jazz cinema 2, a touching remembrance of poignant love, takes you swimming through the joy of music and serenity and entering into a time of majestic legends. the performers in this album includes jamie cullum, one the most popular jazz singers in the world, stacey kent, a grammy award nominee, peggy lee, who has a great reputation in both singing and film career, nat king cole, one of the most legendary jazz singers, louis armstrong, the swing star, billie holiday, and ella fitzgerald, two of the most honorable jazz queens. their renditions of songs are from inception, the english patient, un homme et une femme, cars, oceans 11, casablanca and the curious case of benjamin button, those romantic melodies which is to remind you of the classic stories and write you an most unforgettable and delicate note in life.

2011 holiday collection. the project started in 2010 when jan illustrated the diversity of more than 50 christmas tunes in the field of jazz, funk and soul to tobias kirmayer of tramp records, germany. although some of the titles had already been compiled, there were exceptional songs that grabbed their attention. major record companies owned a handful of the initially pre-selected songs. despite the fact that these terrific songs never topped the charts the quality of this compilation easily shakes hands with famous christmas records of major artists like james brown or lou rawls. ladies and gentlemen, sing along, shake your hips and dance because: santas funk & soul christmas party is goin on.

this duo of finnish architects launched their career in 2008 with spraycan on switchs dubsided. they soon found eager champions in the tastemakers at kitsune, sound pellegrino, and the blogtelligensia over at fluokids. by 2010, they were legitimate players, having remixed whomade- who, delphic, crystal fighters, brodinski, crookers, health, and, most recently, azari & iii. a more refined, structural sound emerged on the babbadabba ep on made to play. and the larger scope of their commitment to intelligent design comes to fruition on their upcoming album on turbo, erecting a post-tropical hermitage of dancing manÕs thoughtfunk. the music is highly detailoriented, referencing everything from bass music to curry house, with eyes and ears trained on millennia of art and concept, with a special emphasis on the millennia when music actually existed.

> they made us do it< contains pure analogue, dirty and sophisticated dance music, with a wide range of influences: from chicago house to german psychedelic krautrock, from skweee to minimal techno, from ambient to bass, from the first collaboration with their free-jazz daddy on saxophone up to collaborations with modern classical musicians. file under: konfusion! >they made us do it< Ð it makes for a challenging listen both at home and in a club!

andy vazs straight vacationing, his first full-length artist album, since the 2006 release of repetitive moments last forever, registers as less a straight-up collection of dance-floor burners and more of a variety pack that mixes club tracks and full-fledged house songs. listeners hungry for just ordinary 4/4 throw-downs will not entirely get their share of those, but theyll also get a whole lot more on this dynamic and well-rounded set of eight album tracks and that is exploring house music not just as a simple one way street, but give you a very personal view of the music we call house. straight vacationing dives into the genre in all its rich variety: from deep melodic, early chicago influenced acid house, jacking-jedi mind tricks to disco-type grooves and last but not least excursions into bizzaro world, with a vaz typical almost psychedelic experimental-edged sound, its all there.

this latest release by the ever impressive trunk records consists of two jazz recordings from 1964. the first four tracks, credited to west indian trumpeter shake keane, are taken from an unreleased acetate belonging to garricks private collection. the final four tracks consist of the shake keane & michael garrick quartettes a case of jazz ep that had a limited pressing of just 99 copies. much like trunks earlier michael garrick release moonscape (which was recorded in the same year), this is indeed obscure 1960s uk jazz. the first four cuts from the untitled acetate are very much jazz of the bossa nova variety. the hastings girls choir feature on the first two tracks and their lush vocals add a cool exotic vibe. tracks 3 & 4 are taken from the flipside of the acetate and were recorded with the gordon langford orchestra. the final four tracks from the a case of jazz ep are freer flowing and keanes trumpeting accompanied by garricks piano makes for some quality early modern british jazz. moody album closer regrets is a stunner and best showcases how well they both compliment each other.

after years in the game, this vinyl-wielding 4-piece originating from brighton - the one and only soft rocks - have finally committed their collective wit to a slew of original tunes. their debut album, -the curse of soft rocks- is without-a-doubt a departure from the current musical climate. in an age where any laptop-savvy poseur can upload their bland nu-disco or faux-chi-house directly to a cesspool of digitally downloadable fodder, it is more than refreshing to hear this cheeky bunch blending a mixed bag of instrumentation and obscure influences so recklessly.

