we are proud to announce the vinyl reissue of one of the best and most complex japanese jazz fusion albums, 1987’s breeze by hiroyuki namba, eiji kawamura, and toshiro imaizumi’s band atlas. hiroyuki namba is one of the most important japanese keyboardist of the ’80s with a legacy that in-cludes japanese cosmic classic “who done it?” and “tropical explosion,” a sought-after gem by diggers. in addition to his work with his progressive rock band sense of wonder, he’s also known as a member of tatsuro yamashita’s band.

the amazon club is back on voodoo gold records with a 10 track release. loaded with their signature, hazy tropical funk and disco rhythms, this follow-up from their last years debut will take you back on a trip to the sultry hideout of our worlds greatest paradise.

the people at antinote are always excited to introduce new names to its roster and sign libra, its latest addition, makes no exception to the rule. released under the moniker sign libra, closer to the equator is the work of latvian artist and composer agata melnikova. composed for a contemporary ballet at latvian national opera in riga, the music on this record strongly relies on melnikovas appreciation of bbc-produced nature documentaries. projecting the life of each creature that inhabits the british tv-program into her very personal and highly synthetized world, sign libra lends these microscopic beings her own voice. each song works like a musical tableau in which the main protagonists plants and animals come on stage to play their part in a ballet carefully choreographed by the latvian artist.

all aboard the super tuff 003! this vinyl only v/a sails from the brooklyn docks at dawn. walking up the gangplank first is our lead cartographer, australias dj heure, carrying the blueprints for ra-ia tropical, ambient cut that grows into a swell of birdsongs and synthesizer swells. stoking the coals in the boiler room is hot coffee, a richmond based producer who fires up on the verge for his vinyl debut. the aggressive and furiously anthemic tune pushes the ep past rough seas and sails us safely through the night. as morning arrives on the b-side, ship captain m. vaughan throws a life-raft overboard with the chugging, yet delicate man to man. and with time running out for the motley crew, austrian navigator tilman sets his compass for the sunset, keeping morale soaring with a day to remember ia finale track brimming with beautiful rhodes work and tender spoken words.

growing bin burst into 2018 with a bang, crash and symbol splash, uniting a premier pair of per-cussion obsessives for a supernatural mission into the heart of the rhythm. dressed in the pitch black of du&#776,,sseldorf stands wolf mu&#776,,ller, master of the tropical drums and seven time salon des amateur breakdance champion. repping cologne and berlin is niklas wandt, germany’s funkiest drummer and a mixed musical artist as adept in experimental jazz as demen- ted euro dance. standing toe to toe in a no holds barred, no drum unstruck groove contest, these two titans will make you swing your pants like a crash bandicoot victory dance... so stretch out and step in to ‚instrumentalmusik von der mitte der world

were super excited to present the latest artist to join the dirt crew stable, french producer sekou babe. he ticked all the right boxes for us with this beautiful debut ep foresight prevents blindness which explores his fresh and vibey outlook on house with sideways glances to smokey jazz, breaks and garage. the a-side lines up three varied tunes. perspectives of the youth and soukoun step in quickly with lively breakbeat rhythms. the first boasting warm soul vocals and steady bass groove, the second a melancholic yet uplifting back and forth between vintage piano and warbling rhodes. treize zero zero trois is a deep and dreamy house jam. cinematic elements infused with punchy percussion and 80s sonic touches add up to good times all round. on the b, our good friend nachtbraker does what he does best, flipping treize zero zero trois bringing the deep, dubby amsterdam vibrations. his version is lush, textural and slightly fruity, with surging synths, tropical percussion and a stomping kick. sekou babe rounds things off with the extravagant crown collection, showing us yet another colour in his musical spectrum. its trip hop meets detroit where warped strings introduce shuffling drums before the track begins to build layering subtle arpeggios, smooth pads, crash hits and a buoyant melody. sekou babe would like to add that all tracks were written and produced by b.b. at 7e republique studio and says thanks to peter, ghizlene, mohammed and florian, you beautiful souls.

