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DJ and producer Gratts returns to his own imprint with the third instalment of the "Balearic but bumpin'" trilogy. Here, the Belgian puts forward a captivating piece of organic, Body & Soul NY inspired deep house, assisted by Cata Mansikka-aho on vocals. As always, an instrumental is provided for maximum nightclub daydreaming. On the flipside, British duo Faze Action up the energy levels with an equally musical disco version that hits in all the right spots. Artwork once again by Mads Cooke.

A case of things turning full circle if ever there was one, as Rolo McGinty of The Woodentops fame - the indie stars who discovered E and featured on the very first Balearic Beats collection - teams up with Coyote for a one sided 12" that pays homage to the laughing herb that is 'Marijuana' and particularly partaking in its delight in the shade on a hot day. McGinty delivers a cool acoustic guitar riff and a deep, resonant vocal, while the Coyote boys do the slow motion beat shuffling. Anthemic glory.

Marius Circus is well known and loved for a signature analogue sound and once again that is laid out for us all to enjoy here on a new EP that comes with a remix from men of the moment Jazxing. First up is the deep, unhurried and dubbed out 'Lost On A Path To Nowhere,' a subtle late-night sound with wispy synths and a muted bassline that grows ever more prominent. The Jazxing Pathfinder remix is more tropical and steamy, and on the flip 'No Way Home' douses you in more blissed-out chords before the downbeat boogie of 'Space Crumbs Trail'. This is yet more essential summer goodness from Is Iiib 069

Modern britfunk extraordinaire OURRA teams up with Indie duo THE GRAVITY DRIVE to present the "SUPERNATURAL EP". OURRA continues his hot streak for STAR CREATURE laying down the production & instrumentals while GD deepens the mood with their calming/chill/future/ retro vocal stylings.

The follow up to Deep Heavy Fear's Saâda Bonaire-produced single Dark Days, Doorway sees the group continue its hand-played versus programmed journey into the realms of dance pop. The title track takes a non-linear venture into 9/8 to the floor vocal Balearic/dub territory, via impressions, illusions and misrepresentations, to the reverse - Cherries delivers a simpler, but no less appealing cut, down a classic pop path with tolling guitars and striking percussion. Once again self-pressed & presented in a hand-printed & numbered multi-colour sleeve, designed by vocalist Chloe Grove.

Soundway’s telescope to forgotten and lesser known musical realms extends to Argentina on a brand new, triple vinyl compilation, Síntesis Moderna: An Alternative Vision Of Argentinian Music 1980-1990. A digital rewilding of computer and synth powered music, dripping with an impressive variety of influence, from Italo disco, electro-funk, post punk, tango, ambience, jazz-fusion, Afro-folk and techno pop. The record is a cultural document of a musical decade transformed after the lifting of restrictions of English language music post Falklands War, and the end of Argentina’s military dictatorship.

The by-now seminal Is It Balearic label welcomes long-time Balearic boss Max Essa for another superbly horizontal offering that will take you to the beach no matter where you are. He is a regular on this label who has been serving up top tunes and compiling superb collections like 2016's 10-Year Anniversary comp for ages, and the quality levels never dip. This fresh four-tracker traverses gently breaking synth waves, undulating dubby undercurrents and gloriously sun-kissed synth work all in a soothing and meditative style.

A selection of the most iconic tracks emanating from the unique and magic poolside of Pikes Hotel (Ibiza), reworked, retouched and edited for maximum aural pleasure. Jazz N Palms is the brand commissioned to warm up the monthly exclusive Ronnie Scott's (London) jazz concerts. Jazz music fused with latin, funk, rock and international sounds, to be enjoyed under the palms and sun of the Mediterranean sea.

Max Essa completes a trio of terrific releases on Hell Yeah with The Great Adventure EP. It's packed with more grown up dance floor dynamite and later in the year will be collected together with the first two parts to make for a full album.
By now you will know that Essa is part of the UK's Balearic mafia. He's served up big tunes on Is It Balearic?, Aficionado, Music For Dreams, and his music always acts as a sonic raft that floats you out to sea and leaves you bobbing up and down in a state of pure bliss.
Opener 'Tombolo' starts as acoustic music and the sound of a muffled crowd but soon awakens into an uptempo affair littered with toms, guitar licks and claps that are driven by bumping drums. There are elements of old school, Italo and classic house but somehow it feels completely new and fresh as it takes you ever higher.
'The Great Adventure' is masterfully sun kissed disco with crisp 80s drums, love struck chords and a yacht rock feel that is pure joy, something like topless dancing with sand between your toes and umbrellas in your cocktails.
Closer 'Fool in the Pool' sinks into gentle tabla drums and unhurried chords. It's horizontal and thoughtful - the sound of a lazy afternoon somewhere on the Mediterranean coast, gazing at glistening seas through the romantic lens flare in your sunglasses.
This EP is already great feedback from the DJ dons who have been giving it early plays, so act now to snap up your first summer sounds of 2020.

