opus 3 records are both privileged and delighted to release eric bibbs new album >blues, ballads & work songs<, a further enhancement to their association with eric which goes back to 1977 when he was in effect discovered with the success of his debut album >rainbow people<.

pressing on 180 gram audiophile vinyl, including insert with lyrics.
this first vinyl re-issue since its original release includes >who by fire<, a duet with janis ian, and a song about cohens relationship with janis joplin, >chelsey hotel #2<.

hot deal! support by nick curly, reboot, karotte, robert dietz, mathias kaden, soul clap, dj hell, brothers vibe, &me, adam port and many more.. andrew soul continues to shine as one of the most exciting young talents form his native italy. his current switching positions ep on new yorks stranjjur imprint is winning many a plaudit and today he rolls into town with his latest offering on kiara records, too much love will kill you. andrew brings the funk with his deep bassy synth lines and pounding kick. he also continues to impress with his use of vocals, here using a pitched down soulful take. but its the bass that wins the day and takes control. watch the girls move! on the remix kiara welcome dutchman julien chaptal who dips his rework into some fierce nyc flavouring. killer drum pattern and a twist of the vocal bring a whole new face to the original whilst creating a fearsome and equally potent groov

psychemagik presents the second installment of four limited edition 12s in a series of edits from their forthcoming re-edits album healin feelins. first up on this new 12inch ass nation a slo-mo disco monster with dirty drums, nasty synths, super sweet female vox and an infectious guitar hook that begs for dancefloor control!the flip upskirt drops a filthy guitar and bassline hook, funky drums, dirty moog laserbeams and the kinda groove that takes you to places you know you shouldnt go, reminiscent of a reckless late night drive thru sleazy backstreets where insanity lurks just behind the curtains, come in and take a peek!

this is the first part (of four) of the much anticipated reissue series of drexciya s early catalogue, marking 20 years since the release of their first ep deep sea dweller , and 10 years since their final album grava 4 . one of the most influential techno acts ever, and part of the heritage of detroits underground resistance, drexciya explored techno like no-one else before: raw and uncompromising music that reflected the harsh environment of the city where drexciya was conceived, with a mythical approach that only added to their cult appeal. drexciya arguably stands for the darker side of techno and electro, made not only for the club scene, but a further development of the music as an expression and extension of the mind. journey of the deep sea dweller is a near-complete collection of their early works, released in four parts, with all audio remastered from the original master tapes. since the original releases have such a strong character and stand on their own, these reissue can never recreate the magic of those originals. instead, clone have stirred up the catalogue, taking tracks out of their original context, giving the committed fan a fresh experience and the new listener a document that is the best possible introduction to the aquatic world of drexciya.

two of the most prolific names in the scene have come together for 1traxs latest release. kicking off his career as a promoter/dj of birminghams legendary below parties which have seen just about every dj worth their salt play, ashique subb-an subhan has developed into one of the most bankable producer/djs around. the sound design graduate has already graced tsuba, leftroom, hot creations, 20:20 vision, mothership and his own one records imprint while forthcoming material for culprit, spectral and crosstown rebels is set to further an already cast-iron reputation. hailed as easily the hottest emerging talent in dance music by mixmag, nominated as best breakthrough producer by dj mag and with the likes of anja schneider, jamie jones and damon alburn queing up behind to offer their praise, there is something rather special about maya jane coles. >get away< was a previous successful 1trax release, and subb-ans own take on mayas laid-back funk truly does it justice.

veteran uk producer/dj paul macs debut release for art shows his remarkable versatility and meticulous production skills. odd things amount to nothing is very much a modern techno wall-shaker. it’s incessant drones and wails ride upon a wave of relentless beats. the track pauses to catch its breath after a tremendous build before once again going clattering down the rails. the flipside is the track that original caught label-owner and a&r kirk degiorgios ear - a modern take on the classic chicago/detroit hybrid sound of the late-eighties, brought up-to-date with a crisp sound

following the critically acclaimed opus that was the wurst music ever album comes the remix package for native undergrounds boogie pop masterpiece, push 4 love. while the album boasted a cover version from none other than midnight magic whose take channeled the spirit of arthur russell, both runaway and in flagrantis reworkings are aimed squarely at the dancefloor.

