we are seemingly headed towards dark and confusing times. the tension inside of the people is rising so instead of putting more gasoline to the fire and fueling the rage i submit to you these sounds of peace. not black music or white music. not borders or class. just music. it’s time to stop labeling music, just as it is time to stop labeling humans as 1st class and 2nd class citizens. if you can ignore my broken voice and if you could only look past my music’s imperfections, you would feel me instead of hearing me and maybe then you could get a small glimpse of the hope that the people feel when they are at my concerts and understand the idea that many great men and women before me like bob marley and john lennon had, that we are all one. the idea that had brought hope and countless others. the hope that makes them scream: peace forever. (charles x)

nathan bartell grew up in a little town called ashburn, georgia but soon moved to atlanta georgia where he began to perform in the night clubs. in 1973 he released “top going down, bottom going up” on the soul-po-tion label. bartell remembers: “at the time i was having family problems. my wife didn’t want me and i was deep in love. i felt at that time that i was at the bottom of the pit and i wanted to rise up out of that mess because my wife made me feel that i was a nobody. i was not good enough for her - nobody wants you when you are down and out. she felt that she were on the top and i was on the bottom. this song was a message at that time.” there is nothing for us to add except that we are delighted to bring this little beauty back to new life.

some serious 1970’s afro dancefloor hits, surely a promising favorite among deejays, afrofunk and tropical music revival aficionados. vinyl diggers can finally play some of ivory coast’s hardest to find deep funk, afrobeat, manding and tropical rhythms tunes recorded by such legends as moussa doumbia, de frank jr or francis kingsley.

i would like to thank my buddy nyak feat mark hand for his sensual remix of human being on a1 and soulphiction for the tripped out journey of always isnt only on a2. while you are here, check out soul clap s floor wrecking interpretation of moonchild on b1, especially when that bassline comes in. and finally give a round of applause to simba for his deep grooving remix on b2. thanks and see you again soon!

this 200 copy, vinyl only release is the first on 10years, a brand new and celebratory project between two long time friends, per hammar & maya lourenço aka parallax deep. channeling their trippier and more hypnotic works, the label will start with a split, limited run 12inch that marks ten years of friendship and then promises to develop into a great outlet for floor facing house and techno. per hammar goes first with the irresistible the expedition for mrs. gustavsson, a deep and fluid house cut with lots of little imperfections, crackles and bubbles adding character to a slick and stripped back groove. atmospheric and warm, soul infused and heady, it cannot fail to get connoisseurs on their toes. ‘parallax deep’ then offers a similarly rubbery and deep roller in periscope. this one is more electronic and minimal and finds the artist orchestrating myriad synthetic sounds into a bubbling track that is subtly curious and full of late night freakiness. support by traumer, nima gorji, bella sarris, brett jacobs, io mulen, truncate, raresh etc

in the follow up to his doornroosje ep released back in october last year - aus continue on form in 2017 and present another solo ep from label mainstay marquis hawkes. having been brought into the fold on 2015, the berlin based artist has consistently utilised aus to outlet his more soulful and stripped productions. his previous work has comprised fun, sample-heavy tracks designed with nothing but the dance floor in mind and his latest 12inch sweet temptation expands on this bringing melody, rhythm and chords to the foreground. jubilant, powerful vocal lines and stony drums are the core ingredients and their melding results in a collection of 4 tracks of varying moods and intensities. while ‘burning light’ and ‘sweet temptation’ pack a certain big-room punch, eivissa and zapper bluesky carry depth and soul in a manner that recalls a classic and cherished hawkes sound. now 5 releases deep with aus music - marquis hawkes continue to demonstrate why he is a regular and esteemed member of the roster.

the mysterious cornhusker unearths two obscure dj-only specials. the a side marries 70s soul (familiar to westwood listeners back in the day) with philly street-corner vocals that keener cinephiles may be able to place. the b side adds a beat to a soulful sunshine-imbued anthem that will ring a bell with fans of j-dilla productions, making it a must for outdoor gatherings. 7 inch large hole with hand stamp sleeve. this is the dj promo on this limited vinyl only release so grab it before its gone forever. upfront support: session victim razor n tape luke solomon nebraska

step up house running, a label making its first steps with this release, welcoming some new talent into the fold and making a strong first impression in the process. tell keeps things deep with the undulating warmth of floating lands, while meemo has a fractured soul mood hovering over therez. baltra s paris la nuit is a more feisty affair with its gnarly, acid lead line but it s balanced out by a fun and funky disco flair, and then kianis virunga rounds the record off with a lovely arpeggio-powered remix of deceds sound curiosit-.