2011 sophomore release from the east london quintet formerly known as dark captain light captain. the band released their debut full-length miracle kicker in 2008 to critical praise across the board. the album spawned a surprise hit stateside with -jealous enemies- and catapulted dark captain all around europe and the uk, where they gleefully shared stages with the likes of sophia, 65daysofstatic, tunng and laetita sadier (stereolab). late last year, the band disembarked the relentless carousel of budget flights, punctual soundchecks and questionable service station snack food to record their follow-up. dead legs & alibis is the shimmering, restless result of these endeavors.

after what seems like a thousand years of blood, sweat, tears, and a lot more blood, your zombified disc disciples at finders kreepers unveil one of their most essential collections yet. this musical mausoleum of malformed freak funk and dreadful discoth�que pop has been resurrected from the maligned cinematic subculture of bombays bloodthirsty horror film industry and witnesses the cognoscenti of the bollywood pop scene at their most creative, destructive and experimentally effective. tip!

gem club is an exclusive society: two people, a piano, and a cello. vocalist christopher barnes sings in a quivering whisper, and these minimal accompaniments assure that their sound never becomes louder than a hush. but the massachusetts duo s debut ep, acid and everything, showed just how much emotional intensity you could pack into compositions so spare, and how much could be suggested with so little. everything on breakers, their first full-length, sounds frozen over: icy, quiet, austere. you know that eerie feeling when you find yourself alone in a huge public place that s usually crowded-- maybe a shopping mall or a playing field- but at that moment is totally empty? this record sounds like a sustained version of that feeling. -i heard the party- juxtaposes echoing piano chords and a general sense of unease (-no one could have told you / your body would fail you-) with the refrain -i heard the partys here- floating across the track like the sound of dried up laughter. the word -party- feels so out of place in a song so pensive and lonely that there s something jarring about the experience. the feeling crops up repeatedly on breakers: a sense of slow-motion detachment, a suggestion that there were signs of life here once, but you ve arrived a couple of hours- or maybe a couple of weeks- too late.

previously existing as progressive/melodic house entity solarity, dusky are london based musicians alfie granger-howell and nick harriman. as comfortable writing elegant orchestral pieces or stirring piano motifs as they are jackin house and epic techno grooves, their diverse sounds are united by the duos singular aim--to compose electronic music with depth, soul and originality. stick by this is the duos debut album.

ugly duckling is back with their fifth full length album moving at breakneck speed. after more than a decade in the music business, young einstein, andy cooper and dizzy dustin are well accustomed to the recording process and for their latest lp the boys dug deep into their bag of tricks to create what they feel is their most dynamic and complete release to date. moving at breakneck speed is an exciting and musically exotic, adventure story that has our desperate heroes circling the globe to outrun an evil gang of super criminals determined to put an end to ud once and for all. the record is made up of 14 power packed tracks that showcase ugly duckling s classic production sound and the flavorful, humorously soulful vocal styles of dizzy and andy.

jailbreak at the zoo! totebagz is the collaboration between two of melbournes most daring minds, jerky perky aka misha hallenbach (perks and mini, bamboo musik) and the most excellent surfer/dj biscuit (moonrocks). when theyre not cycling the unknown regions, foraging the bush for >special< funghi or surfing the 50-year storm, theyre oozing tweaked cardboard box techno. on this limited edition disc, the totebagz pile blankets of synth upon deep-fried circuitry upon drum machines that have a mind of their own. to say they take you for a ride would be an understatement. this is what it sounds like when gremlins shack up inside your mixer.

otdxi is the newest installment in the classic r&s compilation series. previous installments have been responsible for rounding up the labels roster at the time and presenting their finest tracks to a wider audience, and have gone onto become classics in their own rights. with r&s again re-positioned as one of the most forward thinking electronic labels and with an enviable roster of cutting edge young talent it makes perfect sense to relaunch the series. disc one contains highlights from the last 18 months and includes contributions from blawan, lone and untold whose classic r&s influences are worn on their sleeves. tracks from james blake, pariah and the chain take cues from a distinctly uk sound, which the label has been keenly following from its new london base, and in cmyk have the biggest single from 2010.

