benin city are the london-based three-piece comprised of vocalist and poet joshua idehen, vocalist shanaz dorsett with multi-instrumentalist tom leaper.
clubbing is a source of euphoria: a weekly, often daily escape, a respite from the grind. that culture and its landmarks – some of london’s best venues and many countless pubs - are slowly disappearing for good. on last night, which was recorded in all four corners of london with marc pell (micachu and the shapes), lv, rob marfarlane and james anderson, benin city take an album-long look at the dual nature of london’s nightlife.

when michaela meise performed at westgermany at kottbusser tor in berlin-kreuzberg on march 20, 2015, accompanying herself on the accordion, i was perplexed. i knew her first album from 2010, which was about hymns (»preis dem todesüberwinder«, originally released on clouds hill, available as a download and stream through my label from july 2018 on), but what she was playing weren’t spiritual songs?! i wanted to put this music out on my label: the songs sounded sad, aloof and wistful but also proud, determined and unerring. the album title »i am greek« is a tribute to melina mercouri’s album »je suis grecque!«, which was released in 1971 when mercouri was deprived of citizenship by the greek military junta. mercouri lived – like mikis theodorakis and many other cultural workers – in exile. meise’s album is dedicated to the chanson scene of post-war europe, whose songs were popularly folksy, but also political. some talk about the experience of war, the shoah and labor migration.

antonio sanches provided the “out of space” lead track on the label’s seminal “space echo” compilation. impossible to find for many years, the sound of “buli povo!” is just as arresting and mesmerizing today as it was on the day it was released. it has just taken us thirty-five years to catch up with antónio’s vision.

songs about the unity of sudan, peace between muslims and christians and the fate of war orphans, backed by grooves equally taking influence from arabic sounds, american funk as well as neighboring ethiopia. kamal keila was among the first artist we met in sudan during our two trips to khartoum and omdurman last year. he is one of the key figures of the sudanese jazz scene that was a vital part of the musical culture in sudan from the mid 1960s until the islamist revolution in the late 1980s. when we meet kamal he luckily presented us with two mold covered studio reels. each tape included five tracks. one with english lyrics and another with arabic ones. musically you can hear the influence of neighboring ethiopia much more than on other sudanese recordings of the time, as well as references to fela and american funk and soul. his lyrics, at least when he sings in english which gave him more freedom from censorship, are very political. a brave statement in the political climate of sudan of the last decades, preaching for the unity of sudan, peace between muslims and christians and singing the blues about the fate of war orphans called shmasha. a note inside one of the boxes specified the track titles, durations and the fact that the sessions were recorded on the 12th of august 1992. both sessions stand as a hearable testament how kamal keila stuck to a sound aesthetic from decades ago, while incorporating current events into his lyrics. kamal keilas album is the first in a series of releases covering the sudanese jazz scene on habibi funk. be on the lookout for albums by the scorpions and sharhabeel coming soon.

phil gerus is a natural musical talent who oozes sound from every pore. fusing together cassette pop, disco, soul, r&b and funk, his sounds are effortless but hugely emotive and have come out on labels like sonar kolkektiv, manmakemusic (george fitzgerald’s label), futureboogie and true romance. growing up in moscow, phil studied classical piano and was heavily influenced by his parents’ music tastes, including jazz records of oscar peterson, bill evans, and keith jarrett, it is these classy vibes that permeate his own creations. phil has played around the world at leading clubs like japan’s dommune, studio 80 (amsterdam), mojo club (hamburg) and various hotspots in europe and russia. phil is also a regular guest on radio shows around the planet and is considered as an artist on the rise.

after releasing their yantar lp digitally last year, hell yeah now serve up a much anticipated vinyl version of richard somerville and craig wilson s perfectly horizontal sounds. it features two of the superb originals with remixes from the beat broker and los gatos escobar. somerville & wilson have appeared on ism records, dwdk (danny was a drag king), paper records and music for dreams and count the likes of tensnake and gerd janson as fans of their laidback and charming grooves, and this ep is a real slab of heat that will surely sizzle souls across the world this summer.

yasha is 28 year old joe gillick, who grew up immersed in the sounds of ukg & grime on the streets of south london. he founded orphan in 2015 with his friends sage redman and billy meddleton. the three began throwing bi-monthly parties in deptford, their aim was to feature the unsung heroes, the seminal artists that weren’t often regulars in the crowded london club circuit.

