hard. harder. hardstyle. -hardstyle the ultimate collection- has been for many years the compilation which by fans is considered as a blueprint for the genre. for at least three times a year the hottest releases at the moment together on two mixed discs. -hardstyle the ultimate collection volume 2 2012- is therefore no exception. all artists and tracks that matter can be found on this with carefully selected double album. the ultimate collection series is as an institution and a lot more than just hardstyle. this is hard with style!

bong-ras new album monolith is a new step in pure hybrid electronics. seamlessly mixing all styles with ease. be it metal, drum and bass, hip hop and dubstep. a musical characteristic he has gained international praise for. monolith is divided up into two segments: alpha and omega. alpha are four hiphop-esque colossals featuring the american rapper sole, who has proven himself over the years with his crew and label anticon. omega is the dancefloor orientated part of the album where bong-ra continues with his trademark metalbreaks style which made him remix the likes of bolt thrower and even screamo legends therapy? since 1996 bong-ra has released 5 full length albums, and has released on labels such as djax. planet mu, ad noiseam, kid 606s tigerbeat 6, jason forrests cock rock disco to name a few. the biggest success came with the 2003 album bikini bandits, kill! kill! kill! managing a full rotation with the videoclip 666mph on mtv. bbcs radio 1 dj, john peel, was also a big fan, inviting bong-ra to do a famous john peel session in 2001, and was asked to be part of the peel tribute cd kats karavan containing peels 125 favourite session artists. this cd contained the likes of bob marley, boomtown rats, the jam, pj harvey and bong-ra amongst others. in the last decade bong-ra has played all the big festivals: glastonbury, lowlands, fusion, dour, eurosonic, etc and has toured europe, the us and japan. bong-ra is further known for being one of the pioneers of the breakcore genre. together with artists like venetian snares, shitmat and jason forrest they developed this unique and energetic crossbreed in the early 2000s. with monolith bong-ra continues to pave the way into heavy electronics, always re-inventing and evolving himself with every album. he recently won the dutch 3voor12 award (the largest dutch music platform) for best musician, for his bong-ra and the kilimanjaro darkjazz ensemble projects.

for a short period in 1981 and with brand-new equipment such as roland 808, sh 101, gr 500, we made some 8-track just for fun jam tapes. mainly just to experiment for our own pleasure. from those sessions, only white horse made it to a final treatment. the rest of the material was left behind, as our record company at the time found it too different. after white horse being a track indeed defining our sound, we thought it would be interesting to dig out left-overs to fulfill a documentation of that period - crucial for us at the time. we were still innocent newcomers, without actually knowing to be creating a new sound! recently, that left-over material was transferred from analogue to digital and, to stay as true as possible to original intentions, we only added vocals, bass and drumbeats ahead of a final mix. we hope that you will enjoy listening to it. good vibes from laid back copenhagen 2012.

2 x cd in gatefold sleeve for those who want to know the background, it is something like this. i bought an italian drawbar organ module around two years ago. apparently italian organs from that period had a bad reputation but i was so happy with it that it appeared on most of the tracks i had been working on. i thought i had an album together and was supposed to get it mastered on the day after the mastering session for the pinch and shackleton release on honest jons (sometime towards the end of summer 2011)

after collaborating on exclusive tracks for the labels lovingly-acidic forward to the past series, dutch duo tj kong & modular k prepare to drop their debut full-length, dream cargoes on poker flat. having been friends and colleagues in the dutch electronic scene for well over a decade, the talented pair have so much experience in working on different studio projects, and now come together in this glorious full-length exploration of their vision of house and techno today. the artists erwin van moll (tj kong) and gijs janssen (modular k) represent two decades of collected experience in the underground techno and electronic music worlds.

the greatest female soul singers of all time! incl. aretha franklin, tina turner, nina simone..

for serious music fans, sxsw in austin is close to heaven on earth. non-stop music of all sorts, plenty of beer & bbq, and for those of us in colder climates, a chance to enjoy some mild weather before spring is fully underway. this year, as a part of our celebration of 27 years of !k7 well be kicking the festivities off with dj sets from two of the recent stars of dj-kicks, photek & apparat.the party will be free and wont require a badge, so come one come all. in addition to the headliners, we also have a several special guests lined up, including artists who appear on photeks mix. were looking forward to starting the week of music off on the right foot with all our friends, and hope to see you there!

