northern soul / reggae lp

third album from german quartet jazz against the machine.

eddie flashin fowlkes has always fancied himself as the forgotten producer of the detroit militia, a point which he explicitly points to on the title of this new release for the detroit wax imprint. >unsung hero< is, interestingly enough, quite noticeably un-detroit sounding, rolling on a killer funky 2-step groove and breezy keys which would slot in nicely against the mellower end of uk garage. on the flip >we need more< takes a stripped approach to house with some strange and submerged vocals from don q and restrained organ stabs, leaving it to the steadfast, bongo-laden groove to do most of the work. unsung hero indeed!

limited red coloured vinyl edition with excellent house / chicago house classics

limited blue coloured vinyl, do not sleep! the love and passion for house music (since almost 3 decades) by unsung underground hero dj phazer from berlin. in the tradition of balance rec. and alike warm, driving, harmonic and floor friendly release has been just cut by cabinet rec. groove your socks off !

the love and passion for house music (since almost 3 decades) by unsung underground hero dj phazer from berlin. in the tradition of balance rec. and alike warm, driving, harmonic and floor friendly release has been just cut by babinet rec. groove your socks off !

double vinyl in gatefold sleeve.

180 gram double vinyl in gatefold sleeve with 16-page photo-booklet, no download code included.

first ever vinyl reissue of the 1982 album from the warriors.

high quality 180 gram yellow vinyl release, includes code for download of the digital album in multiple formats.

industrial ambient

the next installment in cold diamond & mink’s soul investigations introduces a three part harmony group from california. “my my my baby” is a smoking hot group harmony groover that should drop a few jaws at your next dj set. thee baby cuffs was born out of love for soul music and chicano culture. their first 45 “where did our pride go”, came out in 2017 on the raza del soul label, covering an unsung early 70’s larry saunders production. “my my my baby” continues on the same lane of midtempo soul over funky drums and soulful horn lines. the lyric is your middle of the road love song material, but the group harmony lifts it right off the ground like it’s meant to happen in this kind of music. get a few copies and rock the instrumental on the b-side before dropping the vocal, if you feel like it. soul music that’s this potent is better enjoyed in excess.

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. cutting his chops djing alongside the likes of tim goldsworthy (dfa, mo’ wax, unkle), dave okumu (the invisible, jessie ware), the golden filter (optimo), mica levi (micachu) and more, joe fed his keen sensibility for club grooves. cut to 2018 and joe finds himself a seattleite.

since so many european labels have been reissuing lost and obscure 1980s japanese ambient albums of late, it was probably inevitable that at least one label would put together a compilation paying tribute to the sound. it turns out that jazzy couscous has won the race with kumo no moko, a superb double album that does a terrific job in putting japan s 80s ambient scene in context. as you d expect, the majority of the tracks feature either dreamy electronic sounds or a mixture of acoustic and electronic instrumentation, with nods to jazz coming thick and fast. there are naturally a couple of fairly well-known names on show, but for the most part the compilers have done a terrific job in highlight lesser-known tracks from unsung heroes.

to conclude the unsung and defeated series we turned our attention to the distopic wave group wavering hands. the duo comes from bern and zurich, and this is their first vinyl release. the use of real drums, guitars and vocals is an unusual field for us, nevertheless, as it is clear now, we have shown no fear in going wherever our interest take us. and this time is pure new wave, kraut rock inspired music. a perfect ending for this series of unsung and defeated local heroes.