* wislov might be a new signee to knitebreed, but he has been releasing material for years, and the spanish (not russian) maestro is already known around the world for his awesome breakbeat creations. it was only a matter of time before a label snapped him up, and he is a producer easily capable of dropping huge tunes in both dark and lighter stsyles. this ep showcases his talent, with four tracks specifically designed to compliment the knitebreed sound while carving his own niche into the label

this is erlon chaves e orquestra saint moritz procura-se uma virgem ost (1971), supposed to be one of the most sought after erlon chaves lp. this ost was recorded to a brazilian soft porn movie with killer organ funk instrumental tracks and several funky, erotic & modal tracks, arranged and directed by maestro erlon chaves. tip!

* after nearly 10 years, kfa returns to vinyl. as a label, kfa was widely loved for its ability to shift styles and genres, always hitting slightly off center, to produce such off kileter classics as the original “truffle shuffle”, a jungle anthem that gets a much deserved remix on this ep. new signee scartat brings the pain with monstrously heavy beats in “role model”, which kf digital man of the moment bucksta keeps it slightly mellower with “killer sound”, leaving luna-c & mr arthur to bring the dancehall vibes with “judgement”.

for real avid fans of the cluster/eno axis, this is going to be an essential purchase! - after the release of the second longplayer -deluxe- in august 1975 harmonia went back to touring the rest of the year until roedelius, moebius and rother ended their collaboration in summer 1976. all three members started solo projects, but rejoined as harmonia in september 1976 for a short time when brian eno visited them in forst, germany for eleven days, living and recording with harmonia, before eno went on to work with david bowie. the material from -tracks and traces- is from this eleven days, and was not released until 1997 because the tapes were long considered lost - rykodisc and sony s s3 label did release nine tracks on cd only. here s the expanded re-issue for grönland records from 2009 with an excluisve new artwork for the first time on 2lp-vinyl-set!

wolves bay is a state of mind. an inspiration. a fantasy. frequencies & sound waves bringing us back to the core of our art form. music for the sake of it, without compromise, feeding the trance. the man & the machines speaking free & creating their own dimension. who, where & how all this was made is irrelevant. it is all about love & self-expression. going back to the basement. to the sweat. to the sound.

multi-talent joyce muniz is definitely one to look out for. initially starting her career as a vocalist, she now took over the global house music scene within no time as a deejay and producer as well. exhibiting her talent with previous releases, its not surprising that shes on the roster of prestigous labels such as exploited records and 20/20 vision recordings. next year she will release her single toxic people on international deejay gigolo records featuring the singer, songwriter and producer demetr1us. toxic people is a vibrant and raw sounding electro house cut featuring grimy synths and vocals, that lend the track a cold and distant atmosphere. the artwork for toxic people was created by leipzig-based artist silvia trost, whose forth lies in oil and acrylic paintings. she now frequently collaborates with glitch art artists and loves to mix materials and techniques, both analogue and digital. the b-side dreamz is another great production by joyce muniz. the playful groove and eclectic ambient makes it a cool package.

following on the psyfunk label compilation, that shed a great deal of attention on the budding argentine scene, is a full ep from alan castro. alan castro’s track “mi alma intoxicada” was a highlight of various artists #01 , definitively floaring and delicately rolling. on this new ep, castro shows his complex capacities in composition. “ciderfunk” is without a doubt one of the most mind-boggling tracks we’ve heard for a very long time. backed by “pacuriver” and “db mucho” which are both equally as intricate, as the epically adventurous a-side.