big 3s three-disc set buddy holly & the rock n roll giants devotes two of its discs to buddy s classic recordings and gives the last disc over to the rock n roll giants - a collection of sides from the likes of fats domino, elvis presley, jerry lee lewis, gene vincent, little richard, carl perkins, eddie cochran, bill haley, roy orbison, and the everly brothers that also finds space for bobby charles, johnny burnette, big joe turner, lloyd price, the robins, and tommy scott, among others. not every song selection here is spot-on, either for buddy or for the giants...

cementing a year that saw a string of sublime stellar releases from mario & vidis, the dynamic force give house music a new accessible heartbeat with their album changed, set for release next spring. mario & vidis title their debut artist album after their future classic anthem, changed,an apt advocate to the new age slow house sound they have mastered and unmask themselves as purveyors of a hive of activity in their lithuanian home. spanning two discs and twenty tracks they cover much musical terrain, striding through epic soundscapes, hypnotic pop melodies, wandering into pure soul and running away with the finesse of raw house music on the second disc.changed opens with the atmosphere heavy introducing to you, lightly tickling the senses.

the mortimer trap is an epic 77min variation of morton feldmans for bunita marcus constructed by german experimentalist and techno icon thomas brinkmann and australian sound artist oren ambarchi. pulsating waves of claustrophobic ambience generated from who-knows-what patiently builds into a throbbing rhythmic pulse of gorgeous sonic density. since the 80s thomas brinkmann has experimented with sound, its textures and its construction methods. his custom built two-arm turntable on concept 1, the sampling of damaged records on klick and various experiments with carved-groove vinyl are just a handful of career highlights that mark brinkmann out as a true musical pioneer. oren ambarchi, primarily known for his solo guitar records for the touch label, has worked with a diverse array of artists such as keiji haino, fennesz, phill niblock, jim o rourke, voice crack, keith rowe and sunn 0))). ambarchi and brinkmann first worked together in in japan in january 2011 in a trio with mika vainio. the mortimer trap is their first collaborative work as a duo.

liquid v club sessions first exploded onto the scene back in 2005 to huge critical acclaim. featuring tracks from the scenes biggest producers such as roni size, fresh, calibre, d-bridge it was a landmark project which launched the liquid v vision to the world. with three volumes to date, two compiled by bryan gee and one by vs very own artificial intelligence the standard has beenset high!

ministry of sound present the ultimate guide to the biggest festival anthems rocking summer festivals, including examples single -ctwykm- and -louder- by dj fresh. mainstage acts such as dizzee rascal, pendulum, prodigy and calvin harris are present on the opening cd, with an eclectic mix of bass bombs from the likes of vato gonzalez, toddla t, james blake, sub focus and more on cd two. the third disc is an epic collection of big room bangers including alex gaudino & kelly rowland s smash hit -what a feeling-, david guetta, deadmau5, afrojack, laidback luke and other a list djs.

every summer, a migration takes place that puts mecca to shame. a small island, just of the coast of spain, is the destination of a frenzied crowd of party pilgrims from all over the world. the balearic sounds of ibiza have set the tone for the worldwide dance community for decades and its sizzling club-scene knows no equal. this popular party island isn t just the breeding ground for global summer hits, it also sets the trends for the european clubbin season. after a soothing warm up with one of the warmest springs in recorded history, it s time for the big league. big & dirty house sounds ibiza 2011 is the perfect soundtrack for the hottest season of the year. get yourself a hammock, a tropical cocktail and close your eyes and imagine the perfect ibiza beach club. sun, sea, beaches, blue skies and more images of summer will pass you by while listening to this joyful double album, expertly mixed by mell tierra & essential grooves, two of holland s fastest rising stars in house.

ibiza rocks 2011 liefert uns auf zwei cds die indie und dance hits des jahres inklusive songs von adele, jamie t, simian mobile disco, darwin deez und und und! zusammengestellt und gemixt von den ibiza rocks resident djs nicola bear und doorly gibt es 35 tracks und remixversionen von miles kane, example, toddla t & shola ama, beardyman, africa hitech u.v.a.!