for its second release, the barcelona-based independent label venom recordings follows its pioneering path into new and forward-thinking techno soundwaves. the ep features two original tracks signed by dasein, as well as two remixes from vii circle and memorial home. in their original versions, “prometheus” and “zodiac” reflect the polish duo’s distinctive signature: a blend of obscure-minded groove with cinematic melodies. both tracks are defined by the layering of deep and immersive sounds, where the combination of restless, punctilious basslines and beats with pulsating synths reverb drops climax into a pure hypnotic and spacey atmosphere. for their interpretation, vii circle and memorial home magnify the minimal and cosmic nature of the originals, crafting an ambient-like wavy tempo that traverse a dark flavoured sonic landscape with a strong emotional aura. four pieces of electronic mastery which offer a captivating journey, to be savoured in the intimacy of its own soul or to be shared with nightclubbing fellows.

i admit i wasn’t familiar with this album, so many just pass us by, but as i sat back and listened, i slowly realized that this isn’t just any soul lp, it’s a masterpiece, full of passion and tenderness, it was like a huge hug from long lost lover... beautiful... enjoy it!

the legwork camp brings you a new offshoot: the footage series. first up is legwork with an in-house production, lord bath. it’s a trip inside the soul of the machine - 808’s and heartbreaks in a new era, for a smarter and more aware operator. tx connect comes in on the remix duties, with two versions that keep the imagination of the original, but slant towards a darker and less obtuse outcome. finally, finishing out the b-side is the science: a look at the method and how to deviate within it.

transitional state join the pacific command roster with a bumper five-track ep of lucid, woozy techno that segues between blown-out 909 romps and deep, percussive 808 workouts. one for the m25 field ravers back in ’93.

dublin based label underneath the orange tree brings you two highly sought after afro-disco classics released on their orange tree edits white label. the a side has rhythms blurring the lines between afrobeat and house with a swelling brass section and vocals reminiscent of fela kuti. on the flip is a beefed up over dub edit of a well known afro/synth funk song from 1970s. guaranteed to work on the dancefloor. don t sleep dj support: dimitri from paris mad matts jimpster cotton wolf music harri soul clap axel boman j.roc addison groove pariah benji b catz & dogz eric duncan roy davis jnr. breach joakim mj cole huxley chaos in the cbd

(12inch vinyl individually hand stamped center labels, and front cover) with this offering - his second for otb records - lockyear strives to balance the three daunting pillars of the human condition. evolving the inventive palette heard on his debut, wave knowledge ep explores the connection between body, mind and soul.

2017 repress, second release for twice and native under the “flying machines” moniker. from proto-house and obscure italo-disco to balearic soul and latin grooves, this 5-track limited edition ep is a digger’s delight.

illusion recordings are back after a years break from releasing music for their 10th and most ambitious release. they took a break to step back and build a strong platform for the future and build a crew of high calibre artists who represent and showcase their musical identity which they have built over their first 9 releases and two sub labels.

“this is the moment” wurde ursprünglich als b-seite von “lord please hear my prayer” veröffentlicht, eine seltene 45 auf cipiti records. geschrieben von tony benn feghaly und sante palumbo, ist es ein erstaunlicher gospel-soul song, interpretiert von edith peters. in nur zweieinhalb minuten begleitet das sante palumbo orchester peters’ entzückende stimme zu einer groovigen und intensiven interpretation. die ursprüngliche version von 1973 befindet sich auf der b-seite, während gerardo frisinas nachbearbeitung die a-seite dieser neuauflage schmückt.

infectious and club focused, beaner’s first solo outing arrives courtesy of la mission.
“blackmouth” is the live version of the classic soul/disco sampling house tune. take the work of others who came before you and turn it into a danceable jam. “got blues?” uses the work of a blind 1930s blues bongo player to form a weirdo repetitive rhythm tool: another example of using a forgotten artist for one’s own gain. the titular song, “co-opted & exoticized” plays on the classic preacher vocal track.