taking on a true trance classic and a personal favorite of his, len faki takes us back to the golden era of big melodies and early raves, sharing two very distinct interpretations of firedance by odyssee of noises, the prolific production outfit helmed by ralf hildenbeutel. originally released in 1994 on legendary label eye q, this track marked a special period for faki, when he was fully immersing himself into the scene, and accompanied him through his most formative times as a dancer and a becoming dj.brimming with the iconic elation of those nights, side a keeps with the emotive theme of the original‘s sunrise version, tweeking only slightly to cater for the needs of these days‘ dancers. re-shaping the classic to match modern productions for it to be mixed with current bangers, faki packs the tune‘s anthemic appeal into a propulsive ride down memory lane…

the second release on werk is signed by j. manuel. the young producer has been polishing his sound ever since he first started experimenting with electronic music gear as a child. his commitment to following his own instincts rather than conforming to what was being played around him resulted in a very different aesthetic to the one commonly associated with berlin techno. drive fiction ep stands proof of that. all 3 tracks push boundaries in their own style, that being perhaps the strongest link between them. the title track -drive fiction- presents old-school leads over broken beats and electro inspired pads while the a2 -falling in sine circulation- is arguably the most dance floor oriented track, with a pounding 4×4 kick drum and an alarming 3/4 sine wave slaying the high frequencies. closing the ep is b-side -softer-, a melodic track with long, undulating pads that is nonetheless driven by a powerful rave-inspired beat. with its second release, werk comes to confirm the path it seeks to travel through both parties and releases: that of the sounds less rigid. gritty, wild and presenting a wide range of rhythmic patterns, drive fiction ep is a defying record. challenge accepted?

ltd copies, screen printed sleeve by al white & house of traps, this marks the first new vinyl release from echospace detroit this year with all the content lovingly re-mastered in echospace, detroit, usa & cut @ deepgrooves. an unreleased classic from the vaults emerges with newly remastered content from radius s celebrated -obsolete machines- double album & two of the most epic creations featured on the -interpolation tapes- cd series, available for the first time ever on vinyl format. many of the songs featured in this project were initially sent to rod modell & mike schommer shortly after they launched their brilliant deepchord label in 2001. (recorded from 1993-2000) they were incredibly kind in saying it was the best demo they had ever heard and passed it on to octal records for release, sadly, that didn t materialize and since then these masters have been collecting dust in our cassette rack for nearly 20 years now. we ve spent months doing our best to restore the old tapes from our tascam 688, an 8 track cassette recorder purchased and abused since 1992 and to our ears still sounds quite impressive even by modern standards. we ve had nearly every component replaced and re-calibrated to bring this obsolete machine back to life, it s been a truly nostalgic experience re-visiting and redesigning these masters. we truly hope you enjoy reliving these magical times of music, very inspired by all that was happening in those years, there was just something in the air, an undeniable energy, long may it live on..

exactly one year after their sold-out debut album zest, die orangen (aka dreems & kris baha) are zurück! malka tuti and die orangen have concocted a double dish, a two part remix package, saft 1 & saft 2. the first part consists of a new live version of the track yaranabe, recorded in a live session as part of the duo’s infamous analogue live act. a2 is tapan’s remix of metal man. the poem-not-poem is taking shape as a low bpm banger when tapan’s heavy signature kick meets those trippy vocals. this is tapan’s first track to be made after finishing their debut album last year on mt, and its an interesting evolution of their sound, slow dark and punchy, yet with these vocals and bassline, also a catchy post-pop track for the later hours. on the b-side lies gordon pohl’s reimagination of mersey river (aka “the platypus track”). the tracks “epic-, long slow ambient opening and evolution into rhythm resembles in many ways the psychedelic collaboration works of the late pete namlook & move d on namlooks own fax records, which was always a significant influence on the malka tuti world.

