’ sounds like an instant acid house classic with its energetic drums & dreamy atmosphere, whilst ‘depth scan’ slows it down, focusing more on hypnosis. rounding off the 3-track ep is an idiosyncratic remix of ‘depth scan’ by l.i.e.s. legend, florian kupfer. a dubbed out original gets well and truly saturated.

last spotted tomfooling as tryck & ton with edvin edvinsson, and prior to that as tiedye on mike simonettis italians do it better imprint, subversive swede anton klint makes his debut on simonettis latest label 2mr with two more vitally trippy, heavily dub-informed originals. ‘mun chugs at a stately 107. rippling in places, squiggling in others, theres an unabashed fx weirdness bubbling and popping over the insistent shimmering dubwise groove. tweaking, freaking but running at such a smooth temper theres space between the chaos, anton is balancing some heavily hypnotic alchemy here. ‘strupe takes things even lower and slower. a dusty bluesy chugger, unhurried-yet-relentlessly building with a great sense of cosmic drama, listen and marvel as more elements are precision introduced throughout the seven minute trip. a masterclass in modern day honkytonk. remix-wise were thrusted into the later hours with a technoid twist from andre laos. maintaining antons originals trippy charm and measured pace but re-amping it with grittier foundation, teasing risers and an insurgent synth strike, its the perfect complement to one of 2mrs most singular releases to date. open wide.

the second in the skins whitelabel series delivers yet more carefully crafted dub techno for the dancefloor. opener ‘sahara sky’ begins with menacing low-end atmospherics, with slowly evolving pads and chords forming an assured groove punctuated by dreamy synth lines. ‘eve’ is similarly groove-based, with its relentless forward momentum kept in check by a wistful descending chord sequence. in both, skins lends the spaciousness synonymous with dub techno a club-focused kineticism, creating versatile tracks that allow djs to transform the vibe, whether building up or winding down. the record also features two synth tools: an energetic acid/dub fusion and a stripped-back polymetric chord jam, offering myriad possibilities for textural play and keeping listeners guessing

allfeelings is releasing a 12- in dedication to his love for early dub techno coming out of berlin. the idea behind the title “untitled” is to give the listeners more space to interpret the tracks themselves rather than being distracted with any track names. as allfeelings music label is about the amalgamation of sounds and rhythms to bring about a visceral experience, this can be observed in the african inspired percussion on side a and the subtle changes and movement it has throughout its length. side b focuses more on easy listening with sounds and dry textures meandering slowly demanding the listener’s attention at all times. the other great thing about this record is it works really well pitched down which can be used to great effect during warm ups and after hours. this release has the support from ario and o:utlier from astral industries.

what can be said about the girl whose greatest friend was the mist? it can be said she was never short of adventure, for each time the mist cleared, it had a new surprise. rabbits and rocking horses came out of hats the size of hills, armies of ants played in marching bands, deer danced, giraffes juggled, elephants tap-danced atop the moon, flowers bloomed in the sky, and stars shone on the ground, because, why cant down be up? with the mist there was always the kind of hocus pocus that twisted itself into a pocus hocus, a shenanigan or a hijinks so high it could not be jinxed, but it had to be jumped. by a fish flown by a boy from out of town. it was enough to make her giddy with happy.

from his debut on tresor in 2012 with the super strength ep, all the way through to his vibrations long player in 2016, paris based artist marcelus has continuously provided some of the most intricate productions to come out on tresor records in recent years. marcelus instills unpredictable rhythms as the very eseence of his music. these di erent layered time signatures move together in spiraling forms designed in the french enchanter’s mind. the magnet ep o ers one long trip in four chapters. the title track, “magnet”, ushers in the ritual and strikes with its creole flavors, drawing careful listeners back to sound palettes and rhythms of some decisive ur references. from there on, the mind-bending begins. “parenthesis” is the second slow step in this brooding ceremony. “say it again” picks up the pace, driving the listener further down into the tunnel. the beads of “descent” finally brings the mind back to the surface of reality.