2017 re issue , groundbreaking, chart topping legends depeche mode release their long anticipated new studio album, sounds of the universe on mute. eclectic and energised, the bands new release is their most dazzling and diverse album in decades.

dub and minimal sounds are interweaved in the second release of the tevol label. on the a-side you can find mystery and a beautiful dub story from artists based in israel, the united states and japan. the b-side brings you incredible energy based on unique dub-techno elements with a punchy kick and groovy bass line.

the most powerful non-chemical flashbacks are induced by memories of adolescence—the time of your frst kiss, frst spliff, and those sounds that irrevocably alter the course of your life. calvin valentine’s “eugene” captures the intensity of those feelings. released on eyrst, it is a love story to the artist’s oregon hometown, replete with swooning strings, angelic melodies, extraterrestrial talkboxes, and evocative nostalgia. it’s rap, it’s r&b, it’s soul. it’s one of those indefnable albums that allows you to understand why genre is obsolete. it’s music—a timeless project from an artist who is acutely aware of how much time has elapsed. on eugene, valentine managed to do one of the most difficult things in music: write affecting love songs without coming off sappy, conveying the madness that sweeps you during the frst ?ush of teenage romance without losing a hip-hop edge. valentine’s eugene is a stark declaration of a singular talent. it’s the work of an artist fercely aware of what made him, who he is, what he loves, and where he’s going. this is an album about growing older and falling in love with different things but never forgetting those memories, never forgetting the place you’ll always call home.
the vinyl release includes a download code and a fold-out poster.

new band name, new lp, the former max graef band toured and worked on new music all year. musical progress, and the impression of not enough edge and rawness in a lot of recent music, inspired and motivated a majority of the recording. the band has grown as a unit and wrote a lot of material together this year in late night sessions. during 2 weeks of recording the new songs in the studio the goal was to try all sorts of instruments, amps and effects and be open to any combination of sounds. furthermore, they and engineer lutz fahrenkrog-petersen tried to capture and maintain the raw feeling of the live recordings using almost exclusively analog pedals and racks as well as keeping the editing of the recordings to a minimum. although bands like et cetera (wolfgang dauner), embryo or xhol have heavily infuenced max graef and his band, the result turned out very original ranging from distorted jazz-rock to experimental soul, electronic percussion workouts to free sound experiments and psychedelic rock. with some tracks being around 14 minutes long, it is better to let the music speak for itself though.

seelenvoller detroit-techno: eine heimkehr zu den eigenen wurzeln.

after blessing wolf with a fantastic remix of mr. fries on wolfep033, hodini steps up for a full ep on the label. having started out producing hip hop alongside retrogott, the mpc addict has been turning his hand to more uptempo grooves in the past few years having released music on max graef & glenn astro s money $ex records & damiano von erckert s ava. the hip hop influences can be heard throughout the ep with the two a side cuts primed for the dance with their heavy soul and jazz sampled grooves. the flip features the hip hop beat, represent right here & the ep rounds off with the mid tempo collab with hade, parashutes.

for the past four decades, a growing cult of soul music collectors have sought two obscure lps and a handful of extremely rare 45s released on the vanity record label lad productions, inc. between the late seventies and the mid eighties by the mysterious south side chicago singer/song writer larry dixon. larry s raw songs capture the transition from r&b to boogie-down as disco was rapidly becoming extinct. they also perfectly illustrate larrys ability to overcome his environment and discrimination, transcended by his determination to write and produce music. with the support of his faithful musicians, larrys success was only hindered by lack of airplay and promotion, but his talent shines through. this is the story of larry dixon, his label lad productions, inc., and his friends and family throughout four decades of music in chicagos toughest neighborhoods. jerome derradji is proud to reactivate past due records the boogie funk division of still music to release this fantastic archive what many consider to be the holy grail of chicago funk, boogie and soul.