with 2018 marking a quarter of a century for positiva being at the summit of the dance industry, the label have enlisted the work of both paul morrell, and latroit, to sprinkle modern magic on the timeless record. british producer and xxl resident dj paul morrell laces his own mix with euphoric, high-tempo chords and a floorfilling breakdown, a stark contrast to the deeper, gritty interpretation offered by 2018 grammy award winning american producer and composer, latroit, who added: - as the rush comes was obviously one of the stand-out tracks of the decade, and it was amazing to get my hands on that vocal. i ve also known dave dresden (one third of motorcycle) for years before this came out and it was great to reconnect and finally work with him creatively after all this time. the vinyl features 3 remixes of as the rush comes by latroit, paul morrell and dash berlin.

liebe freunde,

25 jahre kompakt sind kein grund sich aufzuregen. aber dennoch ein schöner anlass, einen gelassenen blick auf die lage der elektronischen musik zu werfen. denn der globale minimal-techno, in seinen unterschiedlichen spielarten, hat sich bekanntlich längst als beste tanzmusik der welt etabliert. recht so. was nun? gar nichts. weitertanzen.

“he bleeds stories ep” is the first vinyl release on vraaa records, a techno label with the aim of queering-up the genre. both original tracks contains elements from projekt gestalten’s past original productions clashing with new sounds and being incorporated into a whole new context, like pieces of different stories scattered throughout the music and reconfigured into a brand new tale. each track was remixed by projects with contrasting gender identities: the heavyweight techno duo i/y, representing the masculine side and the fabulous german selector anja zaube, giving a feminine perspective. pressing on pink & black mixed vinyl.

the long awaited first release of stavroz on denature records has arrived! this 5-track ep starts with -zorrow-. this track sounds like an invitation to wander and get lost in the jungle. by the second track, perron 11 the tempo gets more vigorous opening the way to the main track kasambila and its enchanting ethnic vibes, on the other side of the ep, xs pls (pronounce it extra small please) has this unique instrumental groove that four-piece band masters so well. the ep ends with the title it was all a ruse , a melancholic ballad through mystical lands.

nice price deal !!! hatterman returns to trouble maker with his second ep, bringing the goodies with two more summer-heaters, guaranteed to cause a stir over the warmer months. the a side love somebody (everyone) is an instant hands in the air classic, made purely for the dancefloor. big swirling vocals and funk-led basslines are the order of the day, whilst those swinging percussions keep you shaking into the early hours! we thought >you can do it< was that good it also deserves a full side at 45rpm! reminding us of an early derrick carter jam, wonky as you like disco/house hybrid at it’s finest- its as tough as it is fluffy, that bassline switch-up gets us every time! festival business at its best from hatterman here… lets cause some trouble x

another much welcomed reissue of the late 70s funk laden, disco two tracker from splendor. the a side take me to your disco is emblematic of disco records from that golden era where big bands and big budgets were rife. yet theres an interplanetary twist to this one, with the mysterious, eerie, spacecraft sounding intro paving the way for a tale of extraterrestrials wanting to get down at one of planet earths discos. you can tell this came from an era were disco really was taking over flip it over and you ve got the mighty special lady. with philip bailey, of earth, wind and fire fame, on production his style comes through strong in the vocal arrangement with the level of feeling and power he squeezes out of each voice. a chance to add these two anthems to the collection!

support from dj s – hype, goldie, randall, calyx & teebee, marky and many others. *** symmetry is excited to present the first debut e.p. from vocalist and producer kyo. writing and creating the songs in her studio, kyo then developed the ideas of the e.p. further by teaming up with some of her favourite producers, break, total science, mikal and onemind. “who decides” is reminiscent of past break and kyo colab s such as “gave too much”, a soulful, punchy, uplifting and techy roller, weaved around a backdrop of floaty vocals and elevating pads. “murder tonight” with it s jungle backbone was the perfect choice for collaboration with total science. rare groove flavours and weighty bass, melded with cutting vocals and steppy old skool breaks, murder tonight has all the elements of a modern day jungle classic. “where i stand” brings jazzy liquid vibes to the e.p. leading mikal down a recently untrodden path of musical dnb was a fruitful excursion. this journey into a bittersweet and rhythmic production has created a deep and brooding song. “play to lose” is one for the headzy listener, with it s long atmospheric intro, abruptly cutting into a heavy and deep groove. morphed and echoed vocals combined with unsettling stabs, cinematic effects and trademark onemind engineering techniques, takes you on a voyage from beginning to end. released on a full artwork 12” vinyl.