dont, whatever you do, dismiss this as a run of the mill re-edit re-hash of some of the gibb brothers finest work. far from someone with a laptop chopping and changing classics as they see fit, this ep casts the original studio multi tracks of three disco standards from saturday night fever into the capable hands of the hands of time family and what theyve come up with is head turning,double take inducing, dance floor weaponry of the highest order.filippo moscatello, aka dj naughty, is first up with his dreamy extended version of night fever. stayin alive gets dubbed to within an inch of its life and comes up smiling courtesy of hot mainstay kon and his mr whiskey dub treatment and last but not least the reflex get the pleasure of working with the classic horn and conga riff off that is you should be dancing.top drawer,high-grade fodder for the forthcoming christmas party season and a sure fire winner for the wedding disco dj alter ego that resides within all of us.

a skillz is back at the controls for the 12th release on his imprint insane banger … and what a release … all four tracks have featured heavily in his dj sets for the last few months and he couldnt take the requests to release them anymore.
support from: dj nu-mark, dj love, dj yoda, jazzy jeff, krafty kuts, featurecast, z trip, jaguar skillz & many more ...

nice price deal !!! the third, somewhat overdue, installment of andy blakes cave paintings series finally sees the light of day. all the cave paintings releases are one-take analogue excursions constructed by machines and recorded live in new cross gate and mastered for vinyl in hackney.3x is a close cousin of 2y.a simple but dramatically effective warmly buzzing bassline is clambered all over by layers of interlocking pure analogue percussion.machine funk meets the locking crew for a warehouse showdown.3y heads into thus far uncharted territory. an evil, growling lfo driven bass underpins militaristic percussion thats slammed hard into ancient spring reverbs and accompanied by the sound of synthesisers being choked to death. heads down strobe-lit dancefloor action.

welcome to the employee canteen at the offices of private gold, would you like to have a seat take a load off, you ve been working too hard. the kitchen has prepared some very special dishes for you this time around.

just like different fishes can be found in different grounds, also the acoustic tales of the micronaut take place in different regions of the emotional landscape: sometimes warm, sometimes fresh – sometimes calm and stagnant, sometimes lively and floating. and just like all the fishes are connected by the water surrounding them, also this album has its connecting element: a very individual and independent groove. this groove comes with a lot of surprises. for instance, when a guitar chord from the acoustic band atmosphere of gruen- dling suddenly gets tangled up in a loop and introduces an unexpected but coherent change into the direction of broken, electronic beats. or when the emotional world music elements of schleie mix up with exciting halfstep rhythms. sophi- sticated arrangements, unusual instrumentations and intense emotions- these are the main attributes of friedfisch . though the experimental character of this work does not really aim the dance floor, it still keeps connected to this place: two sensitive remixes by mollono.bass represent the upbeat for an entire series, being exclusively released on vinyl.

ryan elliott has long been our not-so-secret weapon, lending his curatorial mastery to the massive spectral sound vol. 3 compilation, megamixingspectral 25, and of course by representing on turntables the world over. but after a mere handful of remix credits, he charges out of the gates with his first spectral production, kicking up. deep bass and snares hurtle ever forward, assisted by occasional, faint sonic flourishes and a bevy of throwback vocal loops, but is otherwise devoid of sustained melody. if nothing impedes the supercharged, supersexual, super-detroit momentum of kicking up, the stablo no. remix dials back the tech and pushes its house to the fore. shakers, claps, echo and a whole lot of lateral motion imbues elliott s take-no-prisoners original with a surprising conviviality.

the original horsemen concept was initially conceived by 4 minds coming together through one unifying vision. those minds were of: ink, loxy, keaton and dylan. carving out their own unique take on drum & bass. fusing together specific elements that would form the fundamental cornerstones of the horsemen sound: raw original sampled breaks, heavy sub bass and dub elements. this style and concept has since seeped into the consciousness of a new wave of producers across the globe and has influenced and evolved into the sonics presented here on this album. ink and loxy in conjunction with renegade hardware are proud to present: horsementality...
dj support: ink, loxy, cern, marky, alix perez, spy, btk, optiv, sabre, bailey (1xtra) , flight (rinse fm) + many more.

