shaun reeves & tuccillo present a new facet of their ongoing collaborative efforts, with a collection of works that took root in the woods of ibiza. shantu’s first record opens with primero, a classy ride through dreamy melodic elements and a relaxed groove with a steadily rising pace. ingenue moves things into 2nd gear with a deep and funky bassline that is soon propelled further with a variety of organic percussion elements. the long b side zissou would certainly be at home in the team zissou minimalist playlist, a mysterious and psychedelic underwater trip populated with strange echoed synths and steady precision drum machine work.

next up on joey negros z records is the vinyl sampler from under the influence vol.6 compiled by winston. featuring four sort after rare soul, funk & boogie tracks from the vaults, mary gold dancing being a mainstay in motor city drum ensemble dj sets. limited stock available no repress!

san franciscos christina chatfield brings her signature acid sound to god particle with the circle ep. gopa07.1. a1 circadian circadian reflects and evokes the natural cyclical rhythm of the track as the pitch naturally rises and falls over a steady bassline and consistent tempo. a perfect track to draw the dancer deeper. a2 black hole steady prominent kick drums keep feet marching through crunchy, distorted sounds and clicking. black hole is an otherworldly track that pulls you into the space and wont let you go.b1 voyage is a visionary guest through alien atmospheres. chatfield’s signature rolling acid lines, panning synths and rapid hi-hats make this one a bottomless groove, perfect for peak energy. b2 acid exhibition crisp hi-hats and a kick drum are quickly met by an intrepid acid line. dreamy synths softly grow throughout acid exhibition, adding more atmosphere along with steady claps and a vocal sample.

on “rest in space”, his first full length outing for music for dreams, the lp keeps a steady pace of around 90-95 bpm, but never gets repetitive with islandman taking us on a rich and ever surprising journey, full of quirky turns and mysterious instrumentations. the opener “rest in space” treats us to a funky percussion-thick rhythm that lounges into a pool of playful & jazzy horn & flute arrangements. this is followed by the epic “night wind” which sweeps across cinematic desert landscapes of synth layers and falls into a dark night time groove reminiscent of nicolas jaar & dave harrington’s darkside project. “seikleos” centers around a motorik electronic rhythm pattern (not unlike the classic electro-pop classic “popcorn”) that develops into a chugging balearic house jam while stand out track “future days” brings in a female guest vocalist to complete the album with a breezy full on groover that echoes of both sheila chandra and tom tom club. also included is the previously released digital single “agit” as well as a remix by berlin-based m.rux, toning down the heavy guitar of the original in favor of a more bouncier interpretation. the stunning “ikaru” wades in through chunks of jungle ambiance and watery percussion to lounge along on a rubbery funk bassline, coupled with a heavy laid back beat and wobbly derelict synth figures. “tawhid” is an odd mix of new wave brilliance and prog momentum that breaks into a cascade of pouring rain and surprising percussion breaks. lastly comes gorgeous eastern guitar opus “the true word of the wind” and the warm vibey dreamscape “following”. as a whole, islandman delivers a delicate buffet of influences - spanning the spectrum from hazy balearic pop to tropical new age flirts to deep spiritual psychedelic jamming.

daydream is back already and we expand our family for this new release as we welcome 3 fresh talents with a solid four tracks various. barletta, barrow and le louche deliver steady drums, straight hats and claps, graceful pads, subtle synths and bouncy basses for every dj and house lovers.

distant hawaii punts the summer long into the autumn grass with an uplifting, spirit-dancing, soul-sparkling ep from fast-rising newcomer dj different.
coasting off of the back of releases for 1Ø pills mate and mood of the era, dj different grabs the bull by the horns for this one with some coarsely slabbed house samplin’ rubbing up against scuffed drum work, luscious chords and steady swirling deepness.

london based feelings expand their horizons with the birth of their new label feelings worldwide. following in the footsteps of their much loved parties, the label will see releases from some of the pioneers of the dance music paired alongside exciting new artists who ring true with the blueprint those pioneers created.
for the first release feelings have enlisted iranian born, london-based producer kasra v, delivering an incredible slice of middle-eastern inspired house. on the a side is the early 90s inspired fantasy, a dance floor thumper with a tribal house feel you could imagine rolling out the speakers at a dreamscape party, followed by the dreamy pris providing a contrasting sunrise vibe to the prior track. on the flip is myth a steady piano-led builder inspired and written in the style of southern iranian tribal music, followed by a remix of the same track from legendary nyc producer cozmo d under his dream 2 science alias bringing a straighter dancefloor ready versioin with the heavy deep house flavours his d2s project is lauded for.