dub trio is back with their fourth and most powerful album to date Ð iv Ð an overwhelming blend of sounds, styles and ideas that come out swinging, and hit harder than ever. can metal coexist with dubs bass heavy riddims? dub trios newest album proves that not only can such incongruities coexist, but that in the right hands they flourish! with iv the band succeeds dramatically at emphasizing the theories, emotions, sounds, and concepts of their current musical exploration. iv finds the members playing multiple instruments, tweaking, turning & torturing knobs, cutting and chopping the audio itself, and shaping the compositions to create their own unique interpretation of dub as an art form.

its probably safe to say that youve never heard anything like brothers of brazil before. for the past three years the brotherly duo of supla and joao have been combining elements of traditional brazilian music such as bossa nova and samba with rock and funk to create a unique sound thats won over countless fans in brazil, and now theyre ready to expand worldwide with the release of their self-titled album. the duo was started when the brothers landed their own national variety show in brazil called brothers on rede tv. supla and joao realized then that when they collaborated the results were beyond what they had ever imagined.

hot on the heels of the wildly enigmatic debut from wu lyf, bristol-based guitar band zun zun egui continue the british avant-garde scenes fascination with indecipherable lyrics on their first offering, katang. with tracks performed in english, french, japanese, and creole alongside several mutterings which appear to be from an entirely made-up language, its impossible for anyone, bar the most accomplished of multi-linguists, to understand what their self-described -free-range rock music- is about.

byetone s new record symeta opens with a combined track - a transit - since topas and telegramm could be seen as one single piece. both tracks convey the atmosphere of a live session rather than the character of a studio production. the tracks are quite long and deal with repetition, layers of sounds, density and energy, more than melodic and engineering finesse. the whole album follows this approach, as it was fashioned within the context of live performances during the last two years. neuschnee Ð the third track Ð has an obviously reduced tempo, creating a wide landscape of sound with an intimate aura, which works as a counter draft to the other tracks of the record. with opal, the tempo speeds up again, a polyrhythmic phrase whirls around a straight beat, filters are turned, all that evokes the impression of early-90s minimal techno. byetone is basically interested in remembering, in a way to preserve, in citing rock/pop styles, without getting stuck in the past, whereas non of the tracks really fit into a specific genre. seen from this perspective, helix opens the final, more rocky block of the album. here, the tracks are offensive and rude and sound like a band in a rehearsal room. this part peaks with black peace in a high speed heavy metal session. finally, golden elegy closes symeta and a band-like situation occurs. the track ends with a wired lament, presented by jan kummer in the tenor of chemnitz, hometown of both artists. in former gdr-times, they started their musical activity with the brilliant-dilettantish ag geige, together with frank bretschneider (komet). symeta , the title of the album, appears mysterious. this synthetic word arouses associations with symmetry, synthesis or (meta-)structures. it doesn t stand for a definite object, there isn t any solution, and that is the reason why the title has been chosen. byetone s music tries to create such associations without really fulfilling these expectations. in this sense, symeta consequently follows death of a typographer (r-n92), the well received predecessor.

the sound of the late great fitzcarraldos is like sand between your toes. bittersweet love songs paying homage to otis redding, brian eno, john cale and luther vandross. this is sophisticated melodic luxury music for a generation that has the history of music up their sleeve, but really just want to meditate.

australian pressing of this 2011 collection of rarities and non-album tracks from the queen of modern soul. sharon jones & the dap-kings have developed an international reputation as the #1 group on todays soul scene. soul time is an exploration of the full range of their dynamic sound through 12 songs handpicked by the daptone records gang, each one a precious exclusive. the needle drops on genuine pts. 1 & 2, a supercharged funk arrangement that evokes the late godfather not only with the spirited syncopation of the dap-kings rhythms, but also with the raw power of jones voice. it is performances such as these that have earned her the moniker the female james brown. though it has long been one of their best-selling singles, it makes its album debut here. longer and stronger, written for her 50th birthday, is a deep mid-tempo soul celebration of the strength and determination with which sharon jones has earned her long overdue success. whether youre a lifetime fan, or just getting turned on, sharon jones & the dap-kings have yet again made a record that will blow your mind.

