uk garage

james rudie & evm128 with two disco cuts

raised on the best of popular and underground dance music of the 70s and 80s, partner has created an outlet to pay homage to the finest hooks and loops from around the world, seamlessly repurposing them for the dancefloor. first up, a-side track patu launches headfirst into an off-kilter bollywood infused dancefloor curveball punchy drums, melodic vocals and vintage instrumentation, save your weirdest shapes for this one. on the flip, my people gives an injection of latin heat triumphant, horns and an unrelenting rhythms section throw this into full carnival spirit. just in time for the summer. since relocating to london from brighton, things have been taking shape for partner music. last year saw a debut festival slot at dimensions festival, plus a handful of great support from the likes ofmount kimbie, dan shake and san proper. with some exciting releases lined up throughout 2018, its looking like a promising year for the budding producer. with this release high praise continue to build their status as a label to keep an eye on, with their party series and clothing line steadily growing in popularity.

next up on the ever-eclectic xvi records, a shadowy figure steps into the spotlight: enter the mysterious captain over, whose dark yet soulful bruk-infused tracks soundtrack the next stage of their voyage towards the sun. for his debut outing, captain over calls on the abstract vocal stylings of the legendary trim (roll deep, 1800 dinosaur) on opening track sick. showcasing why hes one of the most iconic and forward-thinking mcs to grace the mic, trims dulcet tones twist through a jungle of shuffled beats and subterranean sub-bass, an eerie child-like melody drifting overhead. clack clack and no one ever really flies inhabit a more dancefloor friendly space, their unique syncopation, fierce instrumentation and relentless energy open up the dancefloor for some real get loose moments. on the remix, they hand the controls over to xvi homestay books (following on from the success of his previous feel it in my bones and high praise edits vol 1 releases which won praise from the likes of the black madonna, moodymann, gilles peterson and seven davis jr) books expertly crafts a cosmic footwork jam, full of his trademark soulful chords and eerie midnight saxophone licks. as he prepares to launch his forthcoming ep no-one every really flies into the cosmos captain over is beginning to cement his place as one to watch in the uk underground a sequel ep featuring grime upstart nico lindsay is scheduled for release later in the year, with several more collaborative works in progress.

following on from his massive feel it in my bones release (which gained support from the likes of moodymann, the black madonna, gilles peterson, sassy j, seven davis jr) and a killer remix for afrobeat legend dele sosimi north london producer books returns to xvi records with two storming edits, kicking off their new high praise series in fine style. in the groove hits the ground running, immediately throwing the listener into the middle of peak-hour, loft party hysteria, its soulful vocals swirling overhead whilst the driving, unrelenting rhythms create a sweaty, electrically charged delirium. on the flip, ‘passage of time takes a slightly more introspective approach, its shuffled hats and hazy keys giving way to majestic, uplifting horns guiding the way down a psychedelic black hole, its laid back groove providing a perfect soundtrack to the voyage, as planets spin by in the darkness.

next up on xvi records, we welcome back south london based producer munro for his second release. having recently participated in the brownswood future bubblers project, he brings his signature heavily percussive flavour to these two perfectly crafted tracks. first track miss your love is a shuffling, soulful, groove laden voyage - its sliding synths and wandering bass line provide a solid backdrop foe its iconic vocal ideal for those late night dance floor moments. on the flip,‘environments ten embarks on a deeper, more atmospheric journey. its scattered, layered drums patterns join together in a thick wall of rhythm, setting the scene for uplifting joyous melodies to slowly elevate above, reverberating around the outer realms of expansive production.

books returns to xvi with three outstanding jazz infused cuts, custom built for the dance and pressed to wax for our third vinyl offering. feel it in my bones” sees the north london based producer channeling ancient voodoo magic, crafting a smokey, vintage, heavily percussive show stopper. accompanied by the mysterious zodiac on vocals, whose falsetto notes (when mixed with a saxophone solo in the light of the full moon) raise a relentlessly soulful and driving floor-filler from it’s resting place deep beneath the ground. “dana’s groove” begins to summon spiritual visitors from dance floors throughout history for one last ghostly get down, before culminating in the soaring “memphis” bringing the vinyl to a uplifting yet haunting close.

alongside our fourth release, we are pleased to finally bring you our first vinyl offering. featuring two tracks lifted from our most recent 10 track compilation xvi records - volume two: imitating life and two standout tracks from our back catalogue.