newcastle born, melbourne-based producer cooper bowman steps out as roman nails with his first 12” for beat concern. following tapes on where to now? (uk), night people (us) + rhythm works (au), roman nails has maintained a steady flow of experimental techno over the last few years. utilising a minimal, cv-triggered hardware set-up and from a perspective rooted in improvisation, rn is a unique beast. the tongue-in-cheek titled, all hardware no tools, is his most concise and well-considered release to date, offering noirish synth tones, slinking basslines and captivating interplay between a 707 and 727. 300 copies.

what happens when a house-music icon takes a small, talented bunch of musicians and mixes it with a savory blend of jazz, funk, dance, and soul music? you get a hearty serving of e.o.l. soulfrito, who make their single debut with upright love on vega records. e.o.l. soulfrito, led by musical director and conductor louie vega, is the condensed version of vega’s elements of life live-band project, which over its tenure has released three albums, won a grammy award in 2006 for best remixed recording, non-classical (curtis mayfield, superfly (louie vega eol mix), and performed for a globally-televised audience during the 2007 superbowl pre-game show. e.o.l. soulfrito’s name is a play on the popular latin-caribbean seasoning sofrito, which serves as a nod to vega’s own puerto rican heritage. earlier this year, the band played their first show at gramps in wynwood, miami during miami music week. upright love embodies the organic energy of e.o.l. soulfrito’s live performances. with a runtime of more than ten and a half minutes, it’s a steady groover that slowly blossoms into a blissful symphony of sprightly chords, jazzy bass, crisp percussion, pattering tambourine courtesy of kat ayala, and cindy mizelle’s vocal ad-lib serenades. easygoing yet refined, the single plays out like a summer afternoon jam session between vega and his friends: axel tosca on fender rhodes & synth upright bass, josh milan on synth jazz guitar & synth percussion. start swaying those hips and let the rhythm carry you into the sunset. i wanted to create a more condensed band, since the elements of life band has ten members, it’s always been a little difficult to do smaller venues. i also wanted to create music inspired by groups and artists like war, cymande, johnny hammond, and herbie hancock’s headhunters, but with the vega e.o.l. twist and style. i then created e.o.l. soulfrito with my studio musicians and rhythm section of elements of life and nuyorican soul. i want to take this band and perform in festivals and venues like the blue note, jazz café, ronnie scots, and bb kings. e.o.l. soulfrito will bring you future grooves with a tinge of the musical landscape from our rich past, and yes, there will be experimentation get ready for it.

claiming a highly original sound that boasts strong roots in dubstep’s rich history, causa’s musical output delivers a fresh perspective on sound system music that holds true to tradition yet strives for innovation, a recipe that with undoubtedly help dictate the unwritten narrative of the genre’s future. with productions having already graced global dubstep labels such as surfase records, circle vision, fatkidonfire, artikal music and infernal sounds, this german badman continues to prove himself as a force to be reckoned with amongst the underground circuit. on top of his impressively nuanced and steady growing catalogue, causa’s productions have also received play support from prominent scene heavy hitters, with multiple tracks featured on j:kenzo’s rinse fm guest mixes as well as on vivek’s rinse fm mix and mesck’s chestcast mix. causa makes a bold introduction to sleeper’s highly prolific crucial recordings label with his new, three-track ep entitled juce (crucial013), the latest addition to the imprint’s standard-setting and ever-expanding vision for pushing multifaceted bass music. laden with laid back, minimalist vibes and understated swag dictated by massive bassweight pressure and infectious percussive patterns, causa’s release delivers the earthy meditation of dubstep’s powerful roots while keeping the energy dark, moody and forward-facing. each of juce’s three tracks: “minerals,” “struggle” and “juce” work together beautifully to orchestrate the creeping and commanding story of causa’s crucial ep, a story that sheds light onto the darker shades of dubstep production while simultaneously celebrating the significance of the genre’s foundation.

it had been four years since juxtaposition, radians last record. chimeric is not a polished album. within the context it is raw, broken, even dark sometimes. steady, multiple rhythms, layered on top of each other disappear into chaos and turn back into discreet structures in the next moment. references of rock music, executed with the precision of a sequencer, mutated, restructured. a lot on this album is about control and the loss of control. the risk of failure. but chimeric is much more free. some of the longer pieces are composed of very different parts and different colours along a continuous timeline. they tend to evolve in a narrative form and are moving through various scenes and surroundings, which is also present in the spacial relationship between the instruments.