kanda bongo man is a giant of african music and the artist credited with introducing john peel to african music. his fans number vampire weekend (cape cod kwassa kwassa), paul simon and john peel. all the tracks were recorded for joe boyds hannibal records between 1984-91, an era we can look back on today as the high watermark of parisian soukous, and showcase a band at the height of their powers. behind his soaring voice kanda employed diblo dibala and rigo star, two lead guitarists who are widely considered as the best soukous guitarists who ever lived. diblo was recruited from the band led by the legendary franco whilst rigos scorching licks graced albums by paul simon and it was their twinning that gave kandas music a wonderfully joyous, ringing quality. they both feature extensively on the -king of kwassa kwassa-.

the future of dance music is happening now. the next generation of edm producers is stepping up, with w&w bearing the flag of todays promise. no need to wait much longer. after merely 4 years of warming up, the duo sets things alight with the long-awaited debut album impact. though theres plenty of challenges left on their to-do list, dutch producers willem van hanegem and ward van der harst no longer play the game of rookies.

the embassy are far too often overlooked in the uk. they more or less engineered the goeteborg scene, and have been hugely important in shaping the swedish independent music landscape over the past 10 years. their influence is second to none. so, to help those who havent been paying attention to catch up, fredrik lindson and torbjoern hŒkansson have announced a retrospective release, life in the trenches, the other side of 2001-2011. the album compiles a bunch of rarities from the duos career, among them b-sides and previously unreleased tracks.

raise the curtain once more on a very special orchestral performance. how could highgrade records better celebrate its 100th release than with twelve tracks from the highgrade disharmonic orchestra? the creative combo featuring both label bosses tom clark and todd bodine, alongside philip bader, daniel dreier and dale, began over a year ago with the intention of celebrating the tenth birthday of the berlin label. and the resulting gift: a musical experiment. the five artists have bundled their creativity together into a symphony unparalleled in the techno scene. every performance is like a jam session: all five laptops are interconnected, so each of the artists has the opportunity to react to the others and modify each track as desired. thus, new arrangements are created and constantly re-interpreted. drum machines and synthesizers are also in play, to further stretch the improvisational possibilities. no wonder then, that the 100th release follows in this creative vein. the highgrade disharmonic orchestra, with multilayer, kiddnaps us away into vastly different musical worlds: from deep influences and custom recorded vocals to an array of technoid sounds and effects. then back to groovy, swinging beats reminiscent of a balmy summer evening on the beach. therefore the record is something of a rollercoaster ride, where we never know what might be waiting behind the next curve. typically highgrade

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

leng records follows up last years out of town album with a selection of remixes and re-works of tracks taken from cantomas second long player ! out of town fused a wide variety of sounds and styles resulting in a beautiful, otherworldly album that moved effortlessly between blissful flamenco, shimmering, slo-mo nu disco, dubbed-out tango and haunting, ethereal soundscapes. the remixers were hand picked by cantoma aka phil mison due to their unique approach to music and their complementary production styles and the result is an album bursting with downtempo and dancefloor led remixes.

2011 release, a 1982 live recording from the legendary gambian experimental/psych band. for one decade guelewar was the biggest influence in the region of sene-gambian music. here in their last recording, the 12 members guide you to another level.

2011 release. their first new album in more than three years, hysterical marks a major milestone in the continuing evolution of clap your hands say yeah. born out of an intensely collaborative process in which songs were constructed, dismantled, and then rebuilt anew, the album finds the band their most confident and creative, expertly expanding upon its already distinctive sound. from the chrome-plated licks of maniac and the title track to the sheets of eddying synths and emotive motorik pulsebeats of into your alien arms and ketamine and ecstasy, the band delivers up sonically provocative pop music that is simultaneously jubilant, mesmeric, and altogether infectious. hysterical reveals clap your hands say yeah to be a wholly developed band in full command of their unique artistic gifts. this long play version pressed on 180 gram vinyl also includes a download card.

walls alessio natalizia and sam willis dont deal in perfect wholes. the kompakt duo return swiftly on the back of 2010 s critically lauded self titled debut, an album that picked up mojos coveted electronic album of the year, featured in nmes end-of-year lists, not to mention winning fans such as of jamie xx, caribou, james holden and impressing us trio battles so much that they have invited the pair on tour around the us this coming october. yet it isnt these admittedly impressive accolades that make the announcement of second lp >coracle< such an anticipated one, what makes walls so alluring is the fully immersive experience of their mellifluous electronica Ð reaching out far and wide to pull influences sonic, emotional and theoretical together into patterns of blissful phantasmagoria. taking their debut as the prototype, willis and natalizia have taken those initial early-sunrise evocations and pushed them to even more grandiose expanse

azuli return for their flagship compilation with three of the biggest house stars around at the moment. olav basoski, james talk and ridney will take the helm of this years offering, serving up a tough, peak-time mix of house music.