tom dicicco is best known for his stern techno output, so its intriguing to seem him donning a new alias, veyg, and exploring a new sound palette. as with the last veyg 12inch, the tone here is somewhere around the slower tempo, discoid acid end of the spectrum, and hes made the sound his own. my sweet soul is a dusty affair with squashed drums and looped up bongos rubbing up against trippy globules of lysergic monosynth action. when they fall- is a downcast electro track for rainy sundays, while these feelings waits for the clouds to break and dances on the damp lawn with no shoes on. west of the sun is the most adventurous offering on the 12inch, escaping the 4/4 thud and twirling in an off-grid stylee with ample dub fx tugging the melodic parts around in a mellifluous haze of experimentation.

come to canada you will like it is a record about slowing down while finding a balance between rural and city living. inspired by subjective memories and ideas about things and places: looking back and moving forward.

the remarkable thing about belp s new album is its two-dimensional function. it works both on a loud and a quiet volume. some tracks would go down well as a club track, like opener travelling thru galaxies . this track brings back memories of the best work released on the hyperdub label, with it s fine combination of synths and irresistible, dubby beats. elsewhere, off ending might start off as dancehall-but-not-quite dancehall track but when half way the synths kick in they change the feeling of the track to a more cerebral level.

monday off is a vinyl only record label from brooklyn, new york, founded by mary yuzovskaya. its ethos is to showcase artists that explore techno s hypnotic side, specifically where trippy and dark music goes deep yet dynamic. for the third release, nyc/berlin/washington dc transplant arthur kimskii dives in with a heady trio of his productions. title track -verbal variance- slowly unfurls with a myriad of textures and sounds to both confuse and delight the senses, while -swan an ocean for you- takes on similar terrain albeit kicked up a notch and warmer in tone. -basement moves- is an emotive and partially beat-less affair steeped in layers of noise, and moff favorite stephanie sykes strips the a-side down for a sinister and chugging remix.

eshu, the production collective and record label from nijmegen are back with their next offering. their 12th release is a various artists release that features blm, joburg and steven siwalette alongside label members ivano tetelepta and jocelyn abell. it comes on the heels of teteleptas absorbing dub techno album, senang, and is another high class offering. nijmegen based siwalette is first, previously contributed to the label as part of sys. his stragglers is a sparse but atmospheric track with industrial drones and slowly turning drums taking you through a desolate factory late at night. his second offering is alien encounter which is just as it sounds - a spooky, unsettling bit of cinematic sound design with menacing bass and icy pads all growing in loudness until they eventually consume your mind. lastly on the a-side, uk producer and fear of flying label boss blm lays down a skeletal groove thats embellished with beautiful, yawning synths. scattered little details and fx making this a cavernous piece that encourages your mind to wander and get lost. on the flip, jocelyn abell and ivano tetelepta cook up a heavyweight, mid tempo bit of dub techno with sharp hits and rolling kicks lulling you into a trance. last of all, the emerging j?burg picks up the pace with a perfectly chiselled bit of rock solid dub with looping drums and icy hi hats sinking you deep into its midst. this is an excellent ep that packs in a range of fascinating sounds for both the home and the club.

born in cameroon, vicky began banging the drums at the age of 9. by 13 he had moved onto bass and within a couple of years he was playing every night from 10pm to 5am in the castel douala cabaret. at the age of 19 vicky moved to paris to study banking and commerce and cram in even more music. he took classes at Épinay-sur-seine conservatoire music school and it was here that he met bandmates of his dikalo project. word spreads and he soon becomes one of the most sought after bass players in the afro arena. his session work features on many scenes stars, manu dibango, eko tala am, kemayo, sammy massamba, toto guillaume and many more. a chance meeting with the gibson brothers also see him play on two of their hit albums. in the 80s vicky moved to the us for spell and excels as a session bassist and touring musician. we pick up the story in 1981. with his stature as a musician and bass player riding high he takes a detour to nigeria to record with the afrodisia label in lagos. the thank u mamma album is the result. it is repressed for the first time, here in 2018 on the revitalised afrodisia label. musical proceedings open up with the heartfelt ode to his mother thank u mamma, smooth pop meets afrobeat boogie. marina driv slows things down with its smoldering jazz. side two opens with its not serious a catchy vocal number underpinned with funky guitars and striding basslines. stormy rain is lazy guitar jazz swansong. we close off the album with the ever so funky you. slick funk grooves powered along with a dose of slap bass. as a side note vicky actually plays left handed but with a upside down right handed bass. this upside-down precursor making his effortless slap playing even more impressive. vicky went on to record a two other albums and still tours and plays as an ever-in-demand session musician.