it’s split single time at studio barnhus as we come correct with two pieces of proper-not-proper house music for the daredevil deejay. jonathan fernandez is only 23 but has lived in glasgow forever - under his wheelman moniker and as head of label/party stereotone, our brilliant new friend has quickly become scotland’s worst kept secret. track comes overflowing with mind-expanding rave signal and ruff-ruff square bass for your face! hanky – secret new alias of one of stockholm’s most recent and most exciting dance music exports – delivers a chaotic yet steady “super-groove”, equally primed for the club floor and the anger management class. artwork by johan jonason, award-winning film director/artist and elusive lead singer of man tear. studio barnhus, 2017

super tuff makes an impressive debut straight out of brooklyn with m. vaughan at the helm, and it looks like high grade deep house is on the menu judging by the quality spread across this first 12inch. jesse bru is up first with the steady cruising futaki, featuring a great speech by tom waits about crooked trees. dj aakmael gets into a bouncier concoction on offering, and then it s down to label boss vaughan to push an agenda of tough nyc flavoured grooves splashed with dusty soul and jazz tones in an utterly infectious style. moony me then finishes off the ep with an acid track that features swooning strings and some deft drum play.

hailing form denmark, xoki & hieronymus are the protagonists of grounded in humanity s next release - “resistance”. delivering a raw & artesan slo-mo dubtechno affair as we would expect from them. vinyl-only format.

the make mistakes gang returns with their second record in the form of remixes of roy england s techno rocker, photon. what you get here is a package of dance floor cuts showcasing the varied styles, and tastes of the crew, making this a versatile record that s gonna find a way to fit in where ever it s needed. on the a side we have a taste of attentat s signature sound: hypnotic, driving minimal techno. a slowly evolving meditation, this stripped down, pulsing jam will ignite the late night dance floor. an irrepressible tinkerer, roy england took the original, funked it up, worked it out, and streamlined it for peak time. in his remix, roy crafted a consummate party jam, steady, pumping, and full of life. with his remix, time for trees takes you on a psychedelic, housey frolic through the woods. what we have here is a slow building, mind-bending groove, wrapped up in cascading waterfalls of sound. the make mistakes label has built a diverse sound around a cohesive aesthetic. with the photon remixes, they continue that tradition, with style and depth, fine-tuned for dance floor lovers.

musically and emotionally, superpitcher’s third full-length studio album, the golden ravedays is a one sound autobiography that exhibits the skill, feeling and style that the artist has honed over a period of twenty years, musically, and forty-plus-years, emotionally. and full-length it is: the golden ravedays is an epic album of 24 tracks that was released in january 2017 and is stretching over 12 respective chapter albums during a one-year period.
the eighth piece of the golden ravedays puzzle will be released on hippie dance in august 2017. number 8 of the series introduces two tracks that will take you to the far side of somewhere you’ve never been before. they are both reminiscent of outer space blues playing spooky games in a dust bowl.

side a features tuesday paris texas a tastefully arranged track with vintage sounds passing nonchalantly through a wild western aural landscape. the music is announced like a cowboy movie dual complete with bar doors swinging on rusty nails in slow motion. mournful guitar strings swirl over a steady horseback galloping beat, expanding into a full-on-fire dance track. halfway through a woman’s haunted voice appears and disappears like an eerie siren, a gunshot is fired (was that a gunshot?), a man whispers “what!?” tuesday paris texas is in no hurry to give an answer.

side b features mirage a desert sound collage glued to a steady pulse that rolls and rolls, circumventing any destination. mirage is a contour map of no surprising peaks just undulating valleys of wistful cathodic sound creeks, sometimes veering off to plains in full view of the moon, in earshot of solitary wolf cries. like tuesday paris texas, mirage is testament of superpitcher’s versatile prospecting beyond the elemental sound tools of the electronic music trade.

curtains up for a new power trio: bass player massimo pupillo (zu, laniakea), drummer alexandre babel (sudden infant) and caspar brÃ&#150,tzmann on guitar. as the title -live at the candy bomber studios, vol.1- indicates, this album is the first cut from an inspired recording meeting. raw energy, full focus and three instrumentalists at the peak of their skills who blend noise rock, drone and improvisation into 2 relentless epic pieces. the line-up consists of massimo pupillo, bass player in zu, laniakeaand countless other constellations anddrummer alexandre babel who is a prolific player in the experimental / contemporary field (artistic director of swiss percussion group eklekto, member ofkammerensemble neue musik berlin, soloist and has performed a.o. with otomo yoshihide and keiji haino) and a steady member of the noise band sudden infant. and last but not least there s caspar brÃ&#150,tzmann on guitar who gainedhigh reputation as one of the most radical guitarists around, admired by acclaimed artists like thurston moore (-probably one of the best guitarists i ve ever met!-)and stephen o malley. a powerful unit, recorded live in the studio by ingo krauss who had already worked with brÃ&#150,tzmann on the caspar brÃ&#150,tzmann massaker albums -der abend der schwarzen folklore- and -koksofen-.