ibiza clubbing institution amnesia celebrates 21 years of ibiza anthems. amnesia is arguably the quintessential ibiza clubbing experience and one of the main sources of inspiration for why dance music culture has thrived around the world. two massive rooms, one a dark cavernous cauldron and the other an expansive arena that is flooded with light when the sun rises, are guarded by the notorious amnesia ice cannons that could strike the crowd at anytime. regularly voted the best global club at various awards ceremonies worldwide, amnesia is quite rightly considered amongst the best clubbing spaces around hosting the world s leading djs and brands across multiple genres. amnesia is currently home to legendary ibiza club nights such as cream and cocoon and its own infamous espuma (foam) party nights. from open air clubbing in the 1980s with dj alfredo s ecletic mix of house, disco and pop, sparking dance music s explosion in the uk, through to a lead roll in the massive harry enfield movie kevin & perry go large, amnesia is part of clubland history and is a name that resonates with dance music fans across the uk and beyond. spread across a 4 cd set, each cd charts a chunk of amnesia history: cd1 covers 2006-2011 with artists such as swedish house mafia, deadmau5, axwell, above & beyond and ti‘sto, cd2 curates 2001-2005 featuring big names like david guetta, bob sinclar, cassius and the egg, cd3 looks at 1996-2000 with moloko, ultra nate, nalin & kane, three drives and more, and finally cd4 closes with 1990-1995 taking in anthems from robin s, real 2 reel, orbital, bucketheads and sven vath.

justice, the french duo formed by gaspard auge and xavier de rosnay, is the band of a whole generation. when the two friends were still bright students in graphic design, in 2003 they made justice a place to experiment a hybrid genre between music and image, which blends pop and electronic borders, and showcases the talents of 2 fascinating passionate pop culture craftsmen, bored with hierarchy. they met pedro winter who had just founded his label ed banger records, he immediately signs them after listening to >we are your friends< which, with its joyful and vitamin-enriched electro beats combined with exhilarating voices, became the hymn of a whole generation and one of the most important tracks of the year 2000, celebrating a reconciliation of pop music and the dancefloor.

hed kandis world series returns, visiting one of the mediterraneans most vibrant nightlife, fashion and clubbing scenes in the world. hed kandi headline djs, greg myers and sam cannon take you on a musical discovery across two mixed cds, selecting tracks that define the true party atmosphere from the catalonian dancefloor, bringing you the pure sound of one of the most iconic dance capitals of the world. from the city made famous by gaudi, dali, miro and picasso, this release brings you some of the hottest, upfront and cutting edge hits from a-list producers and modern day artists such as dj chus, david penn, copyright, jamie jones, lee foss, waifs & strays, jimpster, stefano noferini to name but a few. as is the case with the world series titles, this release is accompanied with a handy pull-out guide on hed kandiÕs recommended places to visit, eat, sleep and party in barcelona.

in 2009 the flamingo records crew compilation captured the white isle s club-juice in ibiza and 12 months later set their sights on the big apple for a new york chapter. now, with the city s musical mercury at sky-high levels, they ve returned flamingo nights to their home streets for the amsterdam edition. this year flamingo honchos funkerman and fedde le grand have ceded the mix controls to label lieutenants nicky romero and deniz koyu - two of central europe s fastest on-the-rise spin-masters.

status quo are set to release their new studio album at the end of may, which will also featuring an exclusive official bootleg life albuum recording in amsterdam & melbourne in 2010.

he is one of the hardcore scenes biggest icons for almost twenty years. after five albums, neophyte returned to his favorite chamber to produce his first album in more than five years. a unique album: for the first time in hardcore history, an album will be released in two different parts. on monday january 16th, neophyte will present the first chapter of rechtoe rechtaan s successor: mainiak . jeroen streundings formation dropped its first ep in 1993 on rotterdam records: they released tons of tracks on the legendary label. next to these activities, neophyte came up with several aliases like bodylotion, hard creation and masters of ceremony to produce on terror traxx and forze records. in 1999 neophyte founded his own label neophyte records, which is considered to be one of the leading labels in hardcore for more than twelve years. neophyte developed himself as one of the best producers of the hardcore scene and helped new artists like evil activities and tha playah to get to the top of the hardcore olympus as well. mainiak proves why neophyte is hailed as a true leader of the hardcore scene. the first chapter of the album is packed with an arsenal of brand new material: besides a lot of solo tracks, neophyte has also collaborated with a selection of other artists such as neophyte records colleagues tha playah & the viper. mainiak s tracks have been edited for the album to keep it flowing in the best way for the listeners pleasure. the dj s and his diehard fans won t have to mourn: the album s tracks will also be available for download in full length.