psychedlic electronica on this new fututibile release (sublabel from periodica). icio omeghas psyco cruise is a collection of songs and private recordings made between 1984 and 1991 in his studio on the island of stromboli. icio omegha, formerly known as maurizio aghemo, is a guitarist, a sitarist and keyboard player who was a member of a world music band active in the late 70s (uco, universal condition orchestra). maurizio today is a record collector and painter who runs his art gallery in stromboli where he exhibits his works. currently engaged in the assembly of a modular system, he continues to produce experimental music on the island. over the years, he has explored various musical genres, from ethnic music with an indian flavor, up to the typical electronic digressions of the mid 80s. the only available source of these recordings are original cassette tapes from which futuribile made this selection. a small selection with pieces that best describe his artistic career. the audio was cleaned, re-mastered and edited to make the best possible presentation of these unique recordings of icio omegha who is finaly able to share them with the public. recommended!!!

the definitive best of compilation from the prince of darkness on 2x12 inch 180 gram vinyl. “memoirs of a madman” serves as a career spanning audio release featuring 17 of ozzy osbourne’s greatest hit singles remastered and compiled in one place for the first time in his career. “paranoid” was recorded live at roundhouse, london 2010 - previously unreleased.

mathias schaffhauser, founder of german label ware records debuts on third ear with a 3 track 12inch. this is big-sky, expansive, driving techno even the beatless version of grad minus 12. mathias schaffhaeusers ware records had a very recognisable sound. it was one of the defining labels of the cologne sound, most associated with kompakt these days. but in the 90s and early 00s, ware was as significant a label, especially for djs. this release is very much a good example of that sound, still sounding fresh and bristling with good energy.

not to be confused with the 80s heavy rock/funk band from the us, this living color track was written, produced and released by tony kalangis on his sophisticated funk label in 1974. kalangis, who sadly passed away in 2017, was a man of many talents who could not only write a great tune but also novels, poems, and film scripts.

banoffee pies records drop their third beats release samba del sol with clifford brown & jeen bassa ft. ella mae sueref - the album is influenced by carnival and latin sounds with hip hop drums and soul roots - meeting in middle ground as an expression of the production duos upbringing, johns heritage in mauritius and cliffords childhood in south america. partnered with ellas spanish language fluency and soft badhu acclaimed voice as previously heard on the single stop rewind credited by the like of gilles peterson and mr. scruff. the tracks were recorded on garageband by clifford brown and jeen bassa with 2 karaoke microphones, mixed in bath and later buried on a hard drive for over 6 years never to be heard again. sliding into the forgotten darkness of lost tracks and rediscovered in 2017. the production, originally just an instrumental, was then found and reignited, revamped with a vocal insert from the wonderful ella mae sueref. the 10 track album demonstrates a flurry of drums, latin inspired sampling, and mesmerizing vocals from start to finish. for the music and the lovers. living room jams made in smoke. banoffee xx in loving memory of anna sueref.

during a warehouse dig, delfonic discovered a mysterious release from 2013 by an unknown german artist, filled with moody tracks without breaks in between, which were made in 2008. after searching for months who was behind, oye black is proud to announce the unknown artist martin georgi with 2 mpc bangers from that release cut out, along with a dj friendly edit by delfonic. oa true warehouse find for the lovers!