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.

re-issue of forgotten minimal techno abstraction from hamilton, ontario. the unsung genius of secret werewolf is fully on display on this 1996 gem. rubbery and polymetric, akin in mood to robert hood/metroplex productions of the same era, but full of eerie metallic timbres and flexing grooves which combine into a lysergic hypnosis unlike anything else from then or now.
a taste of the forthcoming geej re-issue project surveying the steel city records catalogue, a wellspring of unsung, singular dance music that arose from the abandoned industrial spaces and uncompromising producers of the fertile but secluded techno zone of hamilton, ontario canada circa 1995-1997.
first time pressed in over 20 years, vinyl only.

having taken its natural course over the past 18 months peckhams yam records are making the move from retail to production. continuing our celebration of local talent, both unsung and established, we aim to bring all styles of music together under the yam recordings wing. theyve been a permanent and ever­-hilarious part of the shop since day one so it only seemed right that our first release should feature chaos in the cbd. distilling their sound over the past few years, beans and louis make the highest quality house music, which is perfectly demonstrated on this two­-track ep. global erosion sees long­-time collaborator isaac aesili contribute horn hooks and live percussion to this truly deep and emotional journey. on the flip, background explorer turns up the heat with an 8­-minute heads­-down transcendental percussion and drum workout, the surging chords and rainforest calls forcing the head to follow the feet.

lxrc33 is the second installment of the unsung and defeated series. music comes from s s s s, another local act, based in lucerne. five industrial cinematic soundscapes, eerie noises building alarmed state of minds. from most subtle to crushing and pounding. a systematic suspense that transforms itself into a systematic destruction. mixed by robert grimmer at phonetia studio mastered by andrea merlini executive producers cosmo & faber pressed at record industry

unearthed 1997 techno grail from hamilton, ontario. remastered from the original recordings this 12”, created by david foster of teste (the wipe) fame, lays down 4 burrowing and bouncing warehouse bombs that are at once psychedelic, frayed, and way ahead of their time.
a taste of the forthcoming geej re-issue project surveying the steel city records catalogue, a wellspring of unsung, singular dance music that arose from the abandoned industrial spaces and uncompromising producers of the fertile but secluded techno zone of hamilton, ontario canada circa 1995-1997.
first time pressed in over 20 years, vinyl only.

brawther proudly presents his first full length album, transient states. just over 10 years into releasing music, the lp sees the frenchman collaborating with an array of musicians and his first vocal song, with the appearance of detroit unsung hero javonntte and the listeners gradually transit via dub,techno, hip hop, ambiant and straight up jacking numbers. brudan in leeds sees a new collaboration with daniel paul (cab drivers). the album also marks the start of his imprint negentropy, a long awaited home for all his musical endeavors and fantasies. without any strict musical policy but one based on quality over quantity, it will manifest the latest adventures and experimentation of the french artist.

after a long hiatus, lux rec is ready with its next release. veil of light and sleep forever, both from zürich, share the two sides of lxrc32. music for broken, estranged, regretful times. shipwrecked and completely obliterated. this is the first part of a series of three, called unsung and defeated, which focuses on local musicians delving in the darkest possible corners of electronic music.

late eighties, early nineties. a back-alley studio in antwerp where new beat and detroit techno lingered. trance was still in the house. electronic body and mind music, fuelled by common sense and primitive artificial intelligence. there was a buzz about wonka. elektrons revolving around atom. humanity firmly on the mappa mundi. labels and sub labels, one-off projects and alter egos, unsung heroes and soon-to-be stars. laurent garnier pushing ludovic navarre to pass on his tapes. all-night light from koenie’s basement. sven van hees entangled in liaisons dangereuses. jan van den bergh before lounge. jan vanneste spreading the news. jan berquin and nicolas rosquin going quadratic. usa import was ready to export its own music. antwerp bio techno. homegrown and uncut. these tracks are evergreens from that place and tim

ltds 2018 repress - super djata is one of boldest and most exciting orchestras in the history of african modern music, if not one of africas greatest and most unsung ensembles. led by the late great zani diabaté, super djata band de bamako stands proud as one of west africas fiercest orchestras, with only a handful of releases and many tremendous gigs given over the last forty years.

