die hardcore-essenz des ersten halbjahres 2011 auf einem doppelalbum! hier bleibt kein auge trocken! die 100 staerksten hardcore-tracks der ersten jahreshaelfte auf einer exzellenten doppel-cd! alles, was das hardcore-herz begehrt von angerfist bis weapon x!

do you love elegant, sophisticated music with a feeling, as much as raw, gutsy, hard-hitting music? guessing that you do penniman records takes great pride in introducing you to the excitements, because their music fits into both categories. they are an all natural free-of-additives-and-preservatives r&b / soul band. a band with both feet solidly planted on memphis and detroit, and with a heartbeat which is pure chicago. to put it simply, the excitements are what the doctor ordered: six dynamite musicians intent on bringing out the very best from koko jean davis extraordinary voice, a voice which will either break your heart or astonish your ears, whatever koko fancies the most. the excitements career is truly awesome. their first gig took place in july 2010, and a month after that the band embarked on the first of their three recording sessions, their first spanish tour and a series of concerts all across europe. very few groups can boast of enjoying such a critical success, selling so many 45s and capturing such a loyal following in so short a time. their splendid first album, -the excitements- available on vinyl and cd - has been produced by the great mike mariconda - the only living man with a direct connection between his ears and his crotch. hearing is believing, and koko and her partners are bound to mesmerize with numbers such as nathaniel mayer s -from now on-, barbara stephens s -wait a minute- and little richard s -never let you go-, a track which will go straight to your heart. you may call them old-fashioned. a classic sound, if you wish. one thing is clear: the good stuff is here to stay. stop reading, listen to the excitements and hear for yourself.

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.

ministry of sound praesentiert -the sound of uk garage 2011-. 40 tracks auf 2 cds von den angesagtesten uk-underground garage-, 2-step-, breakbeat-produzenten und funky mcs wie alex gaudino feat. kelly rowland, mj cole, artful dodger feat. craig david, tim berg, j.majik, example, dj fresh, dj luck & mc neat, vato gonzalez feat. foreign beggars u.v.m.!

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.!

the most in party on the island for all those saturday night clubbers, this cd mixed by danny leblack and fran morin is an amazing example of just what the cafŽ ole fiesta is like. these 20 incredible house tracks will take your breath away. just go ahead and enjoy such sounds as eric morillo and eddie thoneick feat shawnee taylor, hitch, feygin, coco silco & santy lafonte, jairo catelo and many more!

one year, one album, 60 tracks! -the annual 2012- vereint auf drei cds saemtliche protagonisten der dance szene inklusive den 60 angesagtesten club hits des jahres! die -annual- serie zaehlt zweifelsohne zu den weltweit etabliertesten compilations ueberhaupt. vorliegender sampler beinhaltet die club hits des jahres, darunter tracks und remixes von boys noize, adele, aloe blacc, ian carey feat. snoop dogg & bobby anthony, wolfgang gartner feat. will i am, toddla t feat. shola ama, fedde le grand, high contrast feat. tiesto & underworld u.v.m.!

overview in the 1980s, as hip hop caught fire around new york, sparky d was coming up in the van dyke projects in brownsville brooklyn. she would go on to be one of the first recorded solo female rappers and rise to hip hop stardom. early in her career she was a pivotal player in what came to be known as the roxanne wars. it all kicked off with utfo s roxanne roxxane followed by roxanne shante s debut roxanne s revenge and then a salvo back at shante with utfo and a female mc known as the real roxanne. sparky d then started a trend that ran for what some say was over a hundred assorted answer records and nearly the rest of the decade by jumping into the roxanne trend with sparky s turn (roxanne, you re through). massive spins and sales throughout the city followed. the success of the cut lead to another handful of 12 releases, and this release, her proper full length debut this is sparky ds world,- produced by her boyfriend and old school legend spyder d. though the record didn t take off to the extent that her label mates boogie down productions found with criminal minded....well, what ever did take off like criminal minded. to this day the release serves as a testament to the power of one of hip hop s first female mcs, after all, this is sparky d s world. traffic entertainment group in partnership with b-boy records is proud to release this extended version of the album, out of print in any format for over 14 years. housed in a handsome 6 panel digipak featuring extended artwork and audio including all the 12-cuts, mixes and instrumentals from sparkys classic -throwdown- and -i can t stop- vinyl singles.