for the past four decades, a growing cult of soul music collectors have sought two obscure lps and a handful of extremely rare 45s released on the vanity record label lad productions, inc. between the late seventies and the mid eighties by the mysterious south side chicago singer/song writer larry dixon. larry s raw songs capture the transition from r&b to boogie-down as disco was rapidly becoming extinct. they also perfectly illustrate larry’s ability to overcome his environment and discrimination, transcended by his determination to write and produce music. with the support of his faithful musicians, larry s success was only hindered by lack of airplay and promotion, but his talent shines through. this is the story of larry dixon, his label lad productions, inc., and his friends and family throughout four decades of music in chicagos toughest neighborhoods. jerome derradji is proud to reactivate past due records the boogie funk division of still music to release this fantastic archive what many consider to be the holy grail of chicago funk, boogie and soul.

for the past four decades, a growing cult of soul music collectors have sought two obscure lps and a handful of extremely rare 45s released on the vanity record label lad productions, inc. between the late seventies and the mid eighties by the mysterious south side chicago singer/song writer larry dixon. larry s raw songs capture the transition from r&b to boogie-down as disco was rapidly becoming extinct. they also perfectly illustrate larry’s ability to overcome his environment and discrimination, transcended by his determination to write and produce music. with the support of his faithful musicians, larry s success was only hindered by lack of airplay and promotion, but his talent shines through. this is the story of larry dixon, his label lad productions, inc., and his friends and family throughout four decades of music in chicagos toughest neighborhoods. jerome derradji is the boogie funk division of still music to release this fantastic archive what many consider to be the holy grail of chicago funk, boogie and soul.

for the past four decades, a growing cult of soul music collectors have sought two obscure lps and a handful of extremely rare 45s released on the vanity record label lad productions, inc. between the late seventies and the mid eighties by the mysterious south side chicago singer/song writer larry dixon. larry s raw songs capture the transition from r&b to boogie-down as disco was rapidly becoming extinct. they also perfectly illustrate larrys ability to overcome his environment and discrimination, transcended by his determination to write and produce music. with the support of his faithful musicians, larry s success was only hindered by lack of airplay and promotion, but his talent shines through. this is the story of larry dixon, his label lad productions, inc., and his friends and family throughout four decades of music in chicagos toughest neighborhoods. jerome derradji is proud to reactivate past due records the boogie funk division of still music to release this fantastic archive what many consider to be the holy grail of chicago funk, boogie and soul.

for the past four decades, a growing cult of soul music collectors have sought two obscure lps and a handful of extremely rare 45s released on the vanity record label lad productions, inc. between the late seventies and the mid eighties by the mysterious south side chicago singer/song writer larry dixon. larry s raw songs capture the transition from r&b to boogie-down as disco was rapidly becoming extinct. they also perfectly illustrate larrys ability to overcome his environment and discrimination, transcended by his determination to write and produce music. with the support of his faithful musicians, larry s success was only hindered by lack of airplay and promotion, but his talent shines through. this is the story of larry dixon, his label lad productions, inc., and his friends and family throughout four decades of music in chicagos toughest neighborhoods. jerome derradji is proud to reactivate past due records the boogie funk division of still music to release this fantastic archive – what many consider to be the holy grail of chicago funk, boogie and soul

for the past four decades, a growing cult of soul music collectors have sought two obscure lps and a handful of extremely rare 45s released on the vanity record label lad productions, inc. between the late seventies and the mid eighties by the mysterious south side chicago singer/song writer larry dixon. larry s raw songs capture the transition from r&b to boogie-down as disco was rapidly becoming extinct. they also perfectly illustrate larry’s ability to overcome his environment and discrimination, transcended by his determination to write and produce music. with the support of his faithful musicians, larry s success was only hindered by lack of airplay and promotion, but his talent shines through. this is the story of larry dixon, his label lad productions, inc., and his friends and family throughout four decades of music in chicagos toughest neighborhoods. jerome derradji is proud to reactivate past due records the boogie funk division of still music to release this fantastic archive – what many consider to be the holy grail of chicago funk, boogie and soul.