top compilation with tracks and remixes from maya jane coles, huxleys, huxleys, milton jackson…

the first release on the hong kong / stockholm based label born free is a five track ep. featuring the wonderful expressions of these wonderful people: jaakko eino kalevi (jeks viihde) supermodel and tram driver from helsinki. axel boman (studio barnhus) a dj who likes mexican food. sling & samo (born free) these guys enjoy time in da sauna.jiikkoo (snickars records) also know as the professor.carli (savage skulls/top nice) a happy guy who used to be a dancer. mixed styles,tangible and direct music for the dancing experience.take this product and present it during your next party situation,without hesitation inna di nation.

deep house veteran john daly (wave, drumpoet, plak & mule, feel music) delivers, with two epic tracks recorded to tape in one take using live hardware. the a-sides haze mix features expansive mind bending synths unfurling over 20 pulsating minutes into an ebbing, cascading dub-trance masterpiece. the b-sides aerosol mix redirects the intensity to the floor with relentless beats & crashing claps complementing the extra melancholy synth refrain on a bin-rattling 45rpm cut.

komisch welcomes another new artist to its fold for its last release of 2011.p.god aka paolo dioguardi hails from naples in italy. still in his 20s, he makes music that belies his youth and neptune iv sounds like the work of a veteran producer. lead track approaching an ocean planet sees grainy, dense beats and hypntoic bleeps take the lead, but hovering above the arrangement, tethered to the reverberated, doubled up claps, are ghostly, eerie chords. the title track adopts a similar approach, with bursts of metallic percussion underscoring spacey pads as p.god drops a droning, tunneling rhythm track. finally, geometric shadows on iced surfaces sees the young producer opt for a deeper approach. this time the chords envelop a purring groove, but the same sense of understated menace is still audible thanks to the austere hats and bleak subsonic bass. capturing jeff millss estoeric side and the hypnotic magic of sleeparchive, neptune iv is a real techno journey!

incarnations strike again with a fine batch of reworks of tracks off of the mesmerising >with all due respect< album. for starters, lexx turns love ballad >let love find you< into a haunting balearic jan hammered beauty, keeping bing ji lings vocals and adding some nyabinghi drumming and spectral synths. space ranger then take the uplifting >hindi ko alam< to jacking disco territory while sprinkling their cosmic dust all over it, and kare frisvold & rune lindbaek manage to transform the contemplative >sunset on punta paloma< into a psychedelic dancefloor affair.

second release on is records, the a-side, the future never was combines sparse beats and pads held together by a growling stuttered bass, which gives the track an industrial feel but on a techno/house tip. on the flip, fake the feeling, draws on sounds beyond the current trend for vintage analogue in an original take on the house blueprint. the b2 track out of orbit is 4 minutes 48 seconds of tech soul, for the floor or the headphones.

>call me< is a welcome dose of precisely what we all need right now: a brilliant ray of sunny electro disco to warm up our winter dancefloors. dj nibc, the berlin-based, gothenburg-born dj, producer and trunkfunk records label owner has joined forces with fellow swedish house cat patrick l for a collaborative effort that offers a fresh, playful and breezy take on deep disco grooves. the dj nibc mix rides a languid summer afternoon tempo, accompanied by shimmering light beams and sweet synth chords, rising to a peak of uplifting strings and soulful vocals that weave around the tracks core retro melody. the patrick l mix gives the full polyphonic treatment, shifting the filtered strings to the intro, intensifying the bass, and using subtle punchy cut-ups in contrast with patricks crystal-clear vocal treatment. fellow swede tiger stripes completes the trio of countrymen, with a tiger stripes remix that moulds the track into an urgent dancefloor cut, emphasising an irresistible bass melody, a thudding kick drum, and classic house stabs of synths and voice. londons newest simmering hot creations signee funnels even more sunshine into his rework, as the crea albas lost soul remix splays out the the tracks high hats and fills all available spaces with arcs of retro synths and cosmic reverb.

man make musics second release is a collaboration between two talented londoners, jack dixon and rick grant. having already made waves with individual releases on labels such as brownswood, hypercolour and take, these two good friends now offer up a pair of brilliantly off-kilter house tracks. >running man< is a heady mix of skipping percussion and caressing juno synth-lines, whilst, on the flip, >muted< takes a more understated, melancholic turn, counterbalancing the ecstatic nature of the a-side. jack and ricks contributions are also offset by kevin mcphees weird and wonderful slow-mo interpretation of >running man<. the remix blends vocals drenched in reverb with creeping piano riffs and shows yet another musical side of a man garnering plaudits from all corners for his unique style.