60 house tracks on 3 cds...

3x cd, 6x djs, 64 hardcore anthems

what a fantastic era the 80s was for music, to celebrate that time ministry of sound drop electronic 80s anthems. three cds ram packed of huge charts hits from inspirational groups and artists such as ultravox, gary numan, soft cell, joy division, duran duran, the human league, pet shop boys, new order, erasure, blondie and many more.

jeff mills once again indulges his passion for classic sci-fi with this 2cd re-imagining of the score to harry kleiner s titular 66 flick. it follows his -cyborg 2087- recreation and imaginary soundtracks for -the power- and -the occurence- with a deep voyage of discovery. but unlike the aforementioned, the original film plot - about a team of scientists who re miniaturized and dispatched inside a human body to fix a blood clot - thematic scales are inversed and we re drawn to mills inner, as opposed to outer, space-scapes. the action unfolds across 22 tracks and 2 cds, from bleepin, womb-like viscera and hazardous noise bursts through archetypal rhythm arrangements and fluid programming reflecting the man/machine, organic/synthesized themes of the film and his own alien/human aesthetic. it s wonderful to witness mills maturing as a composer and refining his art to something beyond a soundtrack for dancefloor rituals, but without ever losing his original blueprint, and showing that the line between cinematic imagination and dancefloor functions can be a very fine one.

2011 album from the australian deep funk quartet. look out watch out builds upon the diamond hard and gritty funk and soul template they established with their self titled 2009 debut long player. not content to return with simply more of the same, look out, watch out expands the groups sound and repertoire, featuring as it does, incredible new vocalist may johnston, guest contributions from renowned randa khamis and roxie ray, a choice cover version plus original tracks augmented with some raucous and heavy brass.

the debut solo album from the former oasis songwriter and guitarist. .as leader of oasis since the band s inception in 1993, noel gallagher was at the helm for their global success, from the launch of their first indie uk singles in 1994 to their final shows together in the summer of 2009. over the course of their seven consecutive #1 studio albums, oasis sold over 70 million records worldwide and charted 22 consecutive top 10 uk hits from 1995 to 2008 (including eight 1s), creating an astounding historical record.

das us-label tri angle hat mit dem signing des aus san francisco stammenden duos water borders erneut ein glueckliches haendchen bewiesen. deren debuet -harbored mantras- klingt voellig unvergleichlich, so etwas hat man 2011 noch nicht gehoert! als einfluesse nennen water borders die 80er-jahre-industrial-legenden coil und den uk-underground-dance-sound, der auf den londoner piratensendern wie rinse fm gedroppt wird. daneben finden sich auf diesem hervorragenden album anklaenge anafrikanische rhythmen, scott walker, popul vuh oder jamaikanischen dub.

2011 release from british producer / remixer / dj adam gibbons aka lack of afro. gibbons combines his live musicianship and top notch studio production skills with rappers and vocalists into a skillful combination of compositions blending funk, hip hop and soul into a steamy stew of a breakbeat bonanza. as a multi instrumentalist, in-demand producer and remixer, a dj with his finger on the cutting edge of contemporary sounds, and an ear tastefully cocked to the hippest soul, jazz and funk music from the 60s and 70s, gibbons has already established an unrivalled reputation as one of the most crucial names at work in funk and dance music today.

for three years - that is from the very beginning of absys coming to life - weve been concerned with shaping the profile of our label, concentrating mainly on the originality of sound, thus supporting both native (poland is a country of great potential and to show it is part of our mission), as well as foreign upcoming artists. after some time we can say that the path weve chosen is right.so, mystical deep vol 2 is kind of an essence of absys records and at the same time the twin of its predecessor - mystical deep. we present to you an extrasensory journey into the very centre of human mind. this journey will be mysterious, atmospheric, dubby, futuristic and - of course - set in the core of depth, but still, despite the featured diversity, will also be coherent and consistent. we hope that this compilation of music, associated by beautiful artwork, will be a good mood enhancer - not only in the autumn cloudy and rainy days.

for the past decade or so, polish musician michal jacaszek has been exploring a new, resolutely modern chapter in eastern europes long, storied love affair with classical music. his creations are painstakingly crafted collages of electronic textures and baroque instrumentation, harpsichords being swarmed by woolly static one minute and pulled apart by billowing wind the next. ambient music - if we can generalize unnecessarily for a second - is rarely so sonically challenging.