for the past four decades, a growing cult of soul music collectors have sought two obscure lps and a handful of extremely rare 45s released on the vanity record label lad productions, inc. between the late seventies and the mid eighties by the mysterious south side chicago singer/song writer larry dixon. larry s raw songs capture the transition from r&b to boogie-down as disco was rapidly becoming extinct. they also perfectly illustrate larrys ability to overcome his environment and discrimination, transcended by his determination to write and produce music. with the support of his faithful musicians, larry s success was only hindered by lack of airplay and promotion, but his talent shines through. this is the story of larry dixon, his label lad productions, inc., and his friends and family throughout four decades of music in chicagos toughest neighborhoods. jerome derradji is proud to reactivate past due records the boogie funk division of still music to release this fantastic archive what many consider to be the holy grail of chicago funk, boogie and soul.

for the past four decades, a growing cult of soul music collectors have sought two obscure lps and a handful of extremely rare 45s released on the vanity record label lad productions, inc. between the late seventies and the mid eighties by the mysterious south side chicago singer/song writer larry dixon. larry s raw songs capture the transition from r&b to boogie-down as disco was rapidly becoming extinct. they also perfectly illustrate larrys ability to overcome his environment and discrimination, transcended by his determination to write and produce music. with the support of his faithful musicians, larry s success was only hindered by lack of airplay and promotion, but his talent shines through. this is the story of larry dixon, his label lad productions, inc., and his friends and family throughout four decades of music in chicagos toughest neighborhoods. jerome derradji is proud to reactivate past due records the boogie funk division of still music to release this fantastic archive – what many consider to be the holy grail - of chicago funk, boogie and soul.

ltd 2017 repress !!
for the ninth release on hotflush two, a new producer based in london steps to the fore: joy orbison, with two tracks resonating somewhere between dubstep, funky, and future soul. >hyph mngo< is the years most talked-about track in the blogosphere: championed by martin >blackdown< clark and maligned by simon reynolds, it has already become a smash in clubs across the world. on the flip, >wet look< maintains the vibe, and has been supported by gilles peterson on his bbc radio 1 show.

new kid felix leifur made quiet a stir with his debut release on dirt crew last year. the icelandic juggernaut comes from the striving reykjavik music scene and is working closely with the lagaffe tales guys on building a new northern house empire. since his debut hes been working hard on creating a more varied vision of his unique lo slung hip hop approach to house music. with this ep he offers six new outings that have one thing in common, very warm and moody sounds ranging from disco through jazz and hip hop. were certain that he will continue to further cement his name in the coming years and were looking forward to working with him on plenty of exciting projects. opening with eyelids, felix delivers a rough, deep and dark house cut with broken beats, warped piano loops and twisted sampling throughout. classy has a smoky jazz feeling, kept tight with clever beat programming while evolving around a catchy sax motif. our personal fav is the title track, in general, a stunning broken beat house jam, smooth and loose, with swirling keys and a funk flavoured bass. the b-side begins with midwinter, a dance floor gem on a straight up junket. its deep, forward moving and bass driven, much like his track feels like that featured on our deep love compilation in 2016. yet another highlight for us is apollo, theres not many records out there that sound quite like this, thoroughly warped and contorted, depraved strings and a hypnotising rhodes arc and strain until the bass drops and it all falls in place psychedelic beauty! he closes with mine, a dope lo fi hip hop beat that casually wraps our ears, an ice cold soul infused piece.

mixed by donato dozzy / mastered by neel. one man, live on stage, concocting wild sonic mash-ups of the jazz and techno traditions - mark de clive-lowe connecting deeply with his vision of time, texture, rhythm, space, and soul! - carlos nino italian musician, producer, dj and composer tommaso cappellato is a musical maverick - running the gamut from free-form techno to hip-hop production and jazz improvisation.

basmala is the debut album by the american world music and ambient soul production basmala, released in 2016 on preservation electronic recordings. the album maintains a hip-hop base and ambient or minimal atmospheric sound, which is the unique signature of basmala.

right after a short break on loco records, the polish duo of producers karol xvii & mb valence return to present a series of eps entitled sessions. there are currently two episodes ready to come out: day session, and night session with a consequent vinyl release called session.