moving on from the last release this compilation captures stars of the underground in their transition to superstar status. this is grime vol ii features all the legends of the grime scene, including wiley, skepta, kano, dizzee rascal and lethal bizzle alongside some of the other superstars who passed through the scene such as katy b, n-dubz, chipmunk, wretch 32, devlin and tinie tempah, without forgetting the new breed of talent such as p money, tre mission and scrufizzer. disc one features current grime anthems while disc two takes you back through the history of grime. this one is a must for all grime listeners past and present.

for toro y mois chaz bundick, 2011 has seen the release of his acclaimed sophomore album, underneath the pine, remix work for tyler, the creator, a split 7 inch with cloud nothings, and a steady stream of international tour dates. just over halfway through whats already been a busy year, the prolific producer has a brand new batch of lavishly funky material to offer. bundicks latest is no sloppily assembled bunch of pine session throwaways. the freaking out ep was put to tape in june during a period of touring quiescence. the release finds bundick reveling in twenty minutes of boogie, roping in the heavy sounds of groups like the gap band and mtume. while the first two tracks are modern takes on the 80s post-disco vibe, -sweet- sounds like the product of a todd edwards and teddy riley collaboration, with smooth synths weaving in and out of meticulously chopped and arranged vocal samples. the new jack influence spills over into the cover of cherrelle and alexander oneills -saturday love-, in which a swingbeat carries along fluttering piano lines steeped in delay. the eps crown jewel, -i can get love-, sees bundick assimilating styles of each of his to-date releases, with the synthesized funk of causers of this, the irresistible hooks of pine, and dance alias les sins penchant for filter effects and house beats. full of energy and crafted with a conciseness that begs repeated listens, freaking out is toro y mois most concentrated venture into pure dance floor hedonism.

el rego is a true legend of african soul music. here for the first time on album are 12 of his greatest recordings from the late 60s and early 70s hand-picked by daptone records. afro-soul collector/ dj frank gossner had spent years combing west africa tracking down 45s by theophile do rego (aka el rego) before finally meeting him face to face in his home in benin. from that relationship came this album, which we present to you here in a 20 page hardcover bookcase cd featuring el regos own story of his life and music along with pictures from his personal collection and artwork from his original 45s. the music has been remastered with great care, and the vinyl contains an exclusive bonus 45 (while supplies last) of se na min, one of his most sought after afro-funk tracks, backed with e ma non tin me, a beautiful and somewhat more traditional song about two blind men who agree to go together and leap to their deaths into a river.

a genuinely triumphant arrival, the album features ten stunning tracks including forthcoming single amber hands, that reel from glorious carnival-esque euphoria to a sound that occasionally flirts at melancholy and utter despair. again into eyes was recorded in london with producers ken and jolyon thomas, whose credits include sigur ros, m83, david bowie and psychic tv. the album standouts include faith unfolds, summon the sound, which featured on mute s recent exclusive record store day vinyl release vorwarts and the utopian, future-disco monolith that is whitechapel. indeed, the bands individual listening habits in psychedelia, space-rock, avant-garde and ambient soundtracks collide to form a pop trip that neatly balances the innovative with the rapturously danceable to great effect. based in london, s.c.u.m exploded onto the music scene two years ago with the release of their debut single visions arise. the single, together with their exciting and intense live shows, quickly grabbed the imagination of fans and critics alike. since then they have toured extensively across the uk and europe to a growing fanbase.

this collection documents the two-decades-plus recording career of r&b icon luther vandross. even before he started putting out records under his own name, he was a first-call session singer (hes the one who created and sang the chorus hook on david bowies -young americans,- for just one example). throughout the 80s and the 90s, he was (both commercially and aesthetically) one of the most consistently successful r&b singer/songwriter/producers. this healthy two-disc selection of highlights from the impressive vandross catalogue moves deftly from heartfelt ballads (-a house is not a home-) to percolating, poppy numbers (-never too much-), spotlighting the mans mellifluous voice and tasteful phrasing at each turn. this is quite clearly the definitive career summary for this deeply influential r&b titan.