sander van doorns new artist album 2011. if theres one thing we can say about the evolution of the worldwide dance scene this year, is that its genres are being mashed up like never before. on his new artist album eleve11, sander van doorn once again does what he does best, mixing up styles, genres and artist-cooperations. along side his smash hits koko and love is darkness, eleve11 is packed with artist-cooperations such as believe with singer/songwriter tom helsen, eagles with adrian lux and sanders latest purle haze installment timezone. an emotional dancefloor-killer that brings shivers down your spine each time you hear us singer fredericks voice. more uplifting is sanders collab with fellow-dutchman laidback luke. whos wearing the cap is an idea born when their resemblance on a photo was so anstonishing that the songtitle was placed underneath it, making fans wonder if they might be brothers. those who have heard nadia ali on iios classic rapture have probably wondered when her voice was due for a svd treatment. well, that time has finally come and the result is called: rolling the dice together with sidney samson all in all, eleve11, with its neatly corresponding 11 tracks all recorded in 2011, shows the world exactly what sander van doorn has evolved into.. a worldwide dancemusic phenomena.

2011 album from the british electronic duo, their first album in seven years. producer/songwriter/frontman richard fearless mixed the album in michigan after recording it in shoreditch, london. trans-love energies, a reference to the 1960s detroit anti-establishment group, features 12 new songs with fearless performing lead vocals on the majority of the tracks. vocalist katie stelmanis from domino band austra guests on three of the tracks.

from their pioneering work as part of the basement boys, remixing and producing artists from michael jackson to ultra nate, through to their success as solo artists, dj spen and karizma are the undisputed leaders of the baltimore house movement. twenty of their very finest productions are presented here, including three brand new & exclusive remixes from these charismatic, unpredictable and completely unique masters of their craft.

thirty years after they released their first four track ep black roots singles output is finally showcased on -black roots - the reggae singles anthology-. released on september 5th, by bristol archive records in collaboration with nubian records this 16 track album spans the bands creative peak of the 1980s.

you know the story by now, a string of super singles, a number one in the nialler9 irish song poll of 2010 (which turned them into temporary jerks kidding) and a constant string of live dates around the country have made squarehead one of the better bands in ireland and now, we re finally at the debut album chapter. its been a long time coming. squarehead initially recorded their debut album back in september and december last year with shane cullen in k9 studios and save for a couple of extra tracks and re-recordings of old favourites mother nurture and fake blood, the band have patiently been sitting on it since. yeah nothing is a dozen tracks of no-nonsense slacker indie pop, a fuzzy collection of lo-fi rock n roll inspired by surf-pop, old school rock n roll and bright guitars.

with the white isle summer coming to an end hed kandis saxophonist and vocalist laura fowles a.k.a the lovely laura and producer extraordinaire tyrrell come together to bring you their debut artist album straight from the sunsets of ibiza, hed kandi: balearica unplugged. they go back to basics, bringing the hed kandi fans a taste of their balearic musical roots. they disconnected the decks, ditched the electronic beats and unplugged the sound system stripping things back creating a medley of deliciously unplugged covers of their favourite dance songs. tyrrell picked up the six string, laid down some sensual acoustic guitar riffs and atmospheric chords, whilst laura added a splash of soft, husky, phenomenal vocals and sexy sax melodies. this all combined with additional production by the legendary steve miller a.ka. afterlife, brings you a wide, laid back collection all reworked with hed kandis own balearic acoustic treatment... always keeping a sunny disposition in mind. this one cd includes their favourite renditions of songs made famous by the likes of groove armada, calvin harris, deadmau5 & kaskade, friendly fires, empire of the sun and martin solvieg to name but a few. this essential eclectic collage of music is destined for ibizas renowned sunset strip for years to come, where legendary balearic hang out hotspots such as cafŽ del mar, savannahs or blue marlin celebrate the setting of the most talked about sunset, and balearica unplugged offers the perfect musical companion.