in 2015, something magical happened. we met a couple of talented young swedes named artur bra&#776,ndstro&#776,m and egil kahlbom who excelled at composing and producing these lighthearted, breezy disco-hued house tracks (or house- hued disco tracks, perhaps) that both fit the aesthetic and character of lph and brought something new into the fold. the result of that first encounter was marathons, a full-length album, their debut to the world, and now, two years later, we re back for the much-anticipated follow-up. rehearsal is a little briefer than its predecessor—it s five tracks—and has a markedly different tone, one that s less about dusty, sun-bleached samples and more about tightly-engineered and delicately-crafted songs. if the first effort was marked by its carefree naivete&#769,, the sophomore effort is, well, something a bit more advanced or, perhaps, rehearsed. what hasn t changed, though, is these guys ability to home in on grooves and coax something trasncednetally hooky, memorable out of them. the five tracks contained here are low-key in attitude but powerful and punchy in approach. they re uniquely juicy, nourishing numbers for mellow hours and fearlessly fun ditties for party hours. lots of love went into the lot of them, and we hope all s you feel when you let them wash over you is that. love

marquis hawkes is an alter ego adopted by long time electronic music producer mark hawkins, founded for his house music focussed activities. hawkins decided it was time for a reboot after being head-hunted by old friends dan monox and kenny wasp, who had just founded dixon avenue basement jams in 2012, particularly as the material differed from what hed previously released.

originally released in 1983 stop bajon (primavera) became a favourite in rimini discotheques, balearic islands and even chicago during the early house days. it was an anthem on what went on to become the italo disco movement. the vocal mix is still revered and played to this day by dj s such as dj harvey at his mercury rising night at pikes, ibiza. this special limited edition release from best record italy features for the first time the original acapellas (tracked down during tape restoration) plus the song stadera that was available only on the first italian pressing and of course the original extended club vocal and instrumental.

what can be said about the girl whose greatest friend was the mist? it can be said she was never short of adventure, for each time the mist cleared, it had a new surprise. rabbits and rocking horses came out of hats the size of hills, armies of ants played in marching bands, deer danced, giraffes juggled, elephants tap-danced atop the moon, flowers bloomed in the sky, and stars shone on the ground, because, why cant down be up? with the mist there was always the kind of hocus pocus that twisted itself into a pocus hocus, a shenanigan or a hijinks so high it could not be jinxed, but it had to be jumped. by a fish flown by a boy from out of town. it was enough to make her giddy with happy.

ryan parks is a mixed media artist, music producer/performer, and ceo/founder of critically robust cassette tape label, harsh riddims. he was born in college park, ga and grew up skating all around atlanta, soaking up the dense kaleidoscopic cultural ooze found both in and outside the perimeter of atlanta. aside from his visual practice which usually takes shape as mixed media (jacob lawrence/matisse inspired in my opinion!) collage, he has been releasing music as fit of body for seven years. fit of body crafts soulful house ballads that draw on freestyle, bell hooks, old school detroit techno, jazz, and southern rap passed through a no wave paradigm. fit of body has previously released work on cgi, dka, ransom note, and his own label, harsh riddims. “black box no cops” is fit of body’s debut 2mr release, named for atlanta hallowed skate grounds, black box. the vinyl release includes a download code.

we present you the third release in our very successful collaboration series with roar groove and the revenge. straight after his new brilliant album when the thrill comes that was release in may this year graeme clark is back on dirt crew with four new gems. the opening, funky and twisting, times get tough is a deep rolling down tempo disco/ house stomper that builds into this ecstatic groove we got to love so much from his previous outings. pure good times and hands in the air action promised on this one! subconcious is that darker and meaner side of house track with a slammin chicago beat he delivers this old school jackin feel. big bass lines and soulful vocal samples tied together by on the fly drum patterns. the b-side of this new ep opens with an hypnotic jam that builds and builds till those sweet synths start soaring in. all carried by this ultra phat bass line, we can only imagine how this one will sound on a massive sound system! searchlight is def a highlight of this release. can we go even deeper and darker? oh yes! with come down we get a proper come down to close this ep. deep sub basses with floating tops and again that classic jack house beat. certainly a late night track made for those sweaty and long dj sets. summer is here and the revenge has the perfect soundtrack for hot and steamy nights, inside or on the open field!