The Goods are back with a second single, "Peach," a collection of moods with an obsession for chasing the funk. When their vocalist Black Tree heard the beat for the first time in the studio, lyrics and melodies flowed instantly. He says: "My hope is that it becomes a feel good anthem for sexual liberation. Freedom from shame is after all about opening yourself up to the world and that act of vulnerability breaks down walls and allows us to come together." Reminiscent of early Prince, "Peach" is sure to keep you dancing through the Summer with a tasty combination of sweet melody and juicy rhythm.

King Of Blue by Yes Indeed sees Laurie Tompkins and Otto Wilberg take their eclectic stance on cosmic jazz and electronics to further uncharted and dreamlike territory, encompassing a unique logic of what is harmoniously absurdist.

King of Blue by Yes Indeed sees members Laurie Tompkins and Otto Willberg further dive into their melismatic take on cosmic jazz and new electronics, by way of their highly eclectic and at times nonsensically sensical modus operandi. Their work is defined by an eloquent flurry of ideas, spheres, and signifiers, creating a musical universe of surprising longevity and depth. Treating musical convention with gentle disdain, Yes Indeed take on a variety of genres and moods and switch them around into a beautifully melismatic and dreamlike state of being. King Of Blue is a mini- album of fragmented beauty and warmth. It puts the illogical center stage and gives space to abruptly miniaturist musical ideas, allowing them to take on a meaning bigger than one would expect. It is cosmic music for modern times. A brazen descent into the execution of a fundamentally diversified musical stance.

'Yes Indeed' are Laurie Tompkins & Otto Willberg. Live, they play keys, bouncy bass and sing over tactile, emotive samples. Their music is epic and also somehow wrong, with space for delicacy, straight-up joy and soaring licks. Since 2022’s ‘Rotten Luck’ - their first proper album, on Bison - YI have played across the UK and Europe. Solo, Laurie co-ran the Slip label and has put out CDs on Entr’acte, 33-33 and Hyperdelia. Otto is a roaming bassist in groups like Historically Fucked and Abstract Concrete and his LP of “wildly singular, wickedly trippy and sensual set of fusion jams” (Boomkat) was recently out on Black Truffle.

Dickie Landry’s saxophones have challenged, soothed, and blown minds around the world in his lengthy career as a jazz and avant-garde blower of the highest regard. He was a founding member of the Phillip Glass Ensemble and (according to Wikipedia lore) introduced Paul Simon to zydeco, one of the indigenous sounds of his native southern Louisiana.

Rarely, though, does Dickie’s saxophone make you want to get up and dance like a crazy person.

Such is the effect of “Hang The Rich,” a nugget of slinky, ecstatic punk-funk that was until recently completely lost to the sands of time. Recorded in 1986 (or thereabouts) in New Orleans and featuring vocalist Evelyn Erhard, percussionist Billy Ware, drummer Ricky Sebastian and Dickie himself on saxophones and a Roland Jupiter 4 synthesizer, it’s the kind of song that compels you to move any which way you can, drunk on indignance and the power of satan’s music.

The track came to DFA via LCD Soundsystem’s Korey Richey, who knows Dickie from back home in Louisiana. After a lengthy search, we located the original tapes in a storage locker somewhere in the Southeast and finally were able to get a clean, quality transfer done here at DFA HQ.

From there, we only had one person in mind for a more DJ-friendly edit: Glasgow’s JD Twitch, one half of Optimo and a selector of similarly puckish spirit. Twitch’s ability to contextualize these older, skronkier sounds for a modern dancefloor are in full display on his version, which hits hard and jagged but then opens up into those ineffable rapturous moments.

Proudly presenting the inaugural release on A’s and Bees, a new label of heavyweight 12 inch pressings highlighting double sided delights, with 50% of the profits from each release being donated towards the British Beekeepers Association. First up, Rare Pleasure’s ‘Superfine Feeling’. Only ever pressed as an almost unattainable acetate that’s rarely traded hands and when it does we’re talking £400 upwards. A 1977, modern-soul-tinged disco number from the New York troupe with soaring vocal harmonies, jamming guitars and big band section galore. Who better to take on the Bee side than Ashley Beedle himself, offering up a signature NSW rejig - retweaking, dubbing and straight buzzin this cut out across those summer thermals for maximum dancefloor bedlam. Buzz for life!

Full Colour Outer Sleeve - NO Holes + Hype Sticker

OURRA teams up with ANDRE ESPEUT again to deliver a hot follow up to one of the highest demanded records 2017 "WHERE THERE'S NO LOVE". The combo is proving to be truly stellar as they put a new school twist on Brit funk with a little modern Italo vibe. ANDRE's voice can't be matched. Act fast!

Left Ear are re-introducing another ten lost tracks from Nicholas Georgieff and Virgil Work, St Louis' basement electronics duo Workdub.