2018 repress -- super djata is one of boldest and most exciting orchestras in the history of african modern music, if not one of africas greatest and most unsung ensembles

late eighties, early nineties. a back-alley studio in antwerp where new beat and detroit techno lingered. trance was still in the house. electronic body and mind music, fuelled by common sense and primitive artificial intelligence. there was a buzz about wonka. elektrons revolving around atom. humanity firmly on the mappa mundi. labels and sub labels, one-off projects and alter egos, unsung heroes and soon-to-be stars. laurent garnier pushing ludovic navarre to pass on his tapes. all-night light from koenie’s basement. sven van hees entangled in liaisons dangereuses. jan van den bergh before lounge. jan vanneste spreading the news. jan berquin and nicolas rosquin going quadratic. usa import was ready to export its own music. antwerp bio techno. homegrown and uncut. these tracks are evergreens from that place and time.

the was/is crew have proven themselves to be dab hands at burrowing away at the hidden folds of the 90s electro scene and finding some truly unsung heroes worth of a reissue. following on from excellent work supporting the likes of archetype, the us label can now be found shining a spotlight on the work of can oral under the 4e moniker. originally appearing on labels such as force inc and mille plateaux, 4e s sound was quintessentially mid-90s, but only surfaced over a short period of time between 1994 and 1998. this record originally came out on sockett in 1996, and it s been sought after as avid diggers pull out every thread of dope, adventurous electro they can find. discogs pirates laugh no more, because now this essential record is back in the hands of the real music fans!

limited 2017 repress !! / only 1 per customer
new andres 12inch debut on his own label la vida. andres is one that really needs no introduction, but for those unfamiliar here it is: andres, aka dj dez, is one of detroits unsung heros of underground music. since the late 90s andres has built up an extremely respectable catalog of that blurs the boundaries between genres, most notably his records on kdj and mahogani music. not to forget, dj dez is also slum villages dj, has recorded many hip hop instrumental on hipnotech records, and his hand is on countless other detroit records. definitely one of the most consistent producers we’ve got here whose music can be summed up in one word: quality!

a decade deep into its ongoing investigations, documenting and pushing the sonic frisson and fusion between science and technology, sci+tec remain at the very forefront of electronic music. its feet firmly on the dancefloor, its spirit deep inside the machines, its sights set on the future: dubfire’s label has continuously forged its own deep furrow and has been doing so from day one. with breakthrough dubfire releases such as ‘roadkill’ and ‘i feel speed’ sci+tec has managed to create a whole new framework for 21st century techno. all the while sci+tec has consistently championed and encouraged new and unsung talent from around the world, amplifying legions of rising names, davide squillace, paul ritch, shaded, simi, delete, harvard bass, joop junior and countless more include sci+tec releases in their rich histories. this precision balance of stark sonic signature, technical ideology and nurturing new ideas and talent has led to sci+tec’s perpetual momentum into every house and techno dj’s playlists and sets for the last 10 years. be it the label’s penchant for deep, undulating subby grooves or its passion for warehouse-razing thunder-powered techno, the sci+tec sound covers every corner of the floor and every chapter of the night, as proved by the label’s many world tours. and proved once again by this fittingly stacked anniversary album. 10 tracks to celebrate 10 years from 10 of the label’s most exciting artists, every track brings home the sci+tec message

sam kdcs latest offering for auxiliary takes the listener on a deep and spiritual journey. of myth & mercury consists of four intricate pieces that tell a ritualistic tale drenched in a mystical atmosphere. all four tracks flow are grey area in design, and set about proving what can be done with the template. atmospheric pressure from one of electronic musics unsung heroes.

one of the more unsung talents that came out of the gang starr foundation was the brooklyn-based duo group home, consisting of mcs lil dap and melachi the nutcracker. dap was first showcased on the gang starr posse cut “i’m the man,” on 1992’s daily operation, melachi appeared on “words from the nutcracker” from 1993’s hard to earn. the early group home song “so called friends” was also featured on 1993’s now-legendary gangstarr foundation sampler, which also gave the world jeru’s “come clean.” by 1995, dap and melachi had paid their dues and finally got their own full-length: livin’ proof. and it was everything that gang starr and any true school hip-hop fans could have wanted, produced almost entirely by dj premier (with two exceptions: “serious rap shit” helmed by guru himself, and “4 give my sins,” produced by jay-z mentor jaz-o (aka big jazz). beyond the album’s classic singles – “supa star,” “livin’ proof” and “suspended in time” – there are premier-overseen classics all over, including “the realness,” “inna citi life,” and “sacrifice.” in fact, many gang starr scholars agree that the beats on living proof are in the top 5 of all premier-produced albums – no small boast, but certainly hard to disprove.