nice price deal !!! resurfacing a few years major his explorations >at the end of the world<, dan quin throws from left field and scores a hit with his unorthodox take on vocal house music. >everybody knows< is a party-rocker with heart and integrity, remaining loyal to the tenants of dark, exploratory house and techno while superseding the problematic attachment to the past that has retarded the development of song-based dance music. the result is a sprawling, ominous and moving piece of internally conflicted electronica, caught in the ford between a reverence for the work of electronic-pop visionaries like fever ray, and the loyalties of the vast, red-lit expanses of nyc rooted club music. featuring the fresh new talents of brooklyn native tammy k., >everybody knows< is the latest release on dope jams very own in-house record label, a new manifestation of soulful house for a new generation of dance music devotees thirsty for the universal sensibilities of the vocal without the tired cliches of yesteryear.

jordan peak (tsuba) on robsoul recordings !

new label supafrico kicks off with a fantastic sampler 12 inch ep that unearths four stunning funky afro rarities from the vaults. first up is an awesome extended edit of hararis classic >party<, a floor-filling cosmic groover with killer vocals from 1980. next up are the wonderful lijadu sisters with their beautiful duet harmonies. featured here is >not any longer<, one of the stand outs from their uber rare nigerian only lp >horizon unlimited<. side b features the mega obscure 12 inch version of eko roosevelts breathtaking afro disco odyssey >kilimandjaro my home< followed by ezy & isaacs >take off<, an incredible afro funk work out taken from their impossible to find 1974 lp >soul rock<, one of the the holy grails of the afro genre. with all tracks lovingly remastered, this is a must for anyone with a taste for those amazing afro grooves - wonderful stuff.

3 slamming 90ts techno tracks from dublins legendary >sunil sharpe<. its gonna rip up the dance floor!!

title track >lasers are forever< combines arpeggiating analog squelch, lush synth atmospherics and subtle percussion sequencing to lend itself an uncommon sense of drama, the effect of which is both compelling and visceral. on the flip, >hello darkness< takes a somewhat different approach: an imposing arp 2600 bassline pulses along front-and-center with a relentless acid-tinged snarl, while pounding drums and swelling pads complete this most banging of danses macabres. on remix duties are throne of blood alumni remain & mlle caro, who retain the key elements of their source material only to reveal an entirely different beast lurking beneath: the parisian duo take down the tempo a few notches and let swelling analog filters and unfurling lfos do the rest. meanwhile, get the curse music boss clement meyers deformhaus remix of >hello darkness< tightens the originals percussion to an industrial stomp and introduces a spooked-out synth line every bit as funky as it is uncanny- the end result lands somewhere between the boneyard and the discothèqu

a return to vr from ben sun, who delves into deeper territory on the original cut, emotive analogue synths washing over a roland drum groove and a swirling female vocal, all underpinned by a warm, rumbling bassline. the flipside features some heavyweight remix work from the prolific deep space orchestra (use of weapons, art, delusions of grandeur) and label mate tyson ballard teaming up with vincenzo (poker flat, dessous). vincenzo and ballards mix is a heavy hitting, moody take on the original, with subtle, dark strings and a growling, evolving bassline, while dso round off the release with trademark fat drums and soaring melodic synth work.

180gr heavyvinyl ! back to black , classic hip hop

>a favorite of drunk djs, hot chicks and laser lovers everywhere<
san franciscos hometown stars tigercat get the disco rerub from uk legend greg wilson, and bi-coastal beard scratchers nick chacona & anthony mansfield. seduced by the sultry vocals of banging’ hot front woman natasha adorlee johnson, weighed down coaxes you off your bar stool and onto the dance floor. greg’s mix stays true to the original vibe with a taste of his signature disco dub complete with a tasty break. on the flip side nick and anthony take take you on a journey through the kind of deep, primal, electro underground party you emerge from 2 days later. hector works is coming at yah with thwacking beats, jamming treats and maybe even a cord progression.

remixes from label owner kirk degiorgio and dutch maestro tj kong (erwin van moll aka max404) of >rapture< - the debut release from the different worlds duo claude young & takasi nakajima. degiorgios mix heads straight for the dancefloors peak time, whilst tj kong goes for a euphoric melodic take that is perfect for those early morning sets with its uplifting feel and gorgeous breakdown.