The release spans material from 1989-95 and includes recordings from their sole LP and both cassette albums. Workdub’s music hardly fits into a vacuum and some might even say it’s otherworldly. Tracks like “Reach for the Stars” and “Lunar Module” reflect dreams of space-age exploration, all the while their investigation into drum machines, synthesizers, samples and digital fx’s matched with their organic live instrumentation work to create a unique atmospheric dubbed out sound.

Confunktion Records very own Mr. Confuse teamed up with Ferry Ultra for a funky Nu-Disco production called "Discognized". Ferry Ultra is best known for his releases on Peppermint Jam Records and collaborations with Roy Ayers, Gwen McCrae, Ann Sexton and Kurtis Blow. As Mr. Confuse and Ferry Ultra are both from the same hometown they came up with this funky track together.
The track has a smooth summer vibe and groovy feel just right for your next dance floor attempt at your favourite festival or club re-opening. The flip side version gives you a more dubby disco atmosphere on your ride till 6am.

Make sure you check out the music video of 'Discognized' and don't miss this release on Confunktion Records as the 7 Inch vinyl version is limited. Be quick on this one!

Not much is known about the German session musician ensemble Studiogruppe 1 from the ‘70s and ‘80s. It’s believed that the grandfather of one member, known only as V.S., originally soundtracked silent films in theatres - although that hasn’t been proved. Studiogruppe1 never rose to prominence in the heyday of studio groups and library records, but it certainly wasn’t due to lack of trying.

Although it’s unknown who the individual members of Studiogruppe1 were, it’s clear they could find a groove within the machines. It appears the sessions were also engineered by V.S., and there’s plenty of space between the notes, which lends a heady atmosphere of anticipation to the music. Just close your eyes and you will find that the music triggers many scenes from the movies in your mind.

Take the opener Dunkler Sonnenaufgang, for example. Waves lap on the shore line of an alternate Coney Island, while the sound system of an abandoned amusement park plays arpeggios in the distance. Errinungen could complement expansive panoramic time-lapses of natural cycles and rolling clouds. The track Wenn Der Tiefe Schlaf Kommt, might accompany a documentary on REM dream cycles and flotation tanks. Sonnentanz raises the temperature, as act III in every movie narrative should, as protagonists rush to overcome their challenges. Ein Neuer Anfang would perfectly soundtrack the plot twist of any number of thrillers, film noirs, or sci-fi mysteries. Album closer War Alles Nur Ein Traum could supplement slow-motion shots of dawning realization, foreshadowing a betrayal or a cliffhanger.

V.S. and Studiogruppe1 have condensed the evocative sounds of the ’80s into something of an art form. Bringing to mind the lilting melodies and melancholy chord movements of Tangerine Dream, Vangelis or Manuel Göttsching, Studiogruppe1 manage to capture widescreen emotional flash points without the need for celluloid, or barely any visual aid, for that matter. These tracks work just as well in the furnace of your imagination or a dark room filled with dry ice and lasers.

Wolf Music reissue offshoot, Nothing Is Lost, strike gold again with their second release. The four track sampler cherry picks some of the greatest dub mixes to grace the legendary Easy Street label’s hall of fame, reissued and remastered. Side A serves up two proto-house bombs dubbed out to the high heavens by the one and only Paul Simpson. Firstly, Sleeque’s sumptuous ‘One For The Money’, gets a tougher makeover with Simpson’s classic touches to the drums, echoes in all the right places and delicate splices of choice vocal refrains and piano stabs. Likewise for the A2, Simpson focuses in on that peach of a bassline from Paradise Girls – Holding Back, coupling it with Special-Intention-esque synths and cascading percussive ripples. On the flip side, it’s a Blaze masterclass. First up, Alexander Hope (aka Josh Milan / one half of Blaze) ‘Let The Music Take You’. Produced alongside Blaze counterpart Kevin Hedge, the track gets the remix treatment from Klub Head – a further alias the two held. Honing in on the vibraphone mastery and bumping house rhythms they juice up the original with all the ethereal soul you could ever want. Closing out the EP, a onetime collaboration between Blaze and Otis Vick, System VIII’s super soulful ‘Underground (Untouched Dub)’. Josh Milan’s exquisite and iconic vocals marry with sweet sax licks providing the perfect late night groover or, just as equally, the ultimate beachside roller.