drummer and music producer desmond mahoney is another of the unsung heroes of british reggae. born in jamaica, he moved to the uk in 1967 and began his professional career playing drums in a band called young ones from zion. he was a founding member of black slate when the group formed in 1974, played with them through their glory years and after running a sound system in north london for many years, returned to the fold when the group reformed a few years ago. his first foray in music production probably came during a brief period in toronto in 1978, working with a band called the ishan lions, but he was back in the uk in time for black slate’s breakthrough material, which brought them onto ensign in the uk, barclay in france and alligator in the usa. at the same time, he continued to arrange and produce for a number of british reggae artists operating in both the roots and lover’s rock modes, female duo nya & natty’s ‘one love stylee’ seemed to bridge the two styles quite successfully on this greatly sought-after 12-inch, first issued in 1981 on the s&g label, then based at a record shop in bow.

when he proceeded further into the production process, he limited himself using the computer less and instead learning to trust his intuition, the flow of his fingers and to use his own voice as an instrument. this led to an album that is rather hard to pin down genre-wise but even easier to connect to emotionally when you listen to it from start to finish.

naveed akhtar is truly one of the unsung heroes of manchester s ever vibrant music scene. under his freak seven & sasso aliases, naveed has enjoyed support and acclaim from hordes of dancers and discerning dj s alike. his expertly crafted productions speak for themselves, and we re more than happy to present the debut release on his newly minted northern life records label. the a side houses day come through a ridiculously uplifting, but bitter-sweet hymn crafted from the bones of detroit techno and the soul of deepest nyc, via the rain-soaked streets of downtown manchester this wonderful ear worm is already attracting deserved plaudits and ecstatic reactions. on the flip largo is a crisply rendered, heads-down jam, shot through with the heavy production dynamic, but melodic light touch a hypnotic delight. finally raspberry toast featuring the handsome guitar work of begin is a beautiful homage to the sun-soaked mediterranean, which has inspired so much of the manchester music scene. an incredible debut, we re sure you ll agree!

leon ware s self-titled 1982 album has long been a holy grail for rare groove record collectors. indeed, mint copies are rarely found for less than £100. so be with records, a new vinyl-only reissue label, is pleased to mark its first release with ware s classic â&#128,&#147, a set that features the timeless why i came to california, a beautiful example of early 80s soul funk. a truly unsung legend, leon ware has written a stunning variety of classic soul music over the course of six decades. he joinedmotownin the late 60s and became one of the label s key writers. his most indelible contribution at motown was marvin gaye s masterpiece i want you. ware s production and songwriting memorably took gaye to another creative level. despite recording a handful of critically acclaimed solo albums for motown and elektra, including this one here, he has remained a secret to many outside the music industry. be with records hope this timely reissue goes some way to rectifying that.

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.

the sound of detroit by one of its unsung heroes, amp fiddlers new album motor city booty coming straight off the d funk assembly line, a full on dance floor affair from motown to p-funk, techno and neo soul. this 12 track album produced by amp fiddler & yam who? includes the massive soul fly sounding like a mark ronson production had he been hanging out with george clinton s parlet followed by the bonafide p-funk anthem steppin both featuring the stunning vocals by the dames brown girls. amp fiddler is credited for taking both a young j dilla and also q-tip under his wing teaching them his akai mpc techniques, setting the path for some of hip hops finest recordings which have defined the shape of things to come. his musical collaborations & current duties include: moodymann s musical maestro, keyboard wizard for theo parrish s live band, a longstanding funkadelic member, co-writer for sly & robbie, prince, maxwell, jamiroquai & seal to name a few.