25th anniversary reissue of ice cube’s iconic 2nd album on double vinyl, including 3 previously unreleased tracks.

as noted on another release (see ropin), cornell campbell has enjoyed one of the longest-running careers of any jamaican singer, and he is blessed with a readily identifiable style too. he began his career for clement ‘sir coxsone’ dodd in 1956, when rhythm and blues held sway in jamaica, and later cut some ska songs for king edwards. he then passed through the sensations in the rock steady phase and worked as a solo singer at treasure isle, before returning to studio one with the eternals, scoring huge hits such as ‘stars’ and ‘queen of the minstrel’ as the 60s gave way to the 70s. his greatest phase of popularity was them brokered by hit-making producer bunny lee, who kept him on top right through the 1970s and into the 80s. the 1975 album dance in a greenwich farm was first issued on the grounation label in the uk. along with a re-working of ‘stars’ re-titled ‘the sun,’ a re-working of ‘queen of the minstrel’ as ‘girl of my dreams’ and the sound system opus that is the title track, the album has the boastful ‘conquering gorgon’ and a number of keenly-observed cover tunes, including a cut of the gaylads’ ‘no good girl,’ a version of the heptones’ ‘why did you leave me’ and a killer cut of the uniques’ ‘watch this sound’ (based on ‘for what it’s worth’ by buffalo springfield).

one of the most important harmony groups in the entirety of jamaican music, the paragons have a long and complicated history. first formed in the ska years by bob andy and tyrone evans as the duo of andy and ronnie, the group soon expanded to a quartet through the addition of howard barrett and john holt, the latter naturally assuming lead duties, following the subsequent departure of andy, holt, evans and barrett made the paragons the quintessential rock steady trio. they had an incredible run of hits for duke reid and coxsone during the mid-to-late ‘60s, and also issued some self-produced work, before holt’s solo career skyrocketed, leaving the group on the back-burner. then, in the mid-1970s, the paragons reformed, cutting material for new york-based labels such as clocktower and clintones, which led to this intriguing album, which saw material recorded in jamaica at harry j for bunny lee mixed with work cut at bullwackie’s studio in the bronx, along with re-workings of classics such as ‘left with a broken heart’ and ‘memories by the score’ is a whole range of new material, dealing with contemporary themes.

the passport to paradise gang are in fine form as they serve up four more tripped-out disco edits for the globally-minded savant. we take sail with the excellent thru wit waitin, a beefed-up guitar chugger reminiscent of 70s aor in its steady percussive work and misty sax solo. it s the guitar line that really shines here, lifting the tune into funk transcendence in the bridge. anybody out there reaches out to the disco trippers with its northern italian cosmic kitsch feel: starry-eyed synth pads float above reverb-soaked guitar musings and playful french vocal samples. a particular highlight. on the flip, ptp take things south with a soulful west african shuffler guaranteed to elicit some arresting footwork. the ep leaves us with resounding vibrations from the far east: jp wave explores ethereal planes, building up a dense rhythmic fabric punctuated by bass stabs and ornamental chimes. this is a clever bunch of edits for the more discerning selectors and enthusiasts out there- act fast.

ian blevins has been busy making a name for himself on esp institute and futureboogie, but now he comes to not an animal with a slightly different approach that still speaks to the skills the upstart producer has in his sonic arsenal. -the birds- is a focused, steady-tracking cut for the deeper end of the night, but there s some serious weight in those drums and the heavily processed vocal snippets pack plenty of malaise. man power then step up with a -tropical bastard- remix of the original, cracking the curtains to allow a little light into the mix but stopping short of over-cooking the mood. -locate yourself- on the flip finds blevins in tracky techno mode, and it turns out it s a style he can nail just as easily as the more organic tones he s known for.

following the excellent single-sided heater from sharif laffrey, discos capablanca is back in action once again with odopt, previously only spotted on excellent swedish label born free. the record opens up with the ominous, dramatic tones of -belgrade-, all searing synth swells and bloated drums working towards some cinematic apocalypse scenario. on the b-side, -croque trans croque- has a cooler head but instead aims to unsettle with its off-key metal chimes atop a steady-ticking disco rhythm, and then -rex ingram- finishes the ep off with yet more surreal beatdowns that will send the party in a very interesting direction indeed.

radio: bbc radio 2 (zoe ball, alan carr & mel sykes, craig charles) bbc 6music (craig charles, steve lamacq, nemone), bbc introducing bristol. jazz fm, solar radio, radio one italy, radio krimi, wncw, radio pepper greece, radio nova portugal, kane fm, radio 1 prague, khol, ibiza global radio, 1brightonfm, d-radio kultur, ckia fm quebec, wutk 90.3, radio z burenburg, fg chic, press: wpmg, stereofox, 45live, monkey boxing, fleamarketfunk, the dutch guy, kbps, life support machine do you long for a time where you could head out have a good time and dance your pants off? well the allergies invite you back to the glory days of northern soul, high kicks and throwing yourself around the floor with their new single entitled to that . it s an up tempo stomper with feel-good soul sensibilities that would be equally at home at the wigan casino as it is on today s festival circuit. following on in the same vein that made their 6 music album of the day record – as we do our thing so popular, they continue to reshape classic sounds for the modern dancefloor. talented soul songstress honey larochelle provides the sass in this peppy number co-penned with the allergies by regular collaborator andy cooper (ugly duckling). this second single taken from their forthcoming album push on shows they ve lost none of the verve that made their debut so good, and gives another taste of what to expect from the lp. they balance out the release nicely with a steady groover in the shape of get down on you – a steady funk groove with a catchy bassline and the usual signature flair touches from the guys to keep the crowds entertained.