‘Double Pink’ is the debut album by And Is Phi (Andrea Isabelle Phillips), a multidisciplinary artist from Norway and the Philippines now based in South East London. ‘Double Pink’ is a nuanced world that draws on colours and texture; with influences of Joni Mitchell and Frank Zappa, 90's R&B and Madlib’s ‘Shades Of Blue’ blending languidly to produce a base for uncovering layers of self, a deep release, and fragile new form. Written by Andrea and co-produced with Fiona Roberts and Lorenz Okello over a nine month period; ‘Double Pink’ thematically explores the many movements of internal change, speaking from a deep inner voice inside the body. The title track is an invitation to be as unapologetically hungry as you please after a long absence of life giving passion and trust in oneself. ‘White Noise’ is a recovery song playing in your soul the first time you made it back out to the dance floor after a heart break so massive it laid rest to the person you used to be. Songs like ‘Working’ and ‘Staaar’ come from a candid and contemplative aspect. Stages of grief and resilience and wonder and wisdom are all touched upon. “The album explores metamorphosis, liminal spaces, and the multiple faces of love”, says Andrea. “I mention love as a key ingredient, because anyone who has had to push and pull and hold and yield themselves through great loss and transformation knows it ain’t gonna happen without love. Tough times ask for double love, a stronger heart, something like a double pink”. Andrea’s story dots between periods spent living in Norway, the Philippines and England - experiencing joy and beauty battling corruption and violence in Manila, DJing in Oslo, losing her sizable record collection in a warehouse fire before making friends and family in the jazz scene in London. Every story needs a scene, a landscape, an environment; all things Andrea visualises when writing songs. “At my heart I am emotional and imaginative, searching for freedom for my spirit. What grounds it all is coming from a family of storytellers. My father played drums and percussion, he was a great dancer and a true collector and connoisseur of music from everywhere. My wise mother instilled in me a sense of faith and grace”. Andrea is far from new to the scene, having performed with Steamdown, Emma Jean Thackray, Hector Plimmer, Scrimshire, William Florelle and many more as a valuable and inspiring creative force within the South London music scene. Andrea also created the album’s artwork and music videos: musicality and painting evolved from her initial creative languages of drawing and dance. All aspects are dialects of her common language: singing what can’t be painted and painting what can’t be sung.

Born out of an impromptu post-pub jam session in Margate, the 5-piece group Pigeon swoops onto the scene with their blistering debut EP Yagana.

As the tracks cross effortlessly between Afro-disco, grunge, no wave and jazz, the cohesive symbiotic relationship of the band members is obvious from the start. The powerful vocals of Guinean singer Falle Nioke are complemented by a wealth of talent from Graham Godfrey on drums, Steve Pringle on keys, Tom Dream on guitar and Josh Ludlow on bass.

Having moved to the UK from West Africa in 2018, Falle Nioke has recently been in the spotlight with EPs heavily supported by indie radio and BBC 6 Music playlisters. On Yagana, he continues to sing in a multitude of languages, but this time shifts towards a more organic musical direction, showcasing his incredible versatility as a vocalist.

This new path can be attributed to the pedigree of the rest of the group – veteran musicians Steve Pringle and Graham Godfrey are key members of Michael Kiwanuka’s band, the latter also performing with Little Simz, Cleo Sol and Sault, among others.

Furthermore, Tom Dream and Josh Ludlow are electronic artists in their own right – with a number of artistic projects in the works, as well as having performed together as ambient duo Soma World. Both used to play in metal and grunge bands in earlier years, an influence which has made its way into Pigeon’s distinctive sound.

The Yagana EP is an emotionally-charged offering, exploring themes of lust, saudade, homesickness, and hope for peace. The title track ‘Yagana’ translates to “it’s been a while”, and though its up-tempo disco rhythm and wild synth solos lend a cheerful disposition, the lyrics describe a melancholic yearning for Africa. Nioke sings in Susu, Wolof and Malinke – as he describes the struggle of being separated from one’s family, as well as hustling to support them financially from afar.

As a teenager, Nioke would train his voice by the great river Rio Nunez in Boké, among the remnants of the slave trade, pathways and crumbling buildings being swallowed up by the forest. While most Western teenagers grew up with traditional pets, Nioke disclosed to his band members that his closest animal friend in West Africa was the pigeon – and so the name of the group was chosen.

Moving through the record, ‘Nothing Grows’ follows on from the Afro-disco opener, bringing down the tempo and intensity. The heavily swung jazz rhythm is driven by the drums, while soft guitar tremolo picking and synth pads produce a delicate atmosphere over which the singer mournfully longs for a lost love.

But having lured the listener into a meditative and pensive state in ‘Nothing Grows’, feathers are suddenly ruffled by the entrance of “It’s You” - a sultry story of burning desire. Channelling grunge and elements of no wave, the song is defined by a rumbling bass that pulses alongside the kick, while an atonal synth riff and fuzzy guitar licks provide the minimal melody. Piercing through it all is the hypnotic spoken word of Nioke, switching between French and English, as he beckons – and at times even demands - a lover to enter his room.

Finally, ‘War (Jam)’ returns the record to its 4x4 disco pace, featuring rapid-fire hats and high-pitched guitar riffs seemingly nodding to Mugithi, a genre often associated with political commentary. This concept is built upon with lyrics sung in Susu, as Nioke condemns wars around the world and their ongoing futility, pleading for people to unite and create a better place. Running just over 7 minutes, ‘War (Jam)’ is an improvised long take which continuously evolves, allowing each musician an opportunity to shine.

Recorded in a single weekend, Pigeon’s Yagana EP is a clear testament to each member’s skilfulness and varied experiences, creating a fully-fledged being that is greater than the sum of its parts. With an opening hand like this, we await with bated breath to see what more the humble Pigeon can bring to the world.