sonikku comes riding back into the lobster tropical gardens with a flurry of sparkling, arpeggiator-driven ambient jams featuring three extended reworks from nts regular mobbs.
sonikku’s originals apply a drier and skit-length pop approach to synth-based home listening. building a borderline-saccharine melodic base to each track then upping the sheen and the tropical & twinkling production. shots of balearic appear in earth temple, christmas jingles echo from the depths of diamond dust, while sky garden channels a more direct emotional palette of warm synthesizer heartbreak.
mobbs’ approach is to allow each track to breathe around it’s core strengths over a longer time frame, whilst enhancing and encouraging each element to make it’s space and time to enter the track. the shifts and swaying structures turn shorter synth ideas into fully blown journeys that become almost hypnotic by the end. a soft, dream-like ride into bliss.

slam city jams are back with their first compilation. a 4-tracker packed up with five amazing artists from all over the globe. and lets face it: its a breaky affair! starting off with our munich homeboys from coeo. known for their funked up house tunes on toy tonics, they start into complete new realms this time. ‚never going home‘ is the perfect example of a dope broken beat electro tune, that with its weird synth line & smooth breakdown never failed on a gig in the last months. on a2 the man doppelate from london (lets go swimming rec.) exactly hits the spot with mezmerizing synths, tight drum programming and a crunchy acid bassline on ‚four feet up the stairs‘. the flip side starts off with label head honchos rhode & brown, who teamed up with their buddy leo woelfel from austria, both known for releases on toy tonics, public possession or lets play house. here the name ‚more drama (less hysteria) says it all: pure drama on this breaky acid tune! to round up this great package weve got marco lazovic from moscow on b2. he digs deep ‚in the jungle with rolling 707 drums, dreamy synths and this tropical atmosphere we cant get enough of.

monologues vinyl-only series returns with another four juicy cuts. amsterdam s mischievous melon steps back into his je dàvu guise for a haunting, soul-infused workout on dream of cream , bristol boys lrusse & kraymon pull off a stunner on the colourful, intergalactic house of tropical clown , kerri chandler s madhouse records signings voyeur provide a heady, jazz-licked roller on orchid and monologues regular danvers slows the tempo for the chugging funk of ain t over . something for all the family.

naples original house master s-dm deliver the next ep on the cult of e-beamz. nu age tropical lo-fi house the way it should be done! on the flip a nice acid jam trak. tip!

new years deal - juju & jordash again on downbeat, 8 records after, celebrating the 10th release. this is the recording of the live act performance at a downbeat night on december, 2015. slow jams with tropical vibes progressing leisurely in both sides. not too many copies pressed!

polysom brazil 180 gram vinyl lp repress import, released in 1969.
heady heady work from the legendary gal costa – caught here right at her early best, smack dab in the middle of the tropicalia years! the album’s one of gal’s legendary collaborations with arranger rogerio duprat – and it’s very much in the spirit of her other incredible session from 1969, but also features some even heavier and more tripped out guitar – in a way that really pushes the psychedelic aspect of the work! the sound here is really amazing – very fuzzy and freaky at times, in ways that make the album one of the most rocking sets of the entire tropicalia scene, but in ways that still hang onto the quirky experimental qualities of work by os mutantes or caetano veloso. gal’s vocals really rip out amazingly at times – light years away from the sweet sound of the late 70s, and more in the frenetic, urgent style you’d expect from the politically-charged scene that spawned the set. caetano veloso and gilberto gil join gal on a great version of -pais tropical-, jards macale guest stars on the classic -empty boat- – and other tracks include -tuareg-, -meu nome e gal-, -pulsars e quasars-, and -cultura e civilizaco-. essential!

bordello a parigi has just returned from a fruitful expedition to russia to secure a four tracker from st petersburg synthesizer playboy kito jempere. super sax sounds is a rich and varied expression from an artist who has explored a spread of sounds during his career. the a-side is the product of one diverse machine, the yamaha qy-70. -bueller s dance- gets the show on the road with latin showband flare. the opener brims with cruising notes, crisp claps and smooth bass, a track guaranteed to put a smile on any face. moods change with the tear stained chords of -space commercial-, a superbly subtle work of joy and heartbreak. a colder wind permeates the flip as a cinematic and sinister element enters. toms and snares support the descending bars of -atmosphere-, a track where tropical dreams cloud into despair. those dreams are purged by -tomohawk-, a dark prowler who stalks with a maniacal glint and menacing intent. an audio feast care of kito jempere.