record kicks presents a new limited edition 45 vinyl by uk rock steady/soul/dub combo pama international feat 2 super soulful cuts. on the a side the new single wake up flipped by i crid till i stopped on the b side. in their first 10 years pama int l recorded 9 albums, 3 bbcradio 1 maida vale sessions, won the rebel playlist on bbc6, and became the first new act to sign to trojan records in 30 years. their collective nature saw them work with members of the specials, madness, steel pulse, style council, galliano, kasabian, mad professor, toots & the maytals, jimmy cliff to name a few. wacth out, the 45 is limited to 500 copies worldwide.

after a 20 year hiatus, seminal uk electronica / ambient techno imprint likemind records returns with lm05 holovr. holovr (jimmy billingham) has been building a steady fanbase over the last few years with amazing releases for firecracker recordings, opal tapes and his own indole label. his very personal brand of emotional electronica fits perfectly into the likemind stable, with two tracks of beautifully evolving ethereal pads and delicate 303 basslines, very reminiscent of early 90 s black dog or autechre. likemind aims to continue with its original ethos of only releasing the most heartfelt electronic music.

limited dj friendly double vinyl edition.
harmonies is the new long player from underground super-producer lord echo. the new album solidifies his already distinctive mutations of reggae and rock steady with disco, african soul, techno and spiritual jazz. in other words, the lord has returned from the wilderness with a bounty for his followers. eat of the bread of life and enjoy access to his crazy world of sound.

summer has not officially kicked in yet but antinote’s new addition to its roster will sure soundtrack perfectly its upcoming warm nights: encapsulating the teenage dream of an endless summer, 18 rays is the moniker behind which some of the labels most steady fixtures gave a try at recording music together, somewhere straight in the heart of paris 18th arrondissement.

music of color proudly presents its first offering from none other than the breakthrough artist duke hugh. the approaching lights ep compiles four undeniable offerings, each standing on its own, and provides another glimpse into to the mind of the eclectic and versatile dutch producer. on the intimate opener „a new beginning“ duke hugh opens up a dreamy state. with singing strings it s hauntology at its core. following this emotional ambient treasure, title track „approaching lights“ goes in with a steady 4/4 groove before decomposing through lush chords into a bassline monster that begs for attention in the dark hours. brightening up the b-side, „burning up“ is prime time material with sticky keys, sharp hi-hats and playful basslines. but it’s the final head-nod heater „broken samba“ which makes this ep such an undeniable no-brainer. led by latin percussion and stumbling drums it sounds like duke hugh pays homage to broken beat maestros without ever loosing his own sound signature. rhodes, synth-sweeps and guitar sprinkles make the ingredients for a funk opus that leaves you with a smile while leaving the night behind. can you see the light? limited first pressing in screenprinted cover with holy water gin infused color! edition of 500 early support from alexander nut, bradley zero, red greg, sassy j, thristian, delfonic, contours, hodini, borut cvajner…

mr. k gets jazzy on this new 12-inch from most excellent unlimited. the breakdown of the smooth r&b staple -street life- stands out with a steady four-on-the-floor pulse that contrasts with the funk backbeat of the verses. working exclusively with this portion, krivit teases out six-and-a-half slinky minutes of sophisticated groove, weaving percussion and vocalist randy crawford s ad-libs in and out of the mix in tantalizing fashion. as a dj, danny krivit is renowned for his willingness to throw a funky curveball into the mix, and for the b-side of this single he gives us a peek at one of his secret weapons. a year after yusef lateef released his hit version of -nubian lady- in 1972, pianist roy meriwether was at a small club in dayton, ohio with his trio and laid down a sprawling live take that covered the entire side of a album, including a bridge that pushed the languid tempo of the original to a sassy upbeat workout. mr. k s edit focuses on this section, leaving us with nine minutes of gritty, get-down funky jazz complete with thunderous drum break. whether working as a surefire party starter or a clever changeup, -nubian lady- is a dancer.