multi-platinum, grammy award-winning rock band red hot chili peppers will release their upcoming tenth studio album, im with you, on warner bros. records on august 30th, 2011. recorded at east west in los angeles and shangri-la in malibu, ca, im with you was produced by rick rubin, who has produced the bands previous five albums, 2006s stadium arcadium, 2002s by the way, 1999s californication, 1995s one hot minute, and 1991s blood sugar sex magik. the album was mixed by andrew scheps and greg fidelman. im with you is the bands first new album since the two-set stadium arcadium.

qwazaar & batsauce follow up their masterful style be the king ep (2011, fifth element/galapagos4) with a 14-track juggernaut entitled bat meets blaine. the record is an absolute rarity a series of inspired sessions from a world-class mc & producer team at the height of their respective powers. batsauce provides ambidextrous backdrops that are as multilayered as they are strident, while qwazaar simply astonishes, baring his soul while performing near-impossible lyrical feats. its a record all true heads should cop and that all lab scientists can envy.

as the dust begins to settle on the white isle and people become reacquainted with their normal way of life, ministry of sound comes to the rescue with the ultimate ibiza flu remedy. this is the essential round up of all the tracks that have been heating up the biggest party island in the world this summer. the huge tracklist features hit after hit from the biggest acts in music right now, calvin harris, example, dj fresh, chris brown, adele, wretch 32, nero, aloe blacc all feature alongside big room bangers from the biggest djÕs in the white isle, avicii, laidback luke, afrojack, above & beyond...

it might sound like an empty phrase, but when oliver koletzki founded stil vor talent in 2005, he certainly didnt anticipate where his label would be today. now - six years and over sixty releases later - stil vor talent can look back at many magnificent moments in the labels history. originally started to give other musicians the chance to showcase their music, stil vor talent has preserved this very down-to-earth attitude until today and has helped foster the careers of producers such as channel x, niko schwind, juli holz or david august to name just a few. while there have never been any musical or stylistic limitations, an open philosophy dominated by quality and individualism prevails at olivers label, from delicately designed record sleeves to their own fashion line and to music that varies from house to pop to jacking dancefloor cuts. now it is time to congratulate everyone involved and the fans of stil vor talent with a special birthday present: a six-year anniversary compilation that celebrates past, present and future of the label on two cds

for over a decade mark grusane & mike cole have been a vast music resource for djs, producers, collectors, rare music compilers, and specialty stores around the world. they started individually, each with their love of music. they traded and sold music with those -in the know- for years. in 2004 mark & mike focused their energies into founding mr. peabody records. the business plan and mission was to become a world class resource for all genres of obscure music. until now, their focus has been growing the shop. but the soul of mr. peabody records does not reside in the bricks and mortar the store, or even in the bins of records themselves. the real genius lies in mark & mikes unique ear for music.

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

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

wretch 32, real name jermaine scott, is one of the uks most loved mcs - from the underground up. from his early years in londons flourishing grime scene back in the early 00s, the tottenham-raised lyricist has always stood out from the crowd. his conscious and reflective bars, along with an extremely relaxed flow, made him a firm favourite on the uk hip hop circuit. much like tinie tempah, wretch 32 has proved that british mcs can reach the mainstream without selling their soul to pop. the first fruits of this crossover success were tasted in january 2011, when his single traktor broke into the domestic top five following an appearance on the bbc sound ofÉ list. and his second official single, unorthodox, fared even better, peaking at number two in april. so its clear that much has changed since his debut lp of 2008, wretchrospective - but has public recognition come at the expense of what marked wretch 32 out as such a talent in the first place? not at all - on the opening title-track, the rapper lets the listener know that its the same old wretch at work. over a drum-heavy hip hop beat he sets up the rest of the album well, advising everyone to fasten their seatbelts as he prepares to take them on a ride that they wont forget in a hurry. never be me finds wretch delving into his past, opening up about making certain decisions in life that got him to where he is today. featuring rnb newcomer angel on the hook, the track has an inspirational feel to it - all over another impressive, but this time more grime-influenced, beat. a true standout is anniversary, with alex mills on singing duties - its a love song, minus any cheese. then the album lurches into the electro-infused sanes the new mad - a glimpse into wretchs party lifestyle, with ladies and alcohol at the forefront of his attentions. and closer dont go just might be one of the tracks of the year.