This LP samples Alexander Goldscheider’s music produced for records, films, TV and even an art exhibition in the space of 25 years starting from 1975. In its second venture into reissuing hidden gems of electronic music produced in Eastern Europe in the 20th Century, Little Beat Different Issues focuses on the work of a Czech composer, musician and producer, Alexander Goldscheider. Born in Prague in 1950, Goldscheider started as a music correspondent in New York in 1968/69, went onto reading Music at Charles University whilst continuing as a music critic and radio/club DJ, before becoming a record producer at the top Czech label, Supraphon. As a composer, he pioneered the use of synthesizers in his songs for major Czech pop/rock singers as well as in his own instrumental tracks. After moving to London in 1981, he first recorded two albums at the renowned Red Bus Studios, then proceeded to work at the legendary BBC Radiophonic Workshop, before co-founding and establishing Romantic Robot, a software and hardware design and manufacturing company which later moved into music recording and publishing. Of the many original products, The Music Typewriter was ground-breaking software enabling the writing and printing of real notation on the Sinclair ZX Spectrum. Similarly Terezin: The Music 1941-44 was the first ever release of CDs with music written in the Theresienstadt Concentration Camp during World War II.

Best DJ in the world J Rocc gives you six bootleg bangers of electro ecstasy as Flaunt Edwards channeling legendary party people like Ron Hardy, Larry Levan, DJ Harvey, and Kraftwerk.

"Nemesh is a ravenous wolf; In the morning he devours the prey. In the evening he divides the spoil."

Events take a somber turn as Moscoman’s Treisar project edges closer to its natural conclusion with Nemesh.

The ninth chapter in the Treisar series opens up with The Lady Of The Light, a mechanical ride through the later stages of madness, all in automated bleeps and sinister laments.

Pain Collection sees Moscoman channel his post punk sensibilities through anguished guitars, while Walls Of Jericho gives Nemesh its final master stroke with a middle eastern dancefloor war song.

For our latest project, on side A you'll find 3 tracks, here Ian Ash's cover of I Want to Thank You, originally sung by Ms Alicia Myers and here performed by Ella May. Surrounded by fantastic musicians such as Mathieu Karcher, Olivier Magarotto and Jérôme Billeter, I was able to give my all to offer my vision of this track! No samples, everything is played from A to Z! Welcome to Ian Ash's "Boogievision" The remix of my cover of I Want to Thank You, originally sung by Ms Alicia Myers, by the offensive combo of Mr Doris and D-Funk. I've always loved the energy Mr Doris puts into his dj sets, his science of the dance floor and his always positive attitude. I've also always been a fan of D-Funk's productions & the instrumental version On the B-side, originally created by Fostin with Jessie Wagner, I was able to get permission to do my own Acid-Jazz version. Jessica needs no introduction, thanks to her enormous vocal prowess. She has toured the world with the Famous "Chic" , Lenny Kravitz , Kid Rock and Duran Duran. To name but a few & the instrumental version.

Price tag.

Mediterranean pop songs screwed with dirty RnB sounds. Disorientating, freudian slip disco edit takes to the clubs; up-tempo, left of field and a down right dub siren infused banger - confused yet? Slow-mo dub melting in the heat of the eternal summer, untether yourself and drift away.

In 2019, Parisian cinema composer Jean-Gabriel Becker and Japanese composer and multi- instrumentalist Susumu Mukai embarked on the making of an album that was ultimately going to become ‘Time Very Near’. The album was finally released to great acclaim in April 2020 through the strangest time in history for its singularity and originality. Prompted by a few unsolicited offers for remixes, Becker & Mukai saw an occasion to invite their community of musician and producer friends to re-invent, deconstruct and rebuild the songs on ‘Time Very Near’. Joe Goddard (Hot Chip), who, from his studio next door, had witnessed the birth of the project from day one, was kind enough to unleash his killer beats on Spice War. Old friend Jas Shaw (Simian Mobile Disco) transformed the tropical sounds of Dark Fields Of The Republic into a dance-floor ready techno workout. Long-time collaborator and friend Sasa Crnobrnja (In Flagranti, Mytron & Ofofo, Auf Togo) took Time Very Near on a trip to Jamaica. Label mate Ama//mizu stripped Tout Azimuth down to its core to rebuild it with his unique production skills. Dreems delivered a sweltering 19 minute version of Dark Fields Of The Republic and a shorter version more suited for a vinyl listen. And finally Becker & Mukai chose to don their alternative monikers (Zongamin and Lux Prima) to re-interpret the duo’s own compositions. Like the original album, this remix project gathers sounds and inspiration from an ever-expanding palette of influences, assembled into something amorphously intangible that’s simultaneously refreshing and sharp, meandering and cosmic, futuristic but timelessly vintage and manages to expand where the original album left off.