somewhere over western europe, an un-identified falling object crashed landed causing a massive bang, and a ginormous banana shaped smoke cloud. frederic, a local artistic young chap was so inspired by this hilariously funny giant cloud that covered the whole sky as far as he could see, he ran indoors to take cover, and wrote a little summer step d&b beat, called >laughing at clouds< – which seemed to draw a lot of attention. out of the studio window, frederic could see what seemed to be a pink giraffe giving it some serious head-nodding action. by the second drop leonard (the pink giraffe) was dancing so heavily that he caused a small tremor somewhere over in the states, where young up & coming producer melo seemed to pick up the transmission. while in his sonic laboratory he managed to transfer his latest project (affirmation) through the current, where frederic decided to make his first remix project, which pretty much made leonard pass out after all the summer stepping….

4 classic tracks back on vinyl.

the third in the inertia series with four new exclusive techno tracks. this third ep offers up four brand next and exclusive techno cuts, take straight from the inertia compilation ann aimee have proudly compiled. things open with the dark, skipping beats of stroboscopic artefacts boss lucy, before veteran berlin producer and label boss milton bradley layers plenty of filter and reverb over a kicking beat for his textured effort, >sequence 1<. one of the three fachwerk bosses, mike dehnert, contributes some ravey techno loops in the form of >pneumatic< before the ep is brought to a close with some gray-scale bleakness from belgiums ozka: in all, four dark dancefloor gems

audiojack return to 2020 after a year or so setting up their imprint gruuv. the new single >get serious< shows the duo not only mature as artists but also develop and hone their sound to new house themed productions. the title track is state of the art bounce in a box with a killer vocal hook, >let the rhythm take you<, meandering around sweet insistent stabs. its been smashing terraces, rooftops and discotheques all summer and now its finally available for our select dj friends to carry on the vibes through autumn. >polka dot dress< comes spotted with a sound originally created on the classic korg m1 synth and used by mk to devastating effect in the 90s. audiojack have then sprinkled their magic dust on it and added sweeping detroit techno strings, tight drums and healthy amounts of bottom end rumble. as we look forward it is important to know your roots and audiojack show they know their house history by covering the all time classic by the backroom - definition of a track. no samples at all were used and the guys worked out and replayed all the synth parts before adding new vocals from kevin knapp. by beefing up the original we hope a new generation of djs and clubbers bust out this amazing track. it deserves to be heard again and is produced and primed for todays dancefloors.

long awaited solo return of juan mendez to the sandwell camp. finally we have a solo return e.p. from sandwell mainstay silent servant and it doesnt disappoint. juan sticks to his trademark sheering sound-scapes and clattering lo-fi drums to take us away once again, superb.

after his ace remix for nicolas jaar s >space is only noise< here on circus company, our man dave aju is back with an appropriate dose of in-between original music for the fall season. taken from his upcoming album project that uses vintage inherited recordings as sound sources, >all together now< is a beautifully unique track that is guaranteed to move people with its irresistible groove. indeed, the aptly titled jam brings together and bridges gaps of various kinds, from lo-fi and hi-fi to under water and outer space, with classic-flavored dynamic percussive elements, spiraling futuristic leads, and melodic synth work sprinkled with aju s distinctive voice, encouraging us to join in on the live collective claps that accent the cut. the building bass pulses and warm instrumentation stack up toward the ceiling, until a fresh breakdown spreads things out to release the pressure. amsterdam don san proper brings an equally unique and refreshing remix to the table, with a rugged take on the track complete with cool guitar licks, modular effects, and contrasting additional vocal stylings. similarly dynamic in the drum workout department but with an extra rawness, it is a fantastic complement to the original that rounds out the release perfectly.

galaktika prepares their first vinyl of the year with the hand of garnica, paulo olarte and maurice aymard teaming up with mr hot guy maceo plex. the small compilation is meant to be for those floor killer sessions and those layback down mixes a mixture between deep house and techno. why not give it a try in vinyl if we believe this are one the best original tracks the labels heads have made so far and with the support of one of hottest name in the scene. so take advantage of this exclusive 200 copies.