second circle is proud to announce it’s tenth release to date with a new ep from l.a. producer benedek. earlyman dance was recorded at benedek s studio in koreatown, los angeles and fuses mechanistic rhythms and synth work as well as live percussion and trumpet played by friends chris parise and anthony calonico. . with five vibed out compositions of coyote jazz, dance floor fusion and canyon bangers earlyman dance is an ode to the urban and natural landscapes of la, late night noir and early morning sunrises, accented with benedek s signature chord progressions, bouncing bass lines, meticulous drum programming and dubbed out trumpet.

after previously releasing starship commander woooo woooos mastership lp, left ear records have continued excavating the archives of the artist more formally known as omer coleman jr. the result is two handpicked mid 80’s instrumentals salvaged from the original master tapes, as well as an extended vocal edit on the flip for good measure. after laying his alter ego to rest omer made a handful of electronic releases on his own kansas based remo label. of these releases left ear has selected their two favourite instrumentals: lovin babe sure is fun and so good. lovin babe sure is fun was originally released in 85 and was created to celebrate a time in america where the economy was good, people were happy and love was in the air, the essence of which omer captured using his roland 808 and 303 in what may best be described as acid-boogie. so good on the other hand is a sensual downtempo cut shaped with heavy-bass, telephone samples and guitar solos that conjures images of late night rendezvous and compromising scenarios.

beneath the still waters of lonely sound there lays the ruins of howland abbey, its 3000lb bell still hanging in the belfry, only swayed by the currents of the regular tides across the estuary, over 100 years since it was rang by the order of carthusian monks who lived in the nearby priory. at the turn of the last century during a heavy storm the abbey was plundered by an unknown gang of marauders, as they left on horseback carrying with them all the gold from the abbey the sea defences around lonely sound were breached, flooding the abbey, priory and the surrounding land, the monks ran for dry land as they watched their beloved bell tower disappear beneath the rising waters, unable to chase the thieves, cut off as the water rose around them. some locals say these ransackers were in league with the elements, some say they had just intentionally damaged the sea defences before making their raid. local folk-law claims that the morning bells of the abbey can be heard ring out from beneath the murky waters of the sound every year on the anniversary of the great storm, ringing the peel that was never rung.

there are west coast classics, and then there is music to driveby, the third lp from the group that birthed mc eiht: compton’s most wanted. although the group started in the late ‘80s with multiple mcs (including tha chill and boom bam), by 1992 eiht as pulling the group’s vocal weight – supported by dj mike t on turntables and production – and even producing and co-producing tracks. music to driveby might lack beats-per-minute variety, but to fans that’s not a bad thing. across the board, this is mid-tempo, super deep, funky hip-hop, made for cars creeping along boulevards across the west and south, and it’s about as good as it gets for such purposes. just about filler-free, the album struts intensely and with purpose, as eiht throws tales of cali street life at fans for an hour straight, almost without a break. this solo marathon is given a respite only once, with scarface’s guest spot on “n 2 deep,” an excellent hood roller supported by a soulful guitar lick sampled from lyn collins’ “do your thing.” elsewhere, eiht rolls alone and intensely, on cuts like the classic mash single “hood took me under”, the album’s second single and tim dog attack “who’s fu**ing who?”, the hometown big-up “compton 4 life”, and hustle tales like “jack mode” and “i gots to get over.” after this album, eiht released more classics under his own name, and with similar fan worship. it was the continuation of a legendary career and music to driveby still ranks high on anyone’s “west coast legends” playlist.