monosoul is back on tieffrequent with 4 timeless and classical cuts focussed on the important elements of housemusic...with love for the dancefloors, clubs and basements of this universe... on the a-side you have „make em match“, a rough and steady house-groove containing a constantly bouncing bassline, a deep chord-pattern, a complex percussion-cluster and a well infixed electric piano...all elements are perfectly balanced, finalized and formed to a completed floorfiller. then there is „monument street“ after which the ep was named. starting really deep and minimalistic it developes to an impulsive und powerful song. organic pads, pulsating deep chords, a rhythmic bassline and well arranged drums make „monument street“ flowing impressively from start to finish. the b-side starts up with „hot concrete“, a blazing, drum-driven basement-groover. with a sharp deepchord which is wrapped-up in several padsound-patterns, monosoul creates a very own athmosphere. in combination with an impulsive bassline and a distinct percussion- ensemble „hot concrete“ beats time on the floor noticeably. finally „life on the red island“ as the perfect final track brings the „monument street ep“ to an end. it builds up by adding small bits and pieces very subtly to a point you recognize a pulsative deephouse beauty. the remarkable bassline and the concise and bouncing kickdrum are casted in a flowing deep sounded carpet full of hope. „life on the red island“ disappears to where it came from and leaves you with strong impressions. the „monument street ep“ gives an insight into monosoul s impressive understanding and definition of house music which you can hear on 4 tracks loud and clear...thank you!

born roy samuel reid in saint thomas in 1944, i roy was one of jamaicas all-time greatest deejays. a natural-born toaster, his rhyming raps always sounded effortless, whether describing the harsh realities of the inner city, or making light of nonsense nursery rhymes. a former employee at customs and excise, he was first active on a sound system called soul bunnies in the rock steady era, moving to son’s junior in 1968, and later, to the legendary supreme ruler of sound, defecting to the rival stereo sound system after that. hits for harry mudie and other producers soon followed, and after the killer debut album presenting i roy impacted overseas, the toaster began spending frequent periods in london. his longstanding working relationship with hit-making producer bunny lee led to some of his most noteworthy albums during the mid 1970s, the 1977 set cant conquer rasta is a superb showcase-style album, on which the toaster blows hard lyrics over five of lees killer rockers rhythms (recorded with the likes of johnny clarke), each complete with a corresponding aggrovators dub on the flip, all mixed by prince jammy at king tubbys studio

one of jamaicas most highly-rated vocalists, alton ellis made an incredible contribution to the islands popular music. blessed with a particularly emotive voice that brings shivers to the spine whether singing original material or cover tunes, ellis was born and raised in trench town, the west kingston ghetto area that gave rise to bob marley and the wailers and countless other singers. ellis and singing partner eddie parkins hit big in 1961 with the ballad muriel for coxsone dodd, and after parkins moved to the usa, ellis teamed briefly with john holt, and then began fronting the flames harmony group. he excelled in the rock steady style, christening the genre with rock steady and i have got a date, bouncing between studio one and treasure isle for a number of years. from 1971, he spent increasing period in london, but continued to record hits in jamaica for various producers. the 1979 release love to share was arranged by the great studio one keyboardist, jackie mittoo, who co-produced the album with junior lincoln, founder of the london-based bamboo label, the disc straddles the line between lover’s rock and roots reggae, remaining a lesser-known classic

one of the sweetest and most idiosyncratic voices in reggae, tenor singer cornell campbell also has one of the longest-running careers of any jamaican recording artist. taken under studio one founder clement sir coxsone dodd’s wing at a very young age, cornell cut his first recordings in 1956, long before ska was even established. he remained based at studio one for many years (working as a label printer as well as a recording artist), and also voiced sides for king edwards in the ska years. he then briefly joined the sensations in rock steady and recorded at treasure isle, before moving back to studio one as leader of the eternals when reggae arrived, cutting huge hits there such as stars and queen of the mistrel, and giving early coaching to slim smith, jacob miller and bassist robbie shakespeare. joining forces with ace producer bunny striker lee in the mid-1970s brought a dramatic new surge in popularity that greatly boosted his profile overseas. the ropin lp was issued on third worlds justice subsidiary in 1980 a sub label set up to handle strikers product in the uk (though hits like mash you down and the title track had been handled in jamaica by joe gibbs). one of the albums outstanding moments is bandulu, an anti-rude boy epic voiced on the late night blues rhythm, while opening cover, just my imagination, has an uncredited toasting portion from errol scorcher.