banoffee pies records land their 5th edition to their original series with bp005, another interesting curation hosting the likes of liem and eddie ness of the lehult imprint, along with unknown gem and latest label affiliate to bpr, acs - presenting an intriguing journey into the midst of space pulling from a tropical roller coaster a side into analog acid jams on the b. again, always, and forever, let the music do the talking. for the lovers and the dancers. banoffee x

reissue of this fascinating fusion album from haiti, recorded in 1983. tip! as the cover suggest this lp can be described as a meditative ramble along a tropical seafront. conceived with some of the most prominent hatian musicians (raoul denis jr, arius jospeh, oswald durand, jacques fatier) and his own brother joël, mushy widmaier s opus brings us to a deep spiritual wonderment where smooth jazz mingle with creole melancholy. note: remastered with phoenix mastering/comes with a insert in french english and japanese

first off, there s up and coming austrian producer demuja, who gives can you feel the love a super deep and funky treatment, brimmed with disco percussion, lush pads and a tight drum pattern. dimitri from paris & dj rocca pair up to deliver an erodiscotique dubstrumental of right now of the highest grandeur bouncy drums, detuned synth stabs, a tropical piano and thined out vocals while going crazy on the handclaps to full effect. nico lahs also takes on can you feel the love, building a classic sounding shuffling house beat around a cheeky string sample that really suits max voice, and really shimmers in the breaks. german combo volksfreude remix hard tons tessio with a full on dramatic house flavor, exploring max vocal in full around a plethora of soft synth strings and vivid acid sequences. v limited press with hand stamp label & sticker.

is it balearic? started the uber sublabel up a few years ago, but 2017 has undoubtedly been the strongest year so far for the imprint. following excellent stints from serene, wawawiwas and bonnie & klein, max manetti makes a debut appearance with a self-titled ep loaded with just the kind of slick, instrument-led island grooves we ve come to expect from the uber stamp. from the dense tropical trip of -jungle prayer- to the laconic guitar licks of -dub macumba-, the cyclical mysticism of -changuinola- on to -garrison- with its considered piano chops and stiff breaks, this is an ep of proficient musicianship and eclectic funk for all manner of situations.

reginald omas mamode iv has a terrific track record thus far. since delivering his debut 12inch back in 2013, hes barely put a foot wrong, with last years intimate friends released mini-album, all together, being a particular highlight. this debut full-length is every bit as impressive as youd expect, with the peckham producer relying a little less on dusty samples, and rather more on loose, live drums, rubbery bass guitar, dreamy rhodes keys, and other luscious instrumentation. as usual, the assembled tracks effortlessly join the dots between jazzy instrumental hip-hop, neo-soul, mauritian drum workouts, broken beat and humid, tropical-tinged grooves.

wonderwheel is happy to welcome in montreal based producer & don dada poirier for his first release on the label, the be alright ep. moving away from the traditional dancehall, dub and soca sounds he s become known for, poirier delivers a 4 track of afro-house influenced dancefloor firestarters. sowia heads to south east africa with it s floating guitar hooks, big bassline, and vocals in portugese from canadian-moçambican singer samito. ginobili goes into deeper territory with four to the floor drums, heavily chopped percussion, and a hypnotizing distorted mbira line, while camera continues the tropical vibe with a nod to semba with its driving guitar lines, staccato synth lines and thumping drums. antilles trax rounds it out as the extended instrumental version of sowia

berlin native arne spremberg kicks of own label domum !

the 3rd lp in the series air afrique records presents is a journey which leads more to club-tracks. it starts with an uprising afro-track performed by the camroun rapper the tale (a.k.a. zeegee) in pidgin english. the last track of the a side is a tribute to the fast techno-like style funana which is very popular on cabo verde islands. the b-side is going straight into tropical bass and ends with an pure simple straight foreward electro-tech track.

periodica records family member filippo colonna romano aka modula (naples, it) drops a weirdo, tropical, g’d up yamaha pss 780 fonk ep. riyl dam funk, prince b-sides, twisted dancers and cosmic oddities. first 10” format on firecracker for some time!

this release has 2 tracks from dawn again & rothmans. rothmans ant runs vinyl only rothmans label from liverpool and dawn again who has releases on wonder stories and porn wax as well as ant’s rothmans imprint.
nazare is a balearic house which has been left on the slo cooker all day. with a nagging baseline and lush pads a plenty. max essa takes us on a moody balearic tropical ride for his remix.
walpole is another slice of balearic house with a throbbing bassline and trips arms. this time the remix picks up the pace a little for a more dance floor, norwegian disco-esque groove from edsc’s very own neil diablo.