dj t. gave us his fine album, the pleasure principle last winter. since then ts given controls to top producers for high grade remixes. this time daniel bortz, clockwork and dj t. himself take on >leavin me feat. khan<. jump right into things with the clockwork remix, a sweet blend of house-party amience and maintime club sensation. the rhythm alone could keep us dancing for hours, that mixed with the itchy bassline and arousing vocals, ensure that no one is feeling anything else. clockwork delivers a solid remix, more than worthy of >leavin me<. the b side shows daniel bortzs remix in full view. right away, a full beat pulling you into the rhythm, building to the entrancing chord play. the vocal lines give a sensual tone to the mix,. right at home in berlins watergate or a closing party on ibiza, this track carries us on, while the night hours fade to early morning. t.s > left with attitude mix< finds us in the deepest of nights, where flashing lights illuminate our ecstatic faces. heavy piano chords roll and the beat fades, pure sound. the kick brings us back to earth. t. meets us at the part when you realize you have found what you are looking for and all is right in the world

compilation of current amsterdam house music featuring 11 exclusive tracks from amsterdam based (or born) producers like awanto3, san proper, tom trago, boris werner and more. if you want to get a piece of some top-notch, upfront action from the underground culture of amsterdam, this compilation gives you a front row seat. the 11 exclusive tracks that together make up for this compilation take you straight to the heart of what s bubbling in the nightlife of mokum town.

kill the pain: epic is the only way to describe the extended intro of kill the pain, featuring acoustic guitar and an earnest male vocal. then, just before two minutes in, things quickly take a nasty turn as choppy breaks splinter into pieces and the bassline reboots the texas chainsaw massacre. an aggressive, genre bending, sure fire floor smasher.
letting go: teaming up with kryteria for the flip, a eurphoric, trancey intro leads into a chainsaw reece, setting the scene for the chaotic chiaroscuro to come: beyond the drop sweeping synths and ethereal vocal snippets somehow successfully coalesce with heavily edited breaks and sawing bass, creating a kind of beautiful violence. subsequently, side effects of letting go include spontaneous eruptions of feet on the floor and hands in the air.

the original mix of >amygdala< by joe joyce offers a revival of more traditional techno rhythms, accompanied by oriental percussion and bell like timbres. vocal drones instill a feeling of suspense and darkness, before a release of melodic gamelans calm and soothe your amydalas fight or flight response. enjoy the ride! amygdala is supported by two exceptional remixes from maya jane coles and nadja lind, which take the track to completely different corners.

produced by elektro guzzi and patrick pulsinger recorded directly to analog tape. no edits. no overdubs.
elektro guzzi redefined the meaning of performing techno live. with just guitar, bass and drums, they take the most unusual playing techniques and put them together into a rigid mechanical form where everything makes instant, evident sense. if they had not performed live extensively, becoming audience favourites from mutek to sónar and from berghain to fabric, it would have been hard to believe this is really how the music is created. that said, it seemed impossible they could go even further in this direction. yet thats exactly what they did. parquet, their second studio album sees them in monomaniacal, claustrophobic techno mode. throughout the nine tracks the distinctions between instruments and roles are totally vaporized.

the wave of love & applause surrounding art of tones this year has been phenomenal & well deserved. long running stalwart of the global house scene for nearly 20 years, ludovic llorca has brought his work at the forefront with labels such as f communications & 2020 vision.
already supported & played by steve bug, jimpster, shur-i-kan, axel boman, andre lodemann, the revenge, charles webster, dj deep ...

anders trentemoller has become one of the most respected names in cutting edge electronic music in the last few years. his rise to notoriety was sparked by his early, techy releases for poker flat and audiomatique and has since gone on to stellar highs with his own personal take on the genre, spanning, pop, rock, indie and classical. his debut album >the last resort< was released in 2006 to much international acclaim, and the producer also began to become an in-demand remixer in the house and techno world. as the decade wore on his sound continued to progress, opening up his studio to more live instrumentation, and a looser, rock-meets electronic vibe with his stunning >into the great wide yonder< lp. now this special double cd and double vinyl release celebrates some of the producer s favourite remixes he completed for other artists, and also some of his personal picks where other musicians have reworked his music.

stephin merritt (born february 9, 1966 is an american singer-songwriter based in los angeles (formerly in new york city), best known as the principal singer and songwriter in the band the magnetic fields. he is known for his distinctive and untrained bass voice.

eddie van halen, well-known for his guitar prowess but also a classically-trained pianist, used 1984 as an opportunity to take the band into different territory. additionally, 1984 was the first van halen album to be recorded at eddie van halen s home studio.