incl bonus disc of covers, instrumentals & rarities

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.

deluxe edition - includes previously unreleased tracks...

dj andy smith Ð one of the worlds premier funk djs and the man who supplied portishead with their samples Ð joins forces with keith lawrence - renowned reggae collector and reggae dj from www.colourfulradio.com - to present the heaviest selection of funky reggae in the uk smiths comps have sold over 35.000 units inc. the acclaimed -document- series which included albums for greensleeves & trojanp>killer cover versions of stevie wonders you havent done nothing (sly dunbar), marlena shaws woman of the ghetto (hortense ellis) & william de vaughns be thankful for what you got (donovan carless) super rare cuts from bumps jackson, barry waite & sly dunbar tracks from impact, randys, demon, dynamic, hot shot, tent & various pama records offshoots various tracks from the pama catalogue which back-in-the-day was a contemporary of trojan inc tony scotts what am i to do now, pussy by kid longo, lloyd terrells i did it, ricos tribute to don drummond, d tony lees peyton place, lester sterling & stranger coles bangarang & children get ready by the versatiles.

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.

legendary bournemouth-based trio aquasky return with their 8th studio album raise the devil featuring 16 bass-heavy party tracks which include guest vocals and collaborations from lee mortimer, engine earz experiment, daddy freddy, ragga twins, tenor fly, mr. thing, pyramid, acafool, deja, roisin brophy, didjelirium and bex riley. this album sees the trio take it back to basics and return to what people expect when they hear the name aquasky! having been solid friends since the heady days of rave and acid house, the guys first hit the studio together during the jungle era and in 1995 aquasky was born, signing immediately to moving shadow before going onto release on some of the biggest and best labels including polydor, botchit & scarper, reinforced, good looking records, hospital, southern fried and mr. bongo. in 2001 they took the decision to launch their own imprint passenger as a place where they had free reign to unleash their full creativity and develop both their sound and the sounds of other acts.

the album is just a few seconds under an hour long, consists of seventeen tracks and covers every style from wonky reggae through pop-funk, street spitting, straight up hip hop, sung ballads and epic death-disco. it deepens much of what mr manuva has already achieved over a glorious decade of innovation, but also throws in enough new ideas and adventures to last most creative artists a lifetime. we think it is his very best work since run come save me. we re wondering (whisper it) whether it might be his best album ever.

neues album des schwedischen singer/songwriters und multiinstrumentalisten loney dear nach releases auf sub pop und polyvinyl und touren mit u.a. andrew bird. die elf neuen songs auf -hall music- leben vom kontrast zwischen orchestraler und synthetischer instrumentierung, aufgenommen mit teils ungewoehnlichen instrumenten. ein spektakulaeres und intensives werk zwischen freude und duesternis!

das mŸnchner elektronik-, clubmusik- und pop-label permanent vacation kann erneut auf ein produktives und erfolgreiches jahr zurŸckblicken - mit zahlreichen club-hits zwischen electro-disco, house und artverwandtem. die beiden macher des labels, benjamin fršhlich und tom bioly, haben ein glŸckliches hŠndchen beim signing von acts und tracks, das stellt die aktuelle werkschau selected label works 3 eindrucksvoll unter beweis. mit tracks von black van, parallel dance orchestra, tevo howard, todd terje, wolfram oder azari & iii und remixen von tensnake, axel boman oder legowelt.

when david essex sang -gonna make you a star-, he knew what he was talking about because he d already been there. and -the best of david essex- showcases his star quality to perfection, delivering all of his smash hits from the seventies, including -hold me close-, -rolling stone- and the classic -rock on-. a superstar from a golden era of pop.

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

excellent mix cd! 20 years tresor !! mike huckaby with a stunning mix work.

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

2011 release, the follow up to 2010s successful first volume of bangs & works. the carefully curated compilation showcases chicago footwork, one of the most forward-looking, innovative new styles of electronic music on the planet. footwork is beginning to spread outside of chicago, influencing productions around the world. bangs & works vol. 2 brings the focus back onto chicagos own producers, showing where the real innovation still lies. while its predecessor sticks mainly to the more hallucinatory and left-field elements, this one has a wider remit, ranging from mad techno-style tracks to those that sound like musique concrete gone footwork.