from dive bar to record label, paradise palms’ fifth release is a follow up instalment to its debut compilation lp, ‘bonnie tropical’. featuring music primarily made in edinburgh and glasgow, the collection shines a light on some of the most exciting music being in scotland today. with contributions from 10 acts, this compilation is a charismatic journey into a new generation of modern electronic and experimental dance music.
the vinyl release includes a download code.

having given us a taster of things to come back in september 2016, with the pressing matters single, the cyclist returns to hypercolour with a brand new, full length album. and as the title suggests, sapa inca delirium leans heavily on south american mysticism, not just musically, but in the visual imagery that the eleven-track album paints so well across its various tempos and rhythms. from the tropical burst of mood setting opener, go back to the steamy and pacey percussive flow of inhale/exhale which features regular collaborator tanaya harper on vocals, the cyclist’s fourth long player is crammed full of intriguing atmospheres and soundscapes. antiexist, with its down-tempo rolling snare fills and ethereal gregorian chanting segues effortlessly into a blind girl drinks ayawaska, a suitably discordant and hallucinogenic skit that ensures the album flows into the more rhythmic cuts like skateboarding in the jungle and mirrors (the second album cut to feature harper on vocals). even the traditional jazzier vibes of when we all break down featuring joni are kept rugged and boisterous, with heavyweight bending bass, choppy breakbeats and fx’d ambience amongst the smooth jazzy chords and sweet vocal delivery. sapa inca delirium is one of those albums that will reward on repeat listen, such is the diversity of style on show here, and the detailed and wide eyed curiosity offered up across the long players fifty three minutes.

the first ep from mouse on mars since their anniversary recording 21 again (2014) is clearly connected to their recent club gigs. in fact, synaptics sees the berlin duo embrace their love of juke, footwork and chopped up house music like never before. on its three tracks, andi toma and jan st. werner reinforce the collaborative idea of 21 again: eight different artists have been involved in the making of these tracks, which deliberately depart from a characteristic mouse on mars sound, creating a more organized vibe while still maintaining links to their previous work. there are two directions of research in andi and jan s sonic laboratory: one is focused on experimental club music, the other is in search of music without ties to specific genres. though heavily leaning towards the club, synaptics is caught in between. from the duo s perspective, it even touches pop territory. all three tracks came into existence during the past four years. opener „jack is out- with its pounding lazer stabs is an obvious link to their current club sets as well as a clue on future productions. after months of redesigning and rearranging, it found its final form through an edit by bon iver producer ryan olson aka arson only at his wisconsin studio, where andi and jan also recored for their next album. „bluescreen- was born out of a berlin session with jessy lanza and junior boys and was completed some year later with support from modeselektor. and the tropical funk of „sensitive person-, based on a studio jam with sepalcure, also needed some aging and refinement after a couple of months.

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.

canada’s fastest moving and hardest working collective are back with one of their finest albums to date, a brand new journey into tropical, soul and jazz styles on their scorching new release, “under burning skies”. turbulent times call for strong voices and the souljazz orchestra’s new set packs a suitably heavy lyrical punch, with wry observations and an urge for progressive change. musically, the band continue to push the limits, dusting off 80s vintage synthesizers and early drum machines for the first time, bringing lo fi disco, boogie and electro touches to their trademark horn arrangements and earthy analogue sound. the fruits are a-plenty and the group sound at their confident and versatile best from start to finish. opener “dog eat dog” powers in with mabinuori idowu and philippe lafreniÞre lambasting the powerful and the corrupt over an infectious afro-disco groove, “lufunki” takes the group right back to their b-boy roots, bringing the afro vibes to beat street and “is yeelyel” delivers a killer rework of an obscure original by somalian super-group dur-dur band.

once again bringing the heat hotmood drops -vol. 5 of his series on star creature a year after the debut came out on tugboat edits. bouncin between playa de carmen and guadalajara, the tropical climate comes thru on these 4 tracks with his signature style of beatdown funk and jazz.