“breakbeat” lou flores is reviving ultimate breaks & beats with a producer series, debuting with an album by oh no in january 2017. oh no s 17-track collection was made entirely with sources from the original ubb series.

nach releases auf petit records, psyth und im eigenvertrieb mit props von maya jane coles, groove armada und soul clap, präsentiert der britische produzent rob shields auf seinem debütalbum auf dem needwant-schwesterlabel yen eine warmherzige mixtur aus deep house, balearic und dubbigen sounds.

zweieinhalb jahre nach rhondas debütalbum -raw love- erscheint am 27.01.2017 der nachfolger -wire- auf pias germany. das quintett hat seine mischung aus groovigen beats, lässigem soul mit sixties-vibe und perlenden melodien verfeinert, die punk-wurzeln aber keinesfalls vergessen. so klingt -wire- dann auch teils cineastisch und deutlich düsterer als der vorgänger, was nicht zuletzt an der beteiligung des deutschen filmorchesters babelsberg bei einigen songs liegt! die zusammenarbeit begann im november letzten jahres, als rhonda ein angebot bekam, mit dem filmorchester ein konzert in potsdam zu spielen, welches prompt ausverkauft war! schon dort probierte man einige der neuen songs aus, und es wurde allen klar, diese stücke sollten genau in dieser besetzung für das neue album eingespielt werden.
die vinyl-lp erscheint inklusive album-cd.

a fantastic and rare soul-jazz album recorded in adelaide (australia) in 1976. originally pressed and released on crest records and fully licensed by the hot casa team to reissue it on a deluxe 180g vinyl. . sue barker is a jazz singer from the 70s – and one who isn t afraid of picking up a bit of soul. most of the album features covers from duke ellington to marvin gaye, curtis mayfield or even james brown!

first word enters 2017 with a bang: a 28-track album courtesy of eric lau. this, his third instrumental album, is a veritable tapestry of vibes, ranging through hip hop, soul, jazz, funk & brazilian beats. a mere taste into the genius production skills of london’s mr. lau, it’s easy to understand why he’s so revered by djs, artists and producers across the world, including rich medina, 9th wonder, bobbito, dam funk, gilles peterson, james poyser (the roots), phonte and ali shaheed muhammad (a tribe called quest), amongst others.

bruno “patchworks” hovart started playing as a bassist and guitarist for various bands, he started producing in the mid-nineties and has kept on mixing today’s technologies with the raw spirits of house, electronic, disco, funk, soul, reggae & jazz music’s golden years since then.

baba stiltz-on-studio barnhus is an ongoing series of records that both define our label and constitute a sort of independent, freewheeling sidetrack to its narrative. from the tempo-bending noise-house of his 2013 label debut our girls to this new is everything ep, his eighth original studio barnhus release, our buddy baba has never not amazed us with his unpredictable methods, rigorous work ethic and life-changing trax. on this particular record: icy techno soul, actual rnb, the real future funk! an opportune start to 17 for us and baba, who’s looking forward to a year filled with a variety of record releases, collaborations, dj nights and live shows.

since their inception in 2013, east london duo payfone have been breathing warm-blooded soul into their unique machine-fuelled groove. drawing the dots between the white isle and nu yorica - by way of london s narcotic nightlife - the pair conjure a rhythmic throb and soulful devotion all of their own. together, phil passera and chieka ononye buzz along the fault lines of classic r&b, cosmic disco and acid house, injecting their sound with 21st century syncopation. adhering to a strict no samples rule, their manifesto demands that everything be 100 percent original. it s a formula that s worked well so far: the pair have been widely tipped across the blogosphere and are currently linked to celebrated us imprint golf channel recordings. following three sold-out releases for the label, they return with another pair of discreet bangers, justified and we are chains. the tracks turn up the heat on their previous releases, again offering the vocals of performance powerhouse louis howard jones whose lyrics spark with a political punch.