for the first time in 30 years throbbing gristle are now back on their own original industrial records label. to mark the occasion we are pleased to announce the rerelease of tgs first five albums on vinyl & cd. each album has been restored and remastered specifically for each format by chris carter from 24bit baked tape digital transfers of the original first generation analogue master tapes. each of the cd special-editions are presented in a gatefold sleeve featuring restored and remastered cover artworks and an integrated 8-page booklet (the booklets feature different artworks and content to the vinyl editions). while the cd releases feature the same track count and running order as the vinyl editions each cd special-edition also includes an exclusive bonus cd containing content from the year of the albums original release. this additional content includes tg live tracks and remastered singles. the greatest hits cd special-edition also includes two previously unreleased throbbing gristle mixes from the 1980s.

demissions is the album every in-the-know electronica fan has been anxiously awaiting for the last ten years. phoenecia, the duo who put experimental electronic music on the map in the us with their soul oddity releases, their infamous schematic label, their early releases on warp and their brilliant albums brownout & echelon mall, are back with new album destined to be as ageless & influential as any of their previous contributions. what strikes the listener at first is how seamlessly the songs throughout the album integrate acoustic percussion with electronics, most notably on the twelve-minute epic first track two-part invention for bodhran & computer.

nach digitalism & phoenix praesentiert das heissegehandelte, brasilianische dj-duo the twelves mit der neuen folge der mixserie -kitsune tabloid- einen definitiven anwaerter fuer das mixalbum des jahres! beruechtigt fuer ihre remixes, u.a. fuer m.i.a., la roux, aber auch fuer nirvana(!) und die beatles(!), liefert das dj / produzenten-duo the twelves aus rio de janeiro ein erstklassiges mixalbum auf dem pariser label kitsune ab. das tracklisting ist eine grandiose selektion aktueller trendsetter von siriusmo ueber juan maclean und daniel wang bis zongamin, dem aber ein feuerwerk an bislang unveroeffentlichten, exklusiven the twelves dubs ihrer juengsten remixes fuer solch angesagte hochkaraeter wie munk, metric, two door cinema club, french horn rebellion oder black strobe vorangeht. ob nu-disco, retro-house oder der ganze rest, the twelves bringen den funk zurueck auf den dancefloor! the twelves -kitsune tabloid- hat das zeug zum mixalbum des jahres!

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.

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.

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.

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.

nikki beach mixed by atfc is the second in a series of album collaborations between the worlds leading independent house music label and one of the most exclusive and surprising clubs on the planet. compiled from breathtakingly up-front material, atfc pulls in brand new cuts and remixes from ben westbeech, noir, osunlade, green velvet and ame as well as dropping two of his own tracks yet to see the light of day.

loud follows-up rated r (november 2009) and its sequel rated r: remixed (may 2010). previously, the double-platinum good girl gone bad (may 2007) contained the grammy-winning global 1 hit -umbrella- (featuring jay-z), then -shut up and drive,- -hate that i love you- (featuring ne-yo), and -don t stop the music.- the cd+dvd package good girl gone bad: reloaded (january 2009) continued the hits with the 1 -take a bow,- the 1 -disturbia- and top 20 -rehab.- good girl gone bad was the third album release in less than two years by barbados native rihanna, who turned 22 on february 20th. it followed-up 2006 s riaa platinum a girl like me, which contained the back-to-back hits, -s.o.s.- and -unfaithful-: and her riaa gold debut from 2005, music of the sun, featuring the world-wide smash, -pon de replay-.

mindtrick records proudly presents the new album by hollands favourite hardcore artist charly linch. after two previous releases on the label he is now ready to drop his full length. on filthy pleasures charly linch combines the fierce sound of uk-hardcore with the harder elements of drum n bass and gives it his truly unique spin. he doesnt shy away from using old-school rave samples and ridiculously filtered gabba-kicks, without it becoming comical or cliched. on this album he found the perfect balance between creating an album that is banging on the dance floor, yet intriguing enough to be listened to in the comfort of your own home. this releases offers a wide range of genres for those seeking out where harder music is going, ..it could do with some more cowbell!

its a love story: stil vor talent have long been mad about niconŽ and sascha braemer so that the recent past has seen some very memorable releases by the two producers. now its about time they join forces to release a whole album together. while sascha braemer only recently caused waves with his Ÿber-track people, nicone is a long-established pillar of top-class electronic music.