decks tipp!!
jexy brings you two radically new versions of -first stomp,- the voodoo-chanting-mutant-disco smasher from his new lp -ravines.- crafted with care by the man himself, the a-side features the nyc mix--a deep n dubby latin house-influenced builder. on the flip, jex ups the tempo, the vocal quotient and the 707 snap for a tropical disco singalong.

fourth chapter of the italian label dancing like quagmire. dlq s ever growing family welcomes polish newcomer primo ultimo and italian duo calma (sorry for this records owners and harmonized residents) as remixers. fasten your seatbelts and you ll fly away into a cosmic journey through space and time riding primo ultimo s flight simulator. flight safety instructions: a1 is the title-track born to be an helpful party banger with its uzi-like snares and overwhelming synths. in a2 again the flight simulator but slow down time, thanks to calma s analog arsenal the sound gets deeper and warmer. on the flip side the b1 is azure vibes a clapping tropical house jam with breakbeat reminiscences. the final destination of this trip is the b2 bilbao where equilibrium and melody are king and queen remembering that joy is an electronic thing.

after a killer 12 inches from mori ra, jongno edits is back with two tunes, blurring the lines between editing and sampling. the a-side, 42 below, is an uplifting korean fusion boogie with slap bass, tropical synths, summery guitar and female vocals. given a serious dub work out by monsieur jongno. effortlessly working the bassline and guitar with added muscle, subtle dub fx s, drum fills, teasing the vocal and synths before unleashing the chorus and guitar solos. nice brazilian vibes on this one, like a lincoln olivetti production, seoul went rio. on the flip side, drums and a bass is an obscure lp cut from a korean percussion ensemble with traditional korean folk elements, tribal drums and chanting, spikey avant garde guitar plucks, rolling punk funk bassline that builds the energy levels with jazz style vocals and horns. sounding very liquid liquid, a bit can, a bit pig bag, with some korean craziness. expertly extended and re-arranged by the jongno edits main man to give it more of a dancefloor edge, and ramping up the psychedelics. powerful stuff.

hot on the heels of mays ambivert tools volume one lone aka matt cutler delivers the second instalment of breezy atmospheric house, stacked with floor ready trax, inspired by his red hot magic wire imprint. first up is the tropical percussion and telescoping arpeggios of a minds eye melody, displaying cutlers talent for a nagging melody it comes on like tangerine dream remixed by 808 state pulsating drums, hymnal chords and gooey sub bass. looking glass calls to mind a mood ii swing dub - truncated stabs and jacking rhythms overlaid with shimmering resampled piano chords that give way to a slashing fm riff that contrasts sweetly. in the b2 slot cutler unfurls a hushed, 6 minute balearic reprise of the a minds eye melody, heartstopping emulator ii chords and harp glissandi wash over a wistful flute figure pedal to sweetly memorable effect. ambivert tools finds cutler a true master, at the top of his game - taking all he’s learned over his many years of beat exploration and condensing it down into rugged house stacked full of nagging melody / harmony that feels fresh and vital to 21st dance floors.

it’s been a hot minute since the tropical sounds of mo kolours have graced the airwaves, so it’s with great pleasure that we see him return to 22a via a choice selection of cuts presented on a limited 7” vinyl, with original artwork designed by the man himself!
this release is limited to 300 copies so don’t sleep!

while red axes s ode to the sun is still running strong one and a half years after its release (it even made it into last year s top 50 at resident advisor), here comes the heavyweight remix package: german wunderkind konstantin sibold is hitchhiking the original into afro rave territories with vodoo percussions and a hauting bassline that will be hard to escape from. fango from the italian degustibis family continues his string of strong remixes as he turns the original into a rough beat version just to drop the melody in the break for maximum dancefloor mayhem. and last but not least the axes themselves come up with a tropical house version that works any time any place. and thus the sun continues to shine.

same speed sambas are back to celebrate the sound of the summer in 2017 in their very own unique way. following on from last year s now hugely sought after debut, they have dug even deeper, searching out for more obscure uses of brasilian rhythms and coming up with two dance floor delights â&#128,&#147, one from denmark and another from right here in the uk â&#128,&#147, giving them once again, that unique same speed re-touch. samba operator takes a rare live recording of one of the uk s finest soul acts of the 80s biggest hits and re-works it into a mostrous tropical club anthem, while numero dois goes down the samba-not-samba route taking a danish 70s girl band and giving them some very warm disco treatment. the result is something very contemporary sounding that ll fire up the dance every time. all same speed releases are limited, hand-stamped vinyl-only affairs, but also be on the look out for the occasional re-work of more contemporary artists, available for free download as a little treat, to pimp up your dj sets this summer.

