check a2 & b1 (sharif laffrey rmxs), decks tipp - repress

sharif laffrey can charm the snake out of any basket. this is his first offering for the esp institute. side as tangier is a long drawn-out exercise, an endurance test of the highest order. over the span of some thirteen minutes, elements bob and weave intermittently and layers overlap haphazardly the type of exciting dynamic that s born out of restrictio as if putting down a live jam without enough hands to work the console, yet sharif perseveres. as touch and go as this arrangement may be, there is something that undoubtedly glues it all in place the combination of his massive rolling 16th-note bassline and his tough-as-nails drumkit is so good that, upon first listen, we spat out our tea and insisted on its release. on side b, everything is nice carries on with loose arrangement, dirty production and layers of inexplicable spoken word samples (a sharif calling card by now) but this time we re lead to a melancholy place, the blue comedown to side as antagonistic trial. with his esp institute debut, sharif leaves you mentally unhinged, as if youve smoked something interesting and arrived bewildered in some saharan labyrinth. these two songs will guide you through the medina to score the black meat.

two berlin underdogs and a detroit ravemaster. a driving force in the very early frankfurt electronics since the late 80s, to hardcore acid in brooklyn in the early 90s, producing legends as carlos peron among many others along his way, adsx aka andre fischer might sound new to many but has been an active part of the underground electronic movement for the last 30 years. benji df aka hanoben is no newbie to the scene either and might have soundtracked your night if you were to be found at clubs like tresor or snax in the late 90s. together they recorded an ode to aural sex, its acid counterpart, and a genius sketch of a club banger. when label honcho capablanca heard the latter had little doubts about commissioning an extended mix to motor city s special forces gen. sharif laffrey aka thee activator, who needs little introduction to the discerning raver ears as the man behind instant acid classics turn it up and always, among others. after countless studio days and nights and endless versions (we stopped counting at 56th) sharif delivers what is possibly his best work to date, an unstoppable 12 minute dancefloor annihilator. to wrap such special release we asked legend alan oldham aka ur s minister of information aka dj t-1000, (also responsible for label designs for transmat, djax, submerge, pure sonik and a long etcetera) to create one of his classic artworks. capablanca deconstructs his center pieces for the fully printed sleeve, and everybody s.c.r.e.a.m.

a true lynchpin of the detroit underground. sharif laffrey has been producing music & djing internationally for over 20 years. sharifs participation in detroits early rave scene during the early 1990s led him to music, djing & organizing underground loft parties. sharif became part of detroits submerge squad as he worked & lived in its storied 2030 grand river avenue headquarters working for mike banks as an operative for underground resistance & submerge. and dance is the debut release on laffreys own record label special forces. a workout of a jam that along its 14 minute long route undergoes transformations. cryptic spoken vocals and sound for dance.

discos capablanca return with a record from the mysterious detroit-based sharif laffrey (we know little more than his place of birth, and that he likes to ride his bike and warm weather) who brings the heat on the turn it up 12 inch. recorded in detroit in the late 80s and released on a cassette tape compilation in 1988, the original *turn it up* is a long forgotten gem from the period that electro was beginning to morph and mutate into nascent forms of techno. excavated by hugo capablancas label, the track is presented in an edited version that stays true to the original and complemented by an acid dub not dub version that implements plenty of deranged 303 action.

sharif laffrey is one of the great unsung heroes of detroit s dance music scene, having been instrumental in putting on parties in the motor city for many years and spinning records in all kinds of legendary spots. when he s not busy promoting, laffrey also finds time to turn out productions under aliases such as quadrant and maersk. primarily though, his recent work has been under his own name for the likes of love on the rocks and discos capablanca, who he returns to here with a single sided sure shot entitled always. it s a heated, jacking club track that screams of laffrey s detroit roots, with an early house thrust and wild 80s-style sampling that will set the party alight.

detroit enigma sharif laffrey makes a return to paramidas berlin-based love on the rocks imprint with pony ep. the two track ep marks his second release with the label (following key jam (a.c.i.d.) and his third release in three years - something of a roll for laffrey who typically allows years to pass between each outing.over 9 minutes of what sounds like nineties 4/4 indian acid-house bass music - in the best way. surprising vocals & a healthy 3 minute lead in. b-side: pony roger’ if the pony you were riding on the a-side was galloping through a grassy meadow - this pony heads into a dark cave. if the a-side is the never ending story then the b-side is the dark crystal. but with prince instead of bowie. sharif laffrey has been playing records and making music for 20 long hard years. born in detroit, michigan - hes worked on the line checking camshafts for chryslers & at submerge for mike banks - at the same time. he toured asia with juan atkins and once had to chase a grown man through the streets at night, who had crawled into his living room through an open window. an active member in detroits early rave scene, sharif remembers booking all foreign gigs with something he calls a fax machine.

1 sided + large gravure on other side. love on the rocks is very excited to present sharif laffrey’s key jam (a.c.i.d.). his first release since the sleeper hit turn it up was released on discos capablanca over two years ago. key jam (a.c.i.d.) is the treasure + the mystery. laffrey’s signature raw edit style is in full effect on this 9-minute proto-dance heater. sharif laffrey has been playing records and making music for 20 long hard years. born in detroit, michigan - he’s worked on the line checking camshafts for chryslers & at submerge for mike banks - at the same time. he toured asia with juan atkins and once had to chase a grown man through the streets at night, who had crawled into his living room through a open window. an active member in detroit’s early rave scene, sharif remembers booking all foreign gigs with a fax machine - and would still do it that way, if anybody else had them anymore. he drove a black trans-am from 1990 to 1995. acid, tons of random stuff, tough, sexy, lovely, slow. freak mode. he is dealing with the fame. more to come.

incl. sharif laffrey remix

it wouldnt be an overstatement to say that opium is currently the most talked about club north of berlin. vilnius based spot has built its reputation slowly but surely to become one of the brightest lights in the night sky of europe. the club has earned the admiration of local crowd, loyalty of visiting artists and respect of industry insiders by nurturing unique local talent, bringing cutting edge house & techno acts on a weekly bases, building a devoted community and rocking the parties of the highest intensity and unprecedented intimacy.