incredible repress of rick wilhites 2004 ep on chicagos still music imprint. pure detroit beatdown house music, featuring some stellar remix and production work from the legendary delano smith too! city bar reopen live dancing is the opening track, a down-low, funk drenched late night mover that s full of soul with killer vocals from the amazingly monikered billy beemer aka bill beaver. this one s a cult track, underground house music for dancers! 2 mixes of magic water also appear on this essential 12inch, a collabo between rick and delano which is all that needs to be said really! as you can imagine this one is deep a subdued groove that slowly blooms and unfolds until you re totally locked in and it s too late! all in all, a timely reissue of a mid 2000s classic 12inch overflowing with rick wilhites unique style and flow, one of detroit’s most unsung heroes.

the unsung hero of salt002, 92 spacedrum orchestra, debuts his first full length outing on the “hybrid rhythm ep”. laser beam pads and idm drum programming make for a formidable combination. immersive space exploration and distant, muffled cave sounds paired up with a wonderland dub from route 8 drags the extended player deep into the wormhole.

on this record we find kit geary & israel vines (here as kgiv) exploring the subtleties of slow change within a techno track with the outstanding heady mockingbird and through the rocker from fragments. the b side features an unsung hero of american techno borrowed language veteran jeff pietro with the sonic masterpiece of his hypnotic mockingbird remix.

the sound of detroit by one of its unsung heroes, amp fiddlers new album motor city booty comes straight off the d funk assembly line, a full on dance floor affair from motown to p-funk, techno and neo soul. this 11 track album produced by yam who? & includes the massive soul fly sounding like a mark ronson production had he been hanging out with george clinton s parlet followed by the bonafide p-funk anthem steppin both featuring the stunning vocals by the dames brown girls. amp fiddler is credited for taking both a young j dilla and also q-tip under his wing teaching them akai mpc techniques, setting the path for some of hip hops finest recordings which have defined the shape of things to come. his musical collaborations include: moodymans musical maestro keyboard wizard for theo parrishs live band, a longstanding funkadelic member & co-writer for prince, maxwell, seal & jamiroquai to name a few. dj support: gilles peterson, tim sweeney (beats in space) rahaan, quentin harris, eli escobar, ashley beedle, moodymann

rnt is back with a double-pack of disco delight from an unsung hero of the edit game, chicago s underdog edits aka leonard part sixx. with 4 tracks spread over 4 luxurious sides, sourcing material both familiar and obscure, this release is an education on how to craft the perfect extended dj version. limited release! pressed on 2 x 12 inch in a picture sleeve.

played by bodyjack, jacques renault, adesse versions, tooli (local talk / omena), terrence pearce
from the label: * from the unsung midwest city that brought you prince, the coen brothers, the time, woody mcbride, and dvs1... now brings you a new label... minneapolis exchange is a vinyl label from minneapolis, mn. the label will feature exchanges with artists from around the world yet each release will feature a minneapolis based artist. for mplsx001 we bring the first release from dj duke s pleasure dome project in 20 years. duke provides you with two amazing tracks, wild dreams and 7 min of wild techfunk both are sure to be future classics. in addition to the two originals duke is accompanied by rising star adesse versions remix of wild dreams and a rework of both tracks into something new from minneapolis team jack complex. rather than bore you the details of the music in text, we invite you to take a listen for yourselves and let the music do the talking.*

seven davis jr. has firmly established himself as one of the foremost purveyors of future sounds having released his unique music on forward thinking labels such as kutmah’s “izwid”, funkineven’s apron records and ninja tune.
for “future society” seven has curated a collection of his favourite new, unsung and like-minded forward thinking artists to highlight the talent he has encountered on his travels, (the album features artists from new zealand, u.s.a., ireland, u.k. & switzerland).
consisting of mostly exclusive unreleased tracks, this collection contains electronic, soul and house tracks with a pioneering spirit. welcome to the future society.