good news! music lovers, soul searchers, and record diggers! los charly s orchestra are back!!! this time celebrating their 10th anniversary and featuring the tropical soul legend: omar, for their latest extravaganza of caribbean infused disco/boogie. lco has left an important landmark on the global soulful disco - jazz funk landscape since the very beginning, and their tireless production machine still continues today to deliver some of the most epic groovers, such as: -all around the world, everlasting love & sunshine-, in between many others. juan laya & jorge montiel (the two men behind this project), continue on their endless effort for producing enduring music by delivering their latest ep which contains an lco s re-make treatment of omar s classic: -it s so- plus a brand new boogie-reggaeish fusion track entitled: -history-, both tracks with their correspondent instrumentals for the delight of the vinyl junkie, and groove music aficionado.

ocean parkway, the new sublabel from brooklyn s names you can trust, continues into the deep with a future dance sureshot! prince of queens aka felipe quiroz normally lends his talented musicianship on keys and bass to the live ensembles of combo chimbita and maku soundsystem, but behind the closed doors of his bunker studio a new sector of blissfully solo, machine-made electronic rhythms are steadily bubbling to the surface. call it techno as imagined by a tropicalista, as the vintage analog tones of classic house are twisted by a kaleidoscope of influences both caribbean and chicagoan. from the wavy beachside vibes of the ep s opening number, to the deep, evolving arrangements of the scene over and the end scene, on to the jazz-chord-fueled robotic timbale rhythms of thank you friends, and finally forward to the future-tropical polyrhythmic sequencing of winter islander, it s an impressive range of style and skills on display from this talented and up and coming producer

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.

third stream is the new project developed by alex font and it is dedicated specially for the real diggers. this record hardly has any promotion in order to preserve the music to those who invest buying the music and dig deeply. no promo pools, no soundcloud, no facebook fan page or shit like that. we could call this a true only vinyl record with just 150 copies.

danish composer the swan and the lake is at it again with his trademark widescreen soundscapes wrapped around eight new tracks of exquisite scandinavian balearica. with the release of his first album -moments- last year on copenhagen’s music for dreams, we were introduced to a unique artistic vision. with one foot in the ambient chill out spectrum and the other in everything from classical avantgarde, idm and jazz, the music of emil svane breum under his alias the swan and the lake is both very accessible yet complex. on his new album -clouds- we see him expand on those same ideas and with seemingly simple means achieve extraordinary strong emotions. opening side a, the jazzy intro of -fresh food- leads us into a sublime piece of hazy ambient groover that could easily be mistaken for a lost 80s production from japan. -clouds over Østerbro- keeps things playfully cool and adds elements of scat singing and xylophones, layered over breum’s shimmering bright chords. while the title suggests we are still on danish soil, this feels like a five minute vacation to a tropical paradise. guitarist johan liepstack makes a guest appearance on -summer in december- which comes off as an understated anthem that could break out into euphoria at any second, but manages to stay in a sombre state all the way through. on the track -plastic pacific ocean remake- we are visited once more by airy vangelis-like vocals which assume the role of a nurturing angel, guiding us to a comforting state of relaxation and healing, as breum lays down an overwhelmingly beautiful synth serenade with chords that hit you right at the core of your most vulnerable state. flip over for the mallorca inspired track -port d andratx- which comes in two versions - part 1 (sun) shines like a perfect escape into that cafe del mar/ hostal la torre sunset while the more deep and melancholic part 2 is aptly named rain. the gentle trickling of -waterfalls- sees breum mimic the eternal cycle of water, creating an organic and ethereal composition that stretches out seemingly without beginning or end. and finally on -heaven’s voice- we see breum in his most epic and emotional mood, as he steers us through a slow explosive force of cinematic sounds. it all ends with a heartfelt spoken word contribution by guest vocalist neonbi.