Essex-based trio Statues have made their presence felt with a string of impressive singles for a variety of labels from Sweden's Lovely and Plastic Idol in the US. Here they offer up their timely summer breezer 'Clear Skies' with crystal cleat synth lines evocative of John Carpenter or Tangerine Dream powered by a simple but effective groove. Coyote Ambient are the first of two guests invited to remix it, and theirs is more of a classic 90s chillout reworking, while Vendetta Suite combine a similar vibe with some soaring solar guitars and live drums. Another original from Statues, 'The Creek ', completes the package, with arpeggios melded with organic voices and guitars.

After a false start or two, Ess O Ess have finally joined the Kinfolk stable with a thunderous release featuring Laura Lee of Khruangbin fame.
Totem is the name and four versions is the game.
Starting off, the original mix is a wailing guitar-heavy psyche rock out that sees Laura Lee's vocals carrying it across a peyote-filled landscape.
Saul's Swamp Crawl version sees the slow 'n' heavy rock elements kept in the mix but with added electronic flourishes. Head nodding is an optional extra.
The Hardway Brothers decided to tune in with the spirit of Johnny Jenkins and haul it through New Orleans via a pit stop at John Carpenter's desert holiday home.
Otologic bring up the rear with an altogether different take by donning their finest digi dub garb and take it as far away as they can from it's psyche out beginnings

JFR 002 is a Funk the best class, groove and atomic impact bass, horn sections and incredible vocals, a song that makes us faithfully relive the mood of the 70s. On B side takes the Soul direction, in any case another pearl made by Black Fire. Don't miss it.

Three reworks, three classics, three chances to transport your mind, body and soul to somewhere with a little more sizzle and spice.

Next up from Mind Fair is a crafty cover of cosmic classic, That Thing, by That Thing. Originally released as a currently scarce 12 on AVI in 1977, That Thing was a one-off synth-pop project produced by Dutch musician Geertjan Lacunes – who worried the outer limits of various European hit-parades during the ‘70s and ‘80s under the alias Jerry Rix. German label Jupiter picked up the quirky curio and repressed it as 7 for wider distribution, no doubt envisioning that they’d licensed a novelty monster the scale of Chicory Tip’s Son Of My Father - which alas was not the case.

The track was however a firm favourite of pioneering Italian DJ, Daniele Baldelli, since its wonky bass riff can be heard spinning in and out of a multitude of his legendary mixtapes - where it`s twisted, almost inverted, by the maestro’s use of EQ. Back in 2020, Mind Fair have fashioned a faithful but you-betcha beefed-up reworking. The crazy lyric - care of Chicken Lips cohort, Johnny Spencer - and cowbells accompanied by un-MIDI-ed Moog and modular synth twitches, italo arpeggios and fuzzed guitar tones. Fabrizio Mammerella delivers a remix that's like a meeting of NYC’s Emergency Records, and Belgium’s Antler and Subway. Chris Barbosa and Morton, Sherman and Belluci. ‘80s New York and ‘90s New Beat. Dropping the chorus into devastating delay, chopping Johnny up into percussive Pop Muzik snippets. Sealing the psychedelic deal with a deft dose of analogue acid. In comparison, Eric Duncan’s re-imagining, initially comes across as kinda muted, but that’s just to catch you off guard. While pitched down, and the drums for sure more sedate, it’s definitely the trippier of the two revisions - with all sorts of strangeness throwing abstract shapes deep in its detail. That 303 now sounding severely stoned. It’s like that cat at the afters, the one who commandeers the drinks table in the kitchen and then bends any and every unsuspecting ear - spontaneously connecting the disparate dots in the universe, seemingly without stopping to draw breath - while endlessly shaking folks’ cocktails. The kind of nut that everyone knows, but can never work out how they make it home. Tongue-in-cheek weirdness worthy of Eric’s Rub N Tug partner, Thomas Bullock, and his mate, DJ Harvey, too slow to disco, too high to stop dancing, it’s quality psyche gear for the experienced, discerning, dimensional traveler. There’s a dub for those that can’t quite handle the vocal (lightweights!).

Stamped white label with insert. 2 remixes (from TBZ and Tolouse Low Trax) ++ 2 new tracks.... killer!

For Fans Of: Arthur Russell, Cody Chesnutt, Music From Memory, Can, Damo Suzuki
Cody Chesnutt’s Headphone Masterpiece is a core work in the WotNot inspiration book. Put that release through Google Deep Dream and Isayahh Wuddha’s Urban Brew is what you end up with. Recorded in Kyoto to multitrack tape recorder with vintage drum machines, guitars and Casio keyboard, the result is an eddying blend of lo-fi soulful indie, funk, rock and psychedelia.
The release is led by Wuddha’s strange but alluring vocal delivery, moving between tender-to-the-point-of-breaking any-second, almost-apathetic-semi-rapping and friendly conversational with the occasional James Brown scream dotted around.
While the music ranges from lively to ballad-esque, there is a sense of fun and playfulness throughout, enhanced by the raw, slapped-together production style.
With roots in Taiwan and Japan, Kyoto’s Isayahh Wuddha counts avant garde saxophonists Albert Ayler and Kaoru Abe among his early influences, but attributes his decision to make and release music to reading Michael Jackson’s biography!