last year, we here at mexican summer came under the spell of the starry kaplan sisters: piper and skylar, and their band pearl harbor, who graced the land with their beautific something about the chapparrals ep. funny how time flies for the beyond their year siblings, as its suddenly 2011 and pearl harbor now goes by the name of puro instinct. now piper and sky find themselves bolstered by four other bandmates: cody porter, jessie clavin, mike baum, and crazy murray to make their hazy, swirling pop even more realized and sumptuous.

berlin-based djs and composers ricardo villalobos and max loderbauer - two of the best-known names in contemporary electronica - share their admiration for music on ecm in a unique double-album of specially-created >sound-structures<. their project >re: ecm< will bring the labels music to a new listenership. it is certain to be one of the most talked-about albums of the season. using original ecm recordings as a starting point, villalobos and loderbauer create new music that bridges several worlds, including ecms world of space-conscious improvisation and composition and the worlds of ambient electronics and minimal techno. source materials on >re: ecmÓ include recordings of christian wallumr¿d, alexander knaifel, louis sclavis, john abercrombie, bennie maupin, arvo pŠrt, wolfert brederode, paul giger and more - looped, sampled, remixed and reworked in evocative new treatments. pleased with the duos creative response to his productions manfred eicher gave them carte blanche to carry on experimenting with the ecm titles of their choice. eicher subsequently supervised the mastering of >re: ecm< in munich, completing a unique sonic experience.

the number 1 album, incl the singles rehab, im no good, back to black... uk edition (incl 11th track addicted)

you can forgive a band who set out to create something even just a little bit different and get it horrendously wrong, but its tough to have sympathy for a band who shy away from the challenge altogether. such was the case with autokratz on their first album, animal, which, apart from a passable opening track, consisted of a series of bland electronic pastiches Ð dance music that conversely made the listener want to sit and wait it out. that didnt stop the hype building around the duo, though, thanks in no small part to the fact that the album was released through in-vogue french label kitsunŽ music. the confusing positivity surrounding the lp suggesting, perhaps, that style overcomes substance once a record company has received the hipster seal of approval.this time around, however, kitsune has stepped aside, with autokratz releasing the follow-up on their own label, bad life. but has the sense of responsibility that surely comes with this step made them re-evaluate their direction? has it inspired them to inject a much-needed shot of creativity into their work? not a hope. if anything, autokratz descend even further into mediocrity on self help for beginners. once again, their best tunes are loaded towards the front of the album, starting with the lead single, -opposite of love. its far from outstanding, helped in no small part by the terribly contrived lyrics, but does possess a catchy synth melody Ð enough to earn it a place on club playlists, at least. its a similar story with -becoming the wraith, which has peter hook on hand to deliver an overtly new order-esque bassline. beyond that, however, the quality dips dramatically. tracks like -the seventh seal and -r.i.s.e. are typical of the selection on offer, underwhelmingly vapid, derivative tunes which show up a disappointing, but not totally unexpected, scarcity of guile on the part of their creators.where autokratz do excel is as producers Ð a quality evident not only in their own work, but also in their remixes for other artists. unfortunately, this only serves to exacerbate their deficiencies on the other side of the control room desk. ultimately it may mean that, having failed to address the shortcomings of their debut, autokratz will be fated to be filed under -also rans in the annals of music history. thats assuming, of course, that someone out there will actually remember them at all.

the ever on point citrus recordings is stepping up for its 5th artist lp. after having released the debut albums of mindscape & jade wich all went on for critical acclaim its time for citrus to get ready for its 3rd artist album. this time its time for the debut album of fourward! hailing straight from lower austria the four men collective fourward started out producing music in early 2007. the boys knew each other for quite a while and shared the love and passion for drumandbass music. for them it was always a main issue not to stick to any particular tiny subgenre only, but to develop a sound of their own. all members have different musical backgrounds which fit together perfectly and provide a great studio vibe. days went by and the boys finished a couple of tunes properly and it wasnt long until austrian drumandbass producer duo body&soul showed interest in their works. also international artists like bbcs very own crissy criss began to support their music giving them airplay on his radio show. as a result of their effort fourward has released quality tunes on labels like subsonik sound, planet funk and fokuz. the year 2010 they experienced the so called breakthrough with releases on nasca recordings and fokuz followed by an epic 12inch for the legendary label virus recordings! the guys definitely didnt stop there and being on the road now broadened their horizon even further. resulting in a series of tunes perfectly fitting together in this cd. diversity and musicallity are keywords for this album. listen from low blow to you and me, quality drum n bass!!