axpin debuts with its ep „gilgamesh“, including three deep house tracks and a first floor remix of mastermind christian burkhardt (cocoon, oslo, cbsessions). it smoothly combines multifarious arrangements and arousing melodies with a forward pushing club sound. suitable for the dance floor as well as the afterparty at home, this ep transports the listener to a faraway world of subtle grooves, pushing drums and mesmerizing sound design. „gilgamesh“ is a track based on the story about the journey of an ancient emperor, searching for enlightenment in the highlands of mesopotamia. so it comes as no surprise that a driving beat breaks through the laid back percussions and hypnotizing atmospheres. wandering through this track side by side with mysterious pads and exotic sounds, a lost but defying melody accompanies the listener on his steps. „catiba“ is a track with a multilayered arrangement, that doesn’t necessarily reveal its complexity on the first look. different rhythmic moods provide the structure for two melodic lines, competing at first but working perfectly together after a thrilling break, melting your soul. they’re supported by a pervading deep bass groove that will make your body vibrate.&#8232,,christian burkhardt summarizes both tracks’ features and unifies them in an impulsive club remix that floats every second and climaxes in a thrilling break. dry but playful, perfectly fitting for the dance floor without losing the warmth and lightness of the original. „kryon“ is the ep’s third and most expressive track. starting with lost parts of a melody, rather an echo in the vast distance, the track continuously increases its tension, extending the rhythms until the arrangement blasts out a stunning break that, contrary to all expectations, is a calm and compassionate moment with a transient theme. the clear production provides a place in the mix to each sound, a deep moog bass rumbles in the basement while the stimulating percussion coats

akbal music has now been turning out essential dance music for a whole ten years and to celebrate this milestone the label puts out a vinyl only release from a fine selection of contemporary artists. vinyl only treat starts from long time german talent sascha dive, the deep vibes boss’s ‘lab#4’ is a quick and prickly number that sucks you into a shady groove underpinned with real bass menace. next up is superlounge with uluwatu dub. the track starts swiftly with clever percussions and a lush pad quickly to progress with several drums rhythms into the bass that will keep the listeners tuned into its groove. romanian mano andrei appears with a sleek and stripped back tune that is full of electronic soul and infectiously bumpy drums and hypnotic vibes. finally minimal master eastenderz and catchrecordings associate doubtingthomas is next with his vinyl only offering, going for a much more intricate, synthetic, richly designed deep house tune that is soft, succulent and truly sublime. this is a fulsome package that packs plenty of punch and showcases exactly the sort of quality dance music that akbal music has been, and will always be, about.

the dj and producer from cantabria comes back into the picture with this ‘seconds of light’, which is released on his own seven villas music. boli&#769,,var goes deeper and deeper into velvet soul deep-house, with a dreamy touch which is especially present in the track which names the ep. therefore, it counts on a soft groove and an inherent club vibe which makes it perfect for summer sophisticated sets, or even for listening on one’s ‘me’ time. simo&#769,,n garci&#769,,a’s remix of ‘seconds of light’ darkens up the original, giving it an extra push of strong kick in order to take it to the late hours and the vibrating underground dancefloor. ‘all clear’ is under el txef_a’s approach, a modular, cosmic and disco kraut-rock space trip, with an acid reminiscence. illustrated escapisim whch does not forget about the dancefloor. ‘leaves without shadows’ was a track which was originally included in bolivar’s last compilation ‘the obscure figure’, also released in seven villas. pablo enjoys this time the collaboration of upercent from valencia, and also includes a remix by berlin’s duo youandme. deep but rhythmic, almost martial tech-house, which is as well danceable and in constant emotional progression. through his new ‘seconds of light ep’, pablo boli&#769,,var makes us involved in his sound imaginary, which is always wide, varied and gets given qualities which are linked to his music bet: quiality, good taste and international scope.

gatupreto release their sophomore distino di nos vida on tink! music! the duo from lisbon s hinterland return with a second round of their impeccable, futuristic theory on modern club music after the acclaimed modo di trabadja ep, released in 2015. the tropical taste of cabo verde, the cool of that lisbon dance floor fusionism, the appeal of classic vibes. tracks too dark and twisted to be called afro, too sexy and melodic to be called techno, too smart and freaky to be called house and too cool and mature to be called kuduro, it is simply gatupreto. on the a side i became me, deep afro dub with a killer sub bass and endless echoes, starring portuguese soul and hip hop legend nbc as guest vocalist and a remix by afro dutch master and fellow tink! artist philou louzolo who turns i became me into an irresistible deep house with african undertones. on the flip side, the dark dramatic stomping tracks afrowerk and gatu di noti, the first an eerie, irresistible peak time banger, and the later a stormer with sounds from natural africa, harpy acid lines and an off kilter beat.