This rare Brit Funk 12” was originally released in 1984 and is now officially reissued for the first time. Licensed from producer Lindel Lewis, the 12” was heavily influenced by US Boogie and Disco and there’s a Dub influence at play as Lindel was also producing a lot of reggae around this time, most famously ‘Night Over Egypt’ by Mystic Harmony.

The 12” includes a previously unreleased Dub Version of ‘I Need You’ and was produced on two Analogue classics, Lindel says “I used a Linn Drum for the drums and played all synth parts using a Roland 106. I’m a classically trained musician and also a sound engineer, I worked at Mark Angelo Recording Studios for 18 years and have produced a great many artists. Steve Jones real name is Steve Myers, but I didn’t like the surname so changed it to Jones which felt more soulful. The name The Fat Boys came about because of the big bellies of myself the flute player Mike Appoh, my trainee engineer at the time. Ray Carlass played the sax solo, they have both now sadly passed”.

This long overdue reissue revives a standout moment in Brit Funk history, making it an essential addition for fans of classic Boogie and Disco. A 140 gram pressing in 3mm spine disco sleeve with labels and sticker designed by Bradley Pinkerton.

The Funky French League is a collective of intergenerational DJ’s / producers / musicians, composed of Young Pulse, Arthur Chaps, Woody Braun, Monsieur Willy, DJ Asko and Uncle T. Coming from diverse backgrounds, from hip hop to electronic music, the love of groove brought them together. Their goal is to promote funk and its derivatives through parties, mixes, remixes, radio broadcasts... Much more than a musical style above all, they defend a state of mind: celebration, diversity, inclusivity, good vibrations and the spirit of the party. They have release compilations through Universal and Warner Music and have their own label Funky French League records.

From the deepest trenches of deadstock 45s and the unsung annals of soft rock infamy, we present Sr4ht02: (Till You're) Back In My Arms.

Universal Cave and the Street Road Band cover Dan Strimer with Insured Sound's cult anthem (Till You're) Back In My Arms which was originally released as a 45 in 1977 on Lost Nation Records out of Guysville, Ohio. When Universal Cave featured Back in My Arms on Soft Rock for Hard Times Vol 8 in 2023, we reached out to Dan Strimer to tell him how much we loved his record, and quickly made a friend who helped us release a cover of his song 47 years after it first came out. Dan is still making music to this day and there are even rumors of some unreleased recordings making their way out in the near future.

On vacation in Hawaii when we released Soft Rock for Hard Times Vol 8, Alex Tebbs Mitchell of Universal Cave kept coming back to Dan's catchy, rural classic rock tune. When Alex returned to Philadelphia, he assembled the Street Road Band to record a laid back, 'southwestern Balearic' cover version with André Ethier on vocals, Charles Simon on guitar, Jesse Spearhawk on Pedal Steel, Alex Tebbs Mitchell on Rhodes and bass, Ryan M. Todd on synthesizers, and Shawn Ryan and Brian Cassidy on additional programming and arrangement. The result is a blissful soft rock ballad inspired by the likes of Chris Rea and Mark Knopfler.

After recording the cover, we called in the UK's finest Balearic maestro's Coyote to take the multitracks to the White Isle and back for a remix worthy of Cafe Del Mar. Coyote send the song into a dreamy, dubby, deep house groove, confirming that the record is, in fact, Balearic.

Mixed by Alex Tebbs Mitchell Mastered by Mat Leffler-Schulman

Coyote team up with Quinn Luke Lamont for a one off collaboration. Quinns vocals add a distinctly yachty feel to Coyote's chuggy early evening acid groove. Project Sandro tighten up the percussion and strip the vocals back and create a dreamy more contemplative warm weather shuffler.

We're promised Mellow Magic and that's precisely what we get, across four tracks emerging from disparate corners of the globe but united in a common mission to provide beats that work on the more relaxed end of the dancefloor. Belgian duo Charlotte & Reinhard of Rheinzand fame kick things off with a slow motion Balearic version of a well known 80s MOR classic. Ollie Loudon's 'L.M.T.' finally makes it to vinyl after long being a secret weapon in Gratts' DJ sets, where handclaps and languid strumming meet a gentle but infectious groove. Flip it over for the more tracky affairs, as Japan's Lily Ko makes an impressive debut with 'Pure Rubber', an original mix of disco foundations and always snazzy but never showy 80s synth play. Melbourne's Biancolato finishes things off with understated deep house shuffling that adds just a touch jazzy keys and dreamy, wispy pads.