“we are doing this on our own, with not much help from government. i am proud that we are building a movement. it’s like a child that you can see growing and evolving. it’s growing exponentially, but that was the plan… we are standing on the shoulders of giants. i grew up respecting the craft. there was that golden era of reggae music when everyone looked to jamaica. i know the history, i know the impact reggae music can have, and i want to be part of an era that brings it back to that stature” - protoje

we share with kaffe crème, a penchant for side roads, for mixing textures and visiting other territories. if house music is at the heart of our project and history, it is often just a medium to cross the path of genres and bringing into some of our other tastes like here jazz, broken beat or hip hop.after his remarkable debut ep in 2016 which was containing the staggering beauty kapo choc that still resonates every weekend in many clubs around the world, we are very happy to welcome, the lyon-based kaffe crème for our fourth release. you ll find there everything you loved about his debut ep, which means, a beautifully produced organic and dusty house music that make a leap into contemporary jazz (i <3 u) and dig into warm finely mpc-sliced syncopated beats. but you ll also find an astonishing broken beat song (umusa) that show all the former-percussionist s talent for making sophisticated and ambitious jazz-infused rhythm compositions.

dj rou & lite orkestra proves to be one of those original, eclectic and interesting projects for the musical research of the current scene. they got to know each other in the summer of 2014 and a character affinity was born immediately, later transformed into a very strong artistic empathy, so much so that in the immediate future they decided to meet often between bologna and verona for jam sessions, sharing ideas. in the summer of 2017, cognitiva records, label runned by sofatalk, became aware of the project and decided without hesitating to press 1.2,3, original tracks of the release “the ambassador’s way ep”. the compositions are a combination of the electronic drums of dj rou (mpc, korg electribe and other gears), the contrabass and the guitar of lachi + thomaspizzini, better known as lite orkestra. the result is a hybrid exuberance between jazz, afro and the experimental flow that derives from the roots of the jam sessions

jordan transformed his life this past year. it was a time of transition from one state of mind to another and falling in love. this record encapsulates this mental transition as well as a physical transition from his longtime home of new york to his new one in san francisco.

lionsprintcomplete intenthousand practicesthus comeone a mysterious box arrived at the office labelled tsho-drong zimpo. inside were incense sticks, a bubble wrapped dat tape with a telephone number on it. we lit the sticks, ran the dat and a call was made almost immediately.

more than ten years since he first emerged on skull disco, appleblim presents his debut album. the label he co-founded with shackleton was the first the world heard of his productions, but laurie osborne’s innate relationship with electronic music culture reaches back much further than those groundbreaking early days of dubstep. early days spent soaking up hardcore, jungle, techno and plenty more besides were fundamental foundations from which to spring into the then-unknown realms of sub-low half-step club music. at that time fwd>> and dmz were the church for this ritualistic sound, and appleblim was a regular fixture at both.

never released before on lp, here comes the complete original soundtracks of french cult film composer françois de roubaix for director yves boisset. two movies that embody the two sides of francois de roubaix’s approach to recording. for le saut de l’ange (1971), the self-taught composer wrote an orchestration for some fifty musicians playing strings, woodwinds, brass and percussion with two distinct solo instruments alternating the main theme: indian sitar on the one hand and accordion on the other. r.a.s (1973) was recorded on a 8-track tape recorder, in françois de roubaix’s home studio rue de courcelle, where most of his 70’s scores were recorded. the result is a mix of military-march rhythms, rolls on the snare-drum with sounds of synthi aks syntheziser: de roubaix invented a modern sound for this contemporary-history tragedy.

two incredible 70s soul cuts from the o jays get the reissue treatment for 2018. the a side contains the mighty for the love of money, a near 7 minute cautionary tale to the dangers of greed and exploitation. for the love of money. people will lie, lord, they will cheat. for the love of money. people don t care who they hurt or beat. as pertinent now as it was in the 70s if not more so considering current affairs. a much sampled record, loved by many! on the flip darlin darlin baby (sweet, tender, love), the second hit single off the o jays album message in the music, is a romantic soul serenade with that killer gamble and huff production philly s finest!