kampana s debut release was a global hit across the house, disco and tropical scene, with support from heavyweights such as francois k, soul clap and gilles peterson. the label is back just in time for summer with three more doses of peak time fire from aroop roy, who has gained a fine reputation for the quality and widespread appeal of his releases. you say is a funk-fuelled number with gritty retro vocals and guitar, driven by a warm disco groove and 80s arp-synth. the feel-good vibes gradually build into an anthemic floor-filling climax. taj mahal reworks a brazilian classic into a full on house workout, reminiscent of roys popular series on gamm. mapora is an original number that will blend well into both deep house and afro-centric sets. the track builds nicely with filtered samples and syncopated vocals, coming in with an infectious highlife guitar line and late night synth stabs, to get mind and body moving.

the cosmic pint glass keg series continues its secret vinyl only 10&#8243,,,,, addition, pressed to 200 copies. this time daniel t supplies the dancefloor fun times by adding some tropical funk to maricopa s ascent and turning it into some mutant disco party jam. on the flip miskotom adds a hefty dollop of atmosphere to the already atmospheric volcanic glass to provide a stunningly laid back finish. get these while they re hot!

first ever reissue of “rito esclavo”, pedro laza’s eighth album as leader of los pelayeros, originally released on discos fuentes to great success in 1961. . this early fuentes classic lp is distinguished by high quality engineering that holds up brilliantly more than half a century later, with bright and deceptively intricate interlocking brass featuring a distinctive reed section, rolling tropical percussion and a wide variety of caribbean rhythms from both colombia (cumbia, porro, paseaíto, fandango) and cuba (cha-cha-chá, mambo).

dutch psych-rock artiste jacco gardner, and production partner in crime, the percussive culprit behind many a twisted tropical beat, nic mauskovic, have teamed up for a devilish ep of cinematic, balearic disco for their debut ep as bruxas. wielding a love for the wild and exotic, más profundo is a record influenced by the black arts, the sun, and the love of making nostalgic, summertime music.

following the astounding success of their first release with chaos in the cbd, yam recordings return with the first installment of their you and music compilation series. this 5-track release features leonidas, msss, sofatalk, tom esselle and z lovecraft. compiled by shop owners theo & tom and born of relationships forged at yam records on rye lane, it represents both local and international talent that they ve had the pleasure of crossing paths with over the past 3 years. tom esselle s le&#770,,let kicks things off with a traditional guadeloupean folk song re-worked for the club. driven by tropical percussion and a hefty bass line, the call-and-response vocal elevates the track. msss follows with this is a modern drugs party. this track chugs along, interlaced with african and far eastern influences, while tuned percussion adds a hypnotic element. modern drugs party indeed. on the flip, italian maestro sofatalk offers up truth theme, an afro broken-beat masterpiece prime for the summer. polyrhythmic percussion, twisted horn samples and vibe solos carry the release from the nightclub to the beach. leonidas takes things back to the floor on shesha dub). this analogue hardware session delivers crisp hats, acid bass lines and synth stabs aplenty. the syncopated rhythms drive the track through five-and-a-half minutes of pure groove. finally, z lovecraft closes the compilation with oceanic a live jam recorded in one take. this track invokes memories of video games, beach life and sun-kissed afternoons, transporting the listener to an audio oasis via a digital ocean.

physical therapy assembles a flurry of kicks and thick breaks around deep subs and tender harmonies. lush moments are balanced with saturated rhythms, pushing the momentum in each tune. spoken words skip over dubbed out synths on more sugar, always a euphoric treat on the dance floor! on the b-side, pt flexes for the verdant tropical techno of string thing. play at 45 for the desensitized mix or slow things down to 33 for a balearic sensitized mix. both mixes available direct from the sounds of beaubien ouest bandcamp.

geniales, zweites album des westlondoner indie-pop-trios theme park nach ihrem debüt 2013 auf trangressive. luftige, psychedelische pop-melodien korrespondieren mit tropical-grooves, disco-vibes und launischem 80’er pop, mit elastischen bässen, schillernden gitarren und reichhaltigen synths, was die britische presse jubeln lässt. im herbst touren theme park ihr neues album auch hierzulande.

another solid selection of cuts, overlooked gems and classics from the deepest recesses of the kms vaults. the legendary label should require no intro, but for the uninitiated it s one of the og detroit imprints, operating since the late 80s well into the future under the watchful eyes of kevin master reese saunderson. the idea behind the kms -origins- series is to shine a light on the lesser known cuts in the kms vaults as well as the classics that have given the label its legendary status during its lifetime.