Max Essa is a bonafide Balearic boss man and one of the regulars of the Is It Balearic? label. It is there that he returns now with 'I'm Homeward Bound' which is a textbook sound from the producer, with a hint of Tears For Fears. The pads are delightfully gooey and subtly uplifting over gently percussive and stuttering beats and the whole thing is rich in lazy poolside energy. Nathan Dawidowicz remixes into a percolating bit of deep and tribal disco, Secret Soul Society brings out the early evening house grooves ready for sunset sessions and the closing cut 'Chasing Horses' is a super sweet late night groove with heartfelt chords

Legendary Italian musician Sergio Messina serves up his 13 track Sensual Musicology on Hell Yeah this March. It comes a couple of years after he first released on the label's Buena Onda compilation and takes in everything from demented waltz to grown-up jazz, groovy beach music to heart-aching melancholia with artwork by virtuoso Italian AD DeeMo. Now based in Lombardy, Sergio was there at the birth of pirate radio in the mid-seventies and eventually produced Radio art for national broadcaster Rai. At the same time, his DJ career took off and he helped establish Hip hop in Rome before taking his own live show to the stage with a mix of PCs, samplers and tape recorders as early as 1989. Frank Zappa declared himself a fan and in the years since Sergio has done everything from radio art to producing Neapolitan reggae and hip hop band 99 Posse, producing his own solo albums and writing for monthly music magazine Rumore.

On top of this, he has both written books about and delivered lectures on the digital porno revolution, as well as teaching History of Pop Culture at the Istituto Europeo di Design in Milan. All this makes him a truly original creative thinking who has long been immersed in many niche facets of popular culture. Sensual Musicology took several years and four different locations to happen. Its release has been delayed by the pandemic, during which Sergio lost many friends and relatives close to him. As a result, the album is dedicated to all of them. It is a record that addresses many topics from economic migration to jazz piano, 60s blues motifs to corruption, pollution and racism via Michael Jackson covers, odes to West Coast guitar albums and spaced-out pieces of electronica. Opening with the beautifully delicate Mingus melodies of 'Goodbye Porkpie Hat' the album roams through the bluesy Italo-American-Jamaican groove of 'Amara,' slow melancholy of 'Sometimes Remember' with classy vocals from chanteuse Valeria Rossi and 'The Way You Make Me Feel', an acoustic rebuild of Michael Jackson's hit song. Then comes the serenade that is 'Just Because You're Dead,' and ‘Sono Stufa di Tutto’ which is based around a protest speech recorded from the radio in the 1980s. Jon Hassell Beach Bar' is a musical hybridisation for dancing pleasure. The second half of the album takes in 'Ouana Di lambo' which is the Four Twenties taking you to a cocktail bar in the tropics, 'Benjamino Placido' which is a melody for a man who inspired Sergio to start writing his columns, and 'Nowhere Special' which is a tribute to West Coast guitar albums. Closer ‘Switchblade Bolero' has a Zappaesque theme. Sensual Musicology is a rich and diverse musical world that is as thought-provoking and deep as it is emotionally rewarding.

MAT is proud to announce the forthcoming release of ‘The Side I Never See’, by Hugh Small & Brian Allen Simon. Hugh forms half of Scottish post-punk duo Vazz, whose work was the subject of a recent retrospective by Belgian label Stroom. Brian is known best for his solo project Anenon, under which name he has released four full length albums and multiple remixes for artists including Ryuichi Sakamoto. An improvised recording of Brian playing over the Vazz piece ‘Kazimierz’ catalysed this long-distance collaboration; 2000 feet up a mountain in Andalucia, Hugh heard the recording on a broadcast of Brian’s dublab LA radio show. Immediately taken in by Brian’s playing, the pair soon established contact and began discussing the possibility of working to create something new together. The rest, as they say, is history: the results are fully realised in ‘The Side I Never See’, a shimmering suite of ten compositions for piano, soprano saxophone, synthesizer and guitar. In Hughs words… ‘so, what is it? It’s Ambient-Punk, Abstract-Jazz, Disaffected-Classical, it’s whatever the fuck you want it to be!’ :-) ‘The Side I Never See’ will be released on Melody As Truth in early August 2021, as always on vinyl and digital. Mastered by Stephan Mathieu, Artwork by Michael Willis.

STAR CREATURE's OURRA spent years chasing down a long forgotten private press jazz CD from Detroit. When he finally did, this global collaboration resulted. Detroit's JAMES MERRIWETHER JR. teams up with Brit OURRA for 3 tunes started in the 90s and finished in 2019. Limited to 300 copies.

Bo Wosticz aus Nordschweden mixt mit "Suinga" elektronische und akustische Elemente. Der Remix von Jon Beltram verleiht dem Track eine zusätzliche Energie, während "Return to Fender" und "Gnallbulver" eine leichte, nordische Balearic-Atmosphäre bieten.

Uomo Meccanico, alias Nicola Altieri aus Neapel, begeistert mit "Sintesi Perfetta" auf IIB. "Odyssey" nimmt dich auf eine dunkle, hypnotische Reise mit. "Strange Interferences" ist ein säurehaltiger Track mit makelloser Sample-Technik. La Guardia De La Luz bringt uns mit ihrer Version in einen sanften Balearic-Sound.