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.

katalyst is sydney-based producer ashley anderson, one of australias most prolific producers. over the past two decades katalyst has risen to the top of the australian hip hop and electronica scenes, receiving multiple aria and j award nominations along the way. his reputation as one of australias best producers has seen him collaborate with the likes of geoff barrow of portishead, aloe blacc, dead prez, guilty simpson, phat kat, j-live, finale, frank n dank, diverse, ugly duckling and steve spacek (who together form space invadas). the latest product of his audiophiliac obsession, deep impressions? deconstructs and distils soul, hip hop, funk, jazz, reggae and electro influences into what is perhaps most accurately described as -the katalyst sound-. it is a reflection of the large variety tunes that influence katalysts own musical direction. the album also includes collaborations with the likes of los angeles hip-hop artist bootie brown (of the pharcyde), sydneys own kweeng (killaqueenz), underground legend mr clean, upcoming north carolina mc coin locker kid, stephanie mckay (usa), steve spacek (uk), hau (koolism), and jane doe (formally jade macrae).

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-.

paul rose, aka scuba, the mastermind behind the incredibly well curated hotflush label, has been enlisted to create his own dj-kicks mix. featuring a healthy helping of exclusives from his camp including new music from addison groove & boddika, the mix treads the line between the uk bass music scene in which scuba came up, and the techno sounds dominant in his current home of berlin, creating a new sound in the process.

2011 collection featuring cuts from shuggie otis, sly & the family stone and aretha franklin.. the old grey whistle test has now been synonymous with quality music for 40 years. although possibly best know as a show for rock music, the show maintained an amazing variety when it came to choosing its artists, it really only had two criteria, 1, that the artists had released an album and 2 that they produced great music. this collection mostly features artists that appeared on the show but also include artists who for whatever reason didnt or couldnt appear on the show.

being a product of the age it was written, slow clubs 2009 debut, yeah so, dealt with the all too familiar space between adolescence and the oncoming storm of adulthood. a boy-girl duo who played a flower-adorned chair live, they were the polar opposite of what was coming out of post-arctic monkeys sheffield. slow club were fun, cute, whimsical and all manner of other words just shy of twee - and they hate being called twee. paradise, however, is where the duo grows up. two years on, it stumbles out of a trivial, self-indulgent teenage malaise (where sexual adventure was priority for most) and carries itself with a sense of perspective that only adulthood can give - a darker, more thoughtful view of the world. for instance, on the poignant you, earth or ash, a song about rebecca taylor s granddad, her melancholic vocals (beautiful, as always) evoke an awareness of mortality for those around her: singing -and i know, soon you ll go,- her voice seemingly breaks under the weight of premature grief. whereas even love-wise (an inspiration every band draws from) slow club s lyrical output is glossed with a more mature and detached sense of sauce, with taylor crooning on where i m waking: -i can see you looking at me / you got the brains i ve got the body-.

nach digitalism & phoenix praesentiert das heissegehandelte, brasilianische dj-duo the twelves mit der neuen folge der mixserie -kitsune tabloid- einen definitiven anwaerter fuer das mixalbum des jahres! beruechtigt fuer ihre remixes, u.a. fuer m.i.a., la roux, aber auch fuer nirvana(!) und die beatles(!), liefert das dj/produzenten-duo the twelves aus rio de janeiro ein erstklassiges mixalbum auf dem pariser label kitsune ab. das tracklisting ist eine grandiose selektion aktueller trendsetter von siriusmo ueber juan maclean und daniel wang bis zongamin, dem aber ein feuerwerk an bislang unveroeffentlichten, exklusiven the twelves dubs ihrer juengsten remixes fuer solch angesagte hochkaraeter wie munk, metric, two door cinema club, french horn rebellion oder black strobe vorangeht. ob nu-disco, retro-house oder der ganze rest, the twelves bringen den funk zurueck auf den dancefloor! the twelves -kitsune tabloid- hat das zeug zum mixalbum des jahres!

mighty clouds is a brand new project that finds thomas re-teaming with betty marie barnes, a talented singer who provided vocals for slgtms every night and fill up the room.the result is a collaboration of the sort that can only occur when two musicians connect on a level that goes beyond the songs they are performing. throughout mighty clouds self-titled debut, thomas and barness musical camaraderie generates a gentle electricity that exudes intimacy and beckons the listener to move in for a closer listen.

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.

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