2017 repress due to high demand and crazy online prices!! santuri s embaire umeme ep got a worldwide premiere from gilles peterson on a never-ending quest to support and exposure far off musical cultures around the world, the next on the corner releases sees them look to uganda. teaming up with santuri (an east african electronic music innovation project) and soundthread (a creative development non-profit), they have worked alongside the mugwisa international xylophone group with modern recording techniques and further re-arrangement on two remixes. the first, by sam jones, was premiered last week by stamp the wax, and today ushers in the second by alejandro mosso. a thudding kick drum at the first beat aims this one straight towards the early evening dancefloor. working in unison with samples from the giant wooden xylophone and conversations between the musicians, serves to place the track back into its original context and is allowed to settle for a couple minutes, before what sounds like a kora or zither brings a far-eastern twist. with the slow-burning, steady elements of a balearic production and the beguiling hypnotism of steve reich s work this is a big worldwide favourite.

a few years ago we received an anonymous email with a link to three tracks and a simple message: “hi, maybe you would be interested in this music.” it’s easy to be skeptical of yet another link from yet another artist in a world overcrowded with them, but listening is our job and so we do it. the songs were instantly striking: extraordinarily slow, somber, and spacious, each vaulted cathedral chord reverberating poetically into the distance, the melodies rolling out like fog across a cemetery. captivated, we requested more, receiving a single word in response: “yes.” then, nothing. eventually, three months later, we received another email with slightly more information: a name (irma orm), a location (stockholm), and a bit of context (she worked alone, and progress on music was slow but steady).
fast-forward to mid-2016: we’re informed the album is complete, and it is breathtaking. hermetic gothic swan songs conjured from funereal piano, twilit ambience, minimalist percussion, and spellbinding vocals. the mood is lulling and lush but lost in sorrow, stark grey structures looming in the night. majestic open spaces between notes heighten the melancholic grandeur of orm’s arrangements, blurring the line between lament and lullaby. the songs less end than ebb away, succumbing to their own downcast beauty.

dub-stuy links bukkha with uk grime stalwart killa p for a dark, sound killing anthem. dub-stuy expands on their vision for 21st century sound system music with a new 12inch that brings together resident producer bukkha and one of grimes most recognisable voices, killa p . the result is a deadly cut that takes no prisoners and is backed by an equally heavy instrumental. death chat is arguably one of dub-stuys most ambitious collaborations to date. bukkha crafts a dub meets grime riddim that builds from filtered keys into a ten-ton heavy monster. killa p, who has collaborated with the bug and is fresh from a turn on sir spyros topper top, delivers cutting lyrics in his instantly recognizable patois-inflected style, with each bar building tension toward a sonic climax. backing up this dancefloor sureshot is ‘ethiopian dub’, an instrumental that samples its vocal and melodic hook from an obscure dubplate and whirls both around a steady beat and bass line solid enough to punch through walls. with this latest 12inch for dub-stuy, bukkha shows his versatility and delivers an anthem that no sound can test.

mannella brings a rousing 12’’ ep, enclosing a sunil sharpe’s remix done with the forthright purpose of make you go ape. the original mix of “nibiru road” is a ever-changing techno story, told by a steady groove and such a badass kick-drum. a vitalizing ebb & flow of that rubbery synth and that melodic, a bit saturnine pad, that let you fly to the next planet. “fourth dimension” has been recorded from one of the live performance that mannella is doing under dahraxt alias. the hypnotic bubbly atmosphere created around that chopped pad, delivers this track to another dimension of delight, giving it a unexpected slant. sunil sharpe doesn’t need introduction, since his multiple releases on imprints such “trensmat”, “labrynth”, “mord”, “mindcut”, “inner surface”, “works the long night” , “black sun records” or his own “on the hoof” to name a few, have made him the well appreciated artist that today he’s. with this rework he confirms how much enthralling his charisma is. jts004 “it can only be attributable to human error.” cit.

anglo-cherokee-japanese skateboarder turned musician korey dane returns with his second album chamber girls. influenced by the likes of t.s. eliot, tom waits, karen dalton, the beatles and the stones, and more, chamber girls was recorded almost completely live at l.a.’s analog time capsule valentine recording studios, searing instinct and experience direct to tape. dane produced everything himself, too, except for a quick assist from legendary producer tony berg (x, public image ltd.) on one song, and he was inspired by the deceptively simple ethos he’d internalized while making youngblood: pursue greatness. “writing a song that you know someone might skip over later is sacrilege,” he says. instead, he wanted every song on chamber girls to feel not only live but alive, too, with that go-forbroke spirit that animates everything he says, does, or sings: “i’m writing all the time,” he says. “i’ve lived by a line a day sometimes. i try and stop when it’s good. if you try and simplify it down to its bare elements ... it’s truly a redemptive act.”