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

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

xhins debut album on stroboscopic artefacts,sword,showcases the breath of his vision. as the second full-length release on stroboscopic artefacts, sword stretches the remit of the label s identity ever further. produced and recorded in singapore, xhin plucks sounds from the outer edges of electronic music and fuses them together. xhins approach revels not only in a hybrid sound palette but its also an album desi- gned for multiple contexts. its a record typified by duality. sword harbours electronic music ranges from brutal club sounds to deep and delicate murmurs.

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

seit ihrem debuet lungs, das 2009 rund um den globus die charts stuermte und millionenfach verkauft wurde, zaehlt die charismatische florence + the machine zu den begehrtesten newcomern. eine nominierung fuer einen grammy award, der darauf folgende, hoch gelobte auftritt bei der verleihung des wichtigsten internationalen musikpreises gemeinsam mit christina aguilera und jennifer hudson: ihr auftritt bei den oscars 2011: ein mehrseitiges feature in der vogue deutschland - interviewt wurde florence hierfuer von elton john, fotos machte karl lagerfeld. florence welch fasziniert die ganze welt und gilt bereits als neue britische ikone. ihre pop-elektro-mischung gepaart mit smarten texten und viel atmosphaere ueberzeugt, ihr glamouroeser stil fasziniert die groe§ten designhaeuser, wie u.a. yves saint laurent oder gucci, die die letzte tournee mit eigens fuer florence kreierten buehnenkostuemen ausgestattet haben. florence ist in aller munde. deluxe edition erscheint als doppel cd. die 2. cd beinhaltet zusaetzlich acht bonus songs darunter brandneue aufnahmen, unveroeffentlichte demos und akustik-versionen von -heartlines-, -shake it out- und -breaking down-.

only once in a while you would enter the real magic of house music. how rare are those club nights, festivals, releases or tracks you get totally mesmerised, you feel like something changed. you want to take home that one party, the sound or a special moment to keep it forever. with moomins > the story about you< we discover exactly this kind of experience. it is an album of uniqueness and transcendence, like a meteorite touching the ground of your own private garden. sebastian genz aka moomin never intended to reinvent house music as his productions come from the heart and are related to the lovely peoples dancefloor. thats what gorgeous parties and releases of the white label around oskar offermann and the smallville imprint taught him: real house music is only possible within a soulful surrounding

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-.

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

compiled by: (in alphabetical order) christian burkhardt, damian schwartz, einzelkind, ernesto ferreyra, franco cinelli, guillaume & the coutu dumonts feat. qzen, ivel tax, johnny d, juan sorrentino, skipson, leonel castillo, maayan nidam, michael melchner, markus fix, noidoi, reboot, ray okpara & nekes and sascha dive. all of the tracks are previously unreleased.

limited edition! vince clarke und andy bell haben die musikgeschichte der 80ern,90ern und 00er jahre um zeitlose pop-hymnen wie a little respect, sometimes, victim of love, ship of fools,chains of love,the circus und breathe und tausend andere bereichert. in ihrer englischen heimat erreichten erasure mit alben wie the innocents, wild!,chorus und dem startschuss des weltweiten abba revivals abba-esque gleich fŸnfmal hintereinander die nummer 1 position.tomorrows world ist das erste studioalbum von erasure seit mehr als vier jahren.

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

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

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).

5 cd set includes the albums, chic (1977), c est chic (1978), risque (1979), real people (1980) and take it off (1981).

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

boom bip was one of the canniest underground beat producers around before he hooked up with gruff rhys of super furry animals to create the fascinating neon neon project, which took as its focus automaker john delorean and what his car (and charisma) meant to the 80s. bbs return to the solo realm finally came on 2011s zig zaj, which has more in common with neon neon than with his early solo joints. (features for cate le bon and franz ferdinands alex kapranos, among others, certainly fit in.) as always, its impeccably produced - hollon has only gained in proficiency and maturity as a producer. but compared to seed to sun or blue eyed in the red room, whose fascination with sound was positively contagious, zig zaj sounds like an overly safe record, the type that most producers would avoid if they wanted to keep innovating. heavily influenced by rock and 80s new wave, similar to neon neons stainless style, its impressions are largely textural, and as talented a producer as boom bip has become, zig zaj sounds more like a rehash than the entirely new recipe that music fans are undoubtedly looking for.

20th anniversary box set, 5 x iconic dj sets - from larry levan, david morales, todd terry, kenny carpenter, justin berkmann