nice price deal !!! this two track white label is a simply great. it is 2 mixes of a very good disco laden pumping club track. the a side is a real solid house groove at a steady tempo, well produced with excellent drops, breaks and edits. the flip side has a more pumping bassline and has a higher tempo and would work well on slightly harder floors

memento records honcho idriss d is back on his own dib sublabel with * khomsa* a 3 tracks banger with a steady pace and a fresh sound, blending together house chords and rhythms with techno bleeps and structures. “khomsa” is a peak time dance floor anthem focused slowly built up by shuffled grooves and bouncing synthesised drums. “watching my self” is darker, faster and relentless, while “stability” is a fine crafted esoteric percussive trave into outer space

as owner and curator of the exotic dance records label , j. albert has released a steady handful of projects on his brooklyn based imprint , as well as showcasing new music from deejay xanax and person of interest . add to that, recent releases on the 1080p label and black opal, and j. albert is fast making a mark on the scene for his raw and undiluted deep fusion of house, techno and jazzy vibes. his debut ep for hypercolour opens up with dont hide it a bumpin and jazzy flavoured house cut, resplendent with rolling snare drums and warm stabs, a sampled double bass riff and choppy vocal refrains xtra sauce is another stellar house track, fans of the ron trent/prescription chicago sound will instantly find an affection here with the rolling drums and soft keys, all pushed along at an energetic pace, whilst vista finds j. albert in more playful mode, carving out a 10 minute jackin underground house vibe that cuts raw and hypnotising.

the aula magna team presents the label s tenth release, rom by seph, featuring cosmin trg as remixer. a modern and energetic ep that showcases the artist’s unique techno sound: deep, robust & daring.
lead track rom kicks off the record in breakbeat manner, an epic cut that twists its sounds progressively through distorted percussive and melodic riffs. this is followed by cosmin trg’s tribal take on the title track, a mind-dazzling and hypnotic reinterpretation.
two techno highlights from seph’s latest live sets thrust the b side even further into the dance floor. inner warps its solid rhythmic core through swirling dub noise mayhem and p+1 ends the record with a steady synth chord that evolves throughout the track on top of a powerful, stripped down beat.

quietly building an enthusiastic following with a steady stream of eps and singles, m.o.o.n.’s debut full-length “clinically blasé” creatively navigates a wide range of emotive synthesizer music deviating from dancegeared tropes in favor of freer arrangements and lush instrumentation. while the rhythms are rooted in variants of house, boogie, and synth-pop clinically blase never tips it’s hand stylistically in any particular direction resulting in a playful balance of retro sounds and futuristic ideas highlighting a deft melodic sensibility.

keeping true to the yin/yang approach of his 12inches, martianman gives you a glimpse into his ever-expanding universe with the release of vol. 3. the impenetrable pads of ion storm strike the dark and uplifting in equal amounts. disembodied chants and deep bass tremors give way to a thunderous amen break, while hallucinatory synths swirl throughout the madness, just beyond reach. an intergalactic barnstormer in signature style. tracy’s grunt, meanwhile, is built around a simple jazz loop, dripping with melancholy, backed in stark contrast to a loose, clattering funk kit. in ital comfort quickly becomes a beautiful descent into madness, where steady rhythms decay into warped electronics and bad-trip samples. a vividly painted lucid dream.

raam is putting out records in a steady pace and has already reached raam 006. on this ep raam is diving deeper into the deep house universe and the production and sound quality is immaculate. the ep opens with titled, which is the perfect marriage between that warm deep bass-line, rolling percussion and fragile and wobbly chords.

irenic. aimed at peace and brought to life as a steady output for spiritual groove based music. first installment by novio dub tribe offers 3 tracks that may differ in style but created with the same mindstate. ‘kakiuchi’ is all about serenity and echoed drums, ‘solfa’ brings some aquatic tech to the mix while ‘meguro’ is a classic example of an oldschool dub workout.

viva music boss steve lawler serves up a brace of balearic-tinged groovers as he preps for another firecracker season in ibiza and brings his years of experience and production prowess to phil weeks’ robsoul recordings imprint for the very first time. adding a dash of breezy, feel good aesthetics - mixed with shuffling, shining rhythms - opening track feelin has a light and steady pace, retaining a focus on groove and space, with vocal chops dusted across the track while melodic atmospheres underpin and a deep, soulful and powerful soul vocal sample cements the hands in the air vibe. equally sun kissed is take me there, bringing a percussive rhythm, laced with bongo hits and skins, while more vocal chops and layered percussion find themselves dancing in perfect matrimony. another day, and another dancefloor weapon from birmingham s finest.

following a joint live performance in 2016, butter sessions present the latest collaborative effort from albrecht la brooy (analogue attic) & sleep d (butter sessions). this ep sees al & sd blend their respective styles in a stimulating way. from 50 begins the ep with steady 909 grooves and a subtle oscillating acid bass that builds into another dimension. hotham breaks the pace with atmospheric space leads looking down on a mountain of kick drums. banksia is the most psychedelic of the four, planting seeds of heavily resonating synths atop of floating drum rhythms and warm melodies. lastly, sleeping patterns takes it down a few notches into a daydream of flute-like synths